Yankees 6, Rays 4
NEW YORK -- Catcher Brian McCann and designated hitter Alex Rodriguez homered on consecutive pitches by right-hander Chris Archer with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning as the New York Yankees rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
The Yankees won for the seventh time in nine games, doing so on a day when they did little off Archer (12-11) through five innings.
Archer took a one-hitter into the sixth but the momentum began to change when he put two on with two outs and threw a 3-1 fastball to McCann. McCann turned on the pitch, driving it into the right field bleachers for his career high 25th home run.
As the crowd was still applauding the game-tying home run, Rodriguez drove a first-pitch fastball into the first few rows of the right field seats in a similar location as his 3,000th hit on June 19.
After Rodriguez's 28th home run Yankees added an insurance run in the seventh when Tampa Bay second baseman Logan Forsythe made a throwing error trying to complete a double play on left fielder Brett Gardner.
New York scored another run in the eighth on a bases-loaded single by shortstop Didi Gregorius.
Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run homer and Forsythe had an RBI single for Tampa Bay, which began the day 4 1/2 games out of the second wild card.
Shortstop Asdrbual Cabrera hit a solo home run for the Rays, who played their major-league-leading 78th game decided by two runs or fewer.
New York right-hander Ivan Nova (6-7) allowed three runs six hits in six innings.
Justin Wilson gave up a two-out double to right fielder Daniel Nava and Dellin Betances walked third baseman Evan Longoria in the seventh. Betances escaped the jam by retiring left fielder Grady Sizemore but gave up Cabrera's 11th home run with one out in the eighth before getting an inning-ending double play.
Andrew Miller allowed consecutive two-out singles and threw a wild pitch in the ninth but notched his 31st save in 32 opportunities.
Archer was trying to become the first pitcher since Greg Hibbard in 1994 to win his first six decisions against the Yankees. He wound up allowing five runs (four earned) and six hits over 6 1/3 innings.
For the second straight game, the Rays held a 3-0 lead through three innings.
Kiermaier made it 2-0 when he drove a full count curveball into the right field seats for his eighth home run with two outs in the second.
Forsythe made it 3-0 when he blooped a single into shallow left field with two outs in the third.
NOTES: Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria was in the lineup after exiting Saturday's game with a bruised right forearm. Manager Kevin Cash said Longoria told him he was good to go moments before the lineup card was posted. ... Yankees LHP CC Sabathia felt good Saturday and threw a bullpen session Sunday. He conceded not wearing the brace he is wearing now earlier in the season was due to personal stubbornness. ... Tampa Bay OF Stephen Souza Jr. (fractured left hand) went 2-for-4 while playing DH in the first of three rehab games for Triple-A Durham Saturday. ... In the wake of the innings limit controversy with New York Mets RHP Matt Harvey, Yankees manager Joe Girardi fielded 12 questions about the topic, prompting him to quip at one point, "I can only imagine what Terry is going through." Girardi said had RHPs Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda not missed a month with injuries, they would have likely faced a limit.