On a day that Aaron Boone characterized as both thrilling and a little nerve-wracking for some, the Yankees managed to handle their business as the trade deadline loomed.
And now, it’s time to move forward.
Before the 6 PM deadline, the Yankees secured an important victory, highlighted by a significant home run from Giancarlo Stanton and another from Ben Rice, defeating the Rays 7-4 in the Bronx on Thursday afternoon.
The game was briefly interrupted by a rain delay lasting two hours and 45 minutes in the fifth inning. Meanwhile, the Yankees (60-49) made moves, bringing in David Bednar from the Pirates and Jake Bird from the Rockies.
When play finally resumed, the Yankees had already traded infielder Oswald Peraza to the Angels, leaving them slightly short-handed.
After the break, the Rays (54-56) removed Jose Caballero from the game, which allowed them to make a trade involving speedy utility players with the Yankees.
By the end of the day, alongside acquiring three relievers and utility players, the Yankees managed to gain half a game on the Blue Jays, positioning themselves just 3.5 games behind the AL East leaders as they head into the final two months of play.
Stanton’s two-run shot came after Cody Bellinger hit an RBI single, marking Stanton’s eighth home run in his last 20 games. Rice had a stellar performance, finishing 6-0 with a three-run homer.
Despite initially pitching three scoreless innings, Marcus Stroman faced challenges in the fourth, as the Rays closed the gap to 7-4 with four runs.
Nonetheless, Stroman managed to push through to the fifth, with Yerry de Los Santos stepping up and striking out five in three strong innings following the delay.
Jonathan Loáisiga wrapped things up, notching his first save of the season on a day when Devin Williams and Luke Weaver were unavailable due to recent pitching workloads.
