Winning pitcher Luis Gil struck out a career-high nine over 5 2/3 innings Sunday afternoon as the host New York Yankees hung on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in the rubber game of a three-game series.

Alex Verdugo laced a tiebreaking two-run single during a four-run fifth inning for the Yankees, who have won six of seven series this season.

The series loss was the second for the Rays.

Gil (1-1), making his fourth start after missing last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, allowed an unearned run on two hits while walking three over 5 2/3 innings in his first win since 2021. The nine strikeouts were one more than his previous high that he achieved three times, most recently on April 7 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Gil allowed his only run in unusual fashion in the third, when Jose Caballero led off with a double, went to third when Gil threw the ball away on a one-out pickoff attempt and scored on Gil’s balk.

Luke Weaver tossed 1 1/3 hitless innings before the Rays scored three times in the eighth. Dennis Santana gave up a two-run double to Amed Rosario and an RBI single to Curtis Mead before retiring Ben Rortvedt on a liner to right.

Victor Gonzalez tossed a hitless ninth for his second save. He walked Randy Arozarena with two outs in the ninth before retiring pinch hitter Harold Ramirez on a groundout.

Anthony Rizzo had an RBI single in the first for the Yankees, who built a two-out rally in the fifth to chase Aaron Civale (2-2).

Giancarlo Stanton, Rizzo and Gleyber Torres all walked with two outs in the fifth before Verdugo, Jose Trevino and Oswaldo Cabrera delivered run-scoring singles on consecutive pitches.

Verdugo had three hits while Cabrera had a pair of singles.

Rosario finished with two hits as he extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Civale allowed five runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out five over 4 2/3 innings.

–Field Level Media