Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays pulled back above .500 with a 4-2 victory over the host New York Yankees on Monday night.
Rays starter Drew Rasmussen allowed a pair of run-scoring walks in the first inning before pitching five innings holding the Yankees scoreless the rest of the way.
Rasmussen (8-5) gave up four hits and two walks while striking out five.
Caminero gave the Rays a 2-0 lead four batters into the contest when he blasted a 2-1 slider into the left field seats off New York rookie Cam Schlittler (1-1). It was Caminero’s 27th homer and fourth since the All-Star break.
In the bottom of the inning, Rasmussen allowed consecutive one-out singles to rookie Jasson Dominguez, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton. He walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a full count, struck out Paul Goldschmidt, then issued a full-count free pass to Ryan McMahon.
Rasmussen recovered from the walks and retired 12 straight before Dominguez singled with two outs in the fifth. The right-hander ended his outing by getting Bellinger on a fly ball.
The Rays went back ahead when Josh Lowe hit an RBI single in the fifth off Schlittler, who walked Yandy Diaz and allowed a single to Jonathan Aranda ahead of the clutch hit.
Three Tampa Bay relievers followed Rasmussen and threw a combined four scoreless innings. Edwin Uceta fanned four in two innings, Garrett Cleavinger got two outs, and Pete Fairbanks notched the final four outs for his 18th save. With a runner on second, Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca made a running catch on a fly ball by Austin Wells to end the game.
Diaz added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the eighth off Tim Hill after the Rays got a three singles, two of them in the infield.
Schlittler allowed three runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings during his third career start. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out five and walked four.
The Yankees fell to 4-8 in their past 12 games and mustered only three baserunners after the opening inning.