Josh Donaldson, back from the paternity list, singled and scored in a six-run first inning and added a solo homer in the second as the host New York Yankees rolled to a 10-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon.

The Yankees (84-56) won for the fifth time in seven games and lead Tampa Bay 10-8 in the season series to clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker if the teams finished tied atop the AL East. New York moved back to 4 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay.

Gleyber Torres hit an RBI single to start the big first inning off two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (10-8). Donaldson followed with a single that loaded the bases, and Oswaldo Cabrera followed with a two-run single to make the score 3-0. Miguel Andujar singled to drive in Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to load the bases again and Cabrera scored on a groundout by Kyle Higashioka for a 5-0 lead.

Kluber gave up seven straight hits to start the game until the groundout. Manager Kevin Cash pulled Kluber after a sharp Aaron Judge RBI single drove in Andujar. Kluber finished his day surrendering six runs on eight hits in just two-thirds of an inning.

Judge remained at 55 homers but singled three times, raising his average from .304 to .307.

Donaldson also homered in the second inning. He reached for a third time when he was hit by a pitch and then scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.

Kiner-Falefa added an RBI single in the seventh and Giancarlo Stanton homered off Tampa Bay catcher Christian Bethancourt in the eighth as the Yankees collected 15 hits.

Wander Franco had an RBI single and Harold Ramirez added a two-run single for the Rays (78-59), who lost for the second time in 11 games. Tampa Bay also dropped to 24-11 in its past 35 contests.

Kluber entered Saturday 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his previous three starts and held the Yankees to two hits in seven scoreless innings last Saturday.

New York starter Jameson Taillon (13-4) allowed three runs on six hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out eight, walked one and earned a standing ovation from the crowd.

–Field Level Media