Domingo German earns seventh victory as Yankees edge Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The remarkable run of Yankees injuries and subsequent collection of patchwork lineups sent out almost nightly by Aaron Boone led to this equally remarkable fact late Friday night:

The Yankees are a mere half-game behind AL East-leading Tampa Bay after kicking off a three-game series against the Rays with a 4-3 win in front of 20,846 at Tropicana Field. They have gone 17-6 since their 6-9 start.

“These guys are coming expecting to win ballgames . . . It’s a close-knit group that’s playing an unselfish brand of baseball,’’ Boone said. “It’s been fun to be a part of.”

Gio Urshela, a star since early April after taking over third-base duties for the injured (and since returned) Miguel Andujar, delivered yet another big hit, a two-run single in the sixth inning that put the Yankees (23-15) up 4-3. The inning’s spark was provided by a towering pop-up by Gary Sanchez that hit one of the catwalks that overhangs the field and fell for a single. “We got a break there,” Boone said.

Domingo German, who became the majors’ first seven-game winner, took a 2-0 lead into the fifth but surrendered a two-run homer by Austin Meadows and a solo shot by Ji-Man Choi that put the Rays (23-14) ahead.

A Yankees bullpen that has begun to honor the preseason hype it received continued that trend, with Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman each pitching a scoreless inning.

Ottavino loaded the bases with none out in the seventh, sandwiching two walks around a bunt single. But he struck out Tommy Pham on a nasty 3-and-2 slider that broke well out of the strike zone and got Choi to ground into a 1-4-3 double play. The ball bounced off Ottavino’s thigh to second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who fielded the ball on the run, stepped on second and made a strong throw to first, where Luke Voit made a nice stretch..

“DJ’s so good I was thinking he had a chance,’’ Ottavino said. “I was fired up. It was a grind of an inning. To come away with no runs to keep the lead, that’s what it’s all about, so that’s why I was so excited.”

“I don’t know if I would have gotten it if he [Ottavino] didn’t deflect it,'' LeMahieu said. "Maybe Gleyber would have had it, I don’t know. But he deflected it right to me, so it was kind of lucky for us.”

The Rays had far more to worry about than the loss. Ace righthander Tyler Glasnow, who came in tied with German for the MLB lead in wins and with an MLB-low 1.47 ERA, left in the sixth because of what the Rays called “right forearm tightness.”

German, who came in 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA, allowed three runs, five hits and two walks in five innings, striking out five. Glasnow allowed a season-high four runs (three earned) and five hits in 5 1⁄3 innings. He walked two and struck out nine.

LeMahieu led off the first with a trickler to third, where Yandy Diaz made a clean scoop but short-hopped Choi at first for an error. Voit walked and  Sanchez slashed a single off the glove of shortstop Willy Adames to load the bases.

One out later, Nick Ciuffo was charged with a passed ball that made it 1-0. Gleyber Torres then poked a 1-and-2 curveball to right for an RBI single.

Sanchez led off the sixth by skying a ball toward the roof. Adames had a bead on it off the bat, then suddenly didn’t as the ball clanged off the “A” ring that overhangs the field here. The ball — the first to hit the “A” ring since 2006 and only the fifth to do so since the building opened in 1998 — came down next to Adames for a hit. Clint Frazier singled and, one out later, Glasnow was replaced by  Emilio Pagan, who had retired 27 of 28 previous batters. Andujar reached on an infield single to load the bases and Urshela won a seven-pitch at-bat, lining a 2-and-2 curveball to left for a two-run single and a 4-3 lead.

That improved him to 9-for-23 with 10 RBIs with runners in scoring position this season.

Through his translator, German said of his excited reaction to Urshela’s hit: “It shows the kind of team we are. There’s a saying that when you have faith, a lot of good things can happen. I kept the faith in the team and they were able to do a great job there.”

“I’ve said it before, I feel like I’m a different hitter now. I try to go with that confidence every game, every situation,’’ said Urshela, whom Ottavino called “probably our MVP at this point.”

LeMahieu said of Urshela, “Offensively, defensively…big hits it seems like almost every game. Glad he’s on our team. It’s fun to watch him play.”

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.