ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sean Rodriguez hit a go-ahead two-run homer, helping the Tampa Bay Rays continue their home dominance over the Yankees in a 7-4 victory over the AL East leaders on Tuesday night.
Rodriguez, mired in a 17 for 100 slump dating back to May 21, finished with 3 for 4.
After blowing a three-run lead, New York went ahead 4-3 on Eric Chavez’s RBI single during the fourth. Tampa Bay responded in the bottom half and grabbed a 5-4 lead on Rodriguez’s first homer since May 27 off Ivan Nova (9-3).
James Shields (8-5) gave up four runs and 10 hits over seven innings for the Rays, who have won nine straight at Tropicana Field over the Yankees.
Tampa Bay extended its lead to 7-4 with a two-run seventh. After Desmond Jennings stole home on a play that had catcher Russell Martin make a bad throw to second on B.J. Upton’s stolen base attempt, Ben Zobrist had a run-scoring single.
Nova, who entered 5-0 in his past seven starts, allowed six runs and seven hits in six-plus innings. The right-hander had won his previous four starts against Tampa Bay.
Fernando Rodney, the Rays’ third reliever, pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
New York took a 2-0 lead in the first when Curtis Granderson had an RBI double and Robinson Cano hit a run-scoring single.
Cano, who has driven in at least one run in a career-high seven consecutive games, was then doubled off first on Nick Swisher’s one-out fly to center. Cano was also thrown out at the plate on a strong relay throw from Rodriguez on Raul Ibanez’s sixth-inning double.
Dewayne Wise made it 3-0 on a third-inning solo homer.
Wise nearly threw out Elliot Johnson out at the plate from left field on Upton’s two-out single later in the third, but a sliding Johnson was called safe when Martin juggled the ball during the tag try. Jeff Keppinger then tied it at 3 on a two-run single.
Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was out of the lineup on a planned day off that was set up about a week ago. The break came one day after Teixeira made his first error in 94 games, a misplayed two-out grounder in the seventh inning that allowed the eventual winning run to score in New York’s 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay.
Chavez, who took Teixeira’s spot, was charged with an error after mishandling Zobrist’s grounder in the third.
NOTES: Rays LHP David Price (11-4), who left his previous start last Friday after seven innings because of lower back tightness, will go against Yankees RHP David Phelps (1-3) in Wednesday’s series finale. Phelps is filling for New York ace CC Sabathia, who has been out since straining his left groin on June 24. … Sabathia threw in the outfield for the second consecutive game, including at 60 feet. The left-hander expects to have a mound session this weekend. … Tampa Bay OF Matt Joyce (strained left oblique) is set to join Triple-A Durham and will have his status evaluated after playing Thursday.