Soler remained in Chicago while dealing with tightness in

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Gary Sanchez is doing all he can to keep the New York Yankees in playoff contention.The rookie slugger hit his 17th homer in 42 games this season, a three-run shot in a four-run seventh inning that sent the Yankees past the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Tuesday night to snap a five-game skid.Amazing, incredible, impressive, teammate Mark Teixeira said. Hes carried us. Were not even close to talking about a playoff berth if Gary doesnt come up and do what he does.The banged-up Yankees moved within 3 1/2 games of Baltimore for the second AL wild card. New York would also have to jump over the Mariners, Astros and Tigers to earn a postseason berth.Sanchez tied Wally Berger of the 1930 Boston Braves for the most homers by a big league player through 44 career games, according to Baseball-Reference data available through 1913.Im enjoying it, especially when you win the game, Sanchez said through a translator.Sanchez gave the Yankees a 5-2 lead with his drive off Brad Boxberger (4-3). It was the young catchers sixth home run in 11 games following a 10-game drought.Hes meant a lot, New York manager Joe Girardi said. Offensively and defensively. Its kind of fitting that he got the big hit.Sanchezs shot came after Tampa Bay opted not to walk him with first base open and two outs.Had Boxy fallen behind, maybe youd think about it, but this is a guy whos gotten a lot of big outs for us in the past and trust him to get outs, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.Teixeira hit a solo shot in the fourth for New York, which was swept in a four-game series at Boston last weekend and had lost seven of eight overall.It was Teixeiras 407th homer, which tied Duke Snider for 54th place on baseballs career list. The switch-hitting first baseman has hit 204 for the Yankees, moving him past Roger Maris and into a tie with Robinson Cano for 14th in franchise history.I havent hit a ball right-handed like that in a long time, Teixeira said.Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (bruised right knee), third baseman Chase Headley (back spasms) and second baseman Starlin Castro (strained right hamstring) were all out of the lineup for the second straight game.Luis Severino (3-8) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win. Dellin Betances got three outs for his 12th save.New York starter Michael Pineda gave up two runs and struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings.Brad Miller put the Rays up 2-0 with a two-run triple in the third.Tampa Bay lefty Drew Smyly allowed one run over six innings.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: Ellsbury didnt rule out starting Wednesday. ... Headley could be back late this week. ... OF Aaron Hicks (right hamstring) was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list.Rays: OF Steven Souza Jr. (left hip) and 1B Logan Morrison (left wrist) will both have surgery Wednesday. ... Utility man Nick Franklin (left hamstring) might not play again this season.KAPRIELIANS COMEBACKYankees minor league right-hander James Kaprielian, out since late April with an elbow injury, threw 30 pitches during his second batting practice session. The 2015 first-round draft pick might pitch in the Arizona Fall League. This year I learned a lot, and for me this is a big character test, Kaprielian said. Battle these frustrations. I think in the long run this is going to help me.UP NEXTYankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (13-4), who is 6-0 in his last eight starts, takes the ball Wednesday night. He is 5-0 in seven career starts against the Rays.Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (1-0) makes his fourth start since returning from Tommy John surgery. NHL Jerseys China . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/ . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. NHL Jerseys Sale . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Clearance NHL Jerseys .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. PITTSBURGH -- John Lackey fielded phone calls from plenty of interested teams in the offseason. Yet the veteran pitcher opted for the Chicago Cubs.Sure, the money was good. The opportunity was even better.I had some pretty good offers from other people and I chose this one for a reason, Lackey said. Its all here.Looks like it.Lackey worked through five innings, Chris Coghlan hit a three-run triple and the Cubs held off the staggering Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 on Tuesday night. Coghlans second-inning drive off the wall in right-center against Ryan Vogelsong (3-7) gave the NL Central champions all the offense they would need to win for the seventh time in their last eight games. Chicago improved to 101-56, the clubs highest victory total since it won 104 games in 1910.Pittsburgh was eliminated from postseason contention when San Francisco won later Tuesday, ending a run of three-straight playoff appearances.Dexter Fowler added an RBI double for the Cubs. Lackey (11-8) worked around five hits and three walks to win his last regular season start. The 37-year-old finished his 14th season 11-8 with a 3.35 ERA and has looked fresh since a stint on the disabled list to rest his right shoulder. Lackey is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA since coming off the DL earlier this month.The rest was good for him, manager Joe Maddon said. Hes going into the postseason well rested. Just got to keep these guys sharp.Lackeys next start will be in the playoffs, a time of year the two-time World Series champion knows well. Hes 8-5 with a 3.11 ERA in the postseason and doesnt think Maddon will need to do anything too extravagant to keep him engaged during the lengthy downtime.I dont know about (simulation) games, Lackey said. I can throw a bullpen and be just fine. I dont need to see somebody up there. I know how to throw the ball over the plate.Felix Pena recorded the final two outs for his first career save after Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run single off Justin Grimm to get the Pirates within two. Pena struck out Sean Rodriguez with the bases loaded to end it.Overall we did play pretty well, Maddon said. We got everybody involved, which is good. Theres a lot to be happy with.Vogelsong allowed four runs in five innings and fell to 0-3 with a 9.55 ERA in September. The 39-year-oldd managed to get out of a two-on situation in the first but couldnt in the second.dddddddddddd A hit batter and two walks loaded the bases for Coghlan. The outfielder narrowly missed his first career grand slam when the ball landed just below the top of the fence. He sped to third for his second triple since rejoining Chicago in a trade with Oakland in June.Just an unacceptable start, Vogelsong said. No excuses. Just unacceptable.Lackey made sure it stood, though not without some shaky moments. He needed a double play to thwart a potentially big inning in the second and his defense bailed him out when Jordy Mercers line drive with the bases loaded in the fourth went straight to second baseman Munenori Kawasaki, who flipped to second to double off Rodriguez.The Pirates went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position -- both hits coming in the ninth -- and left 11 men on base.STREAK ENDSPittsburgh reliever Juan Nicasio gave up two runs in the ninth and failed to record a strikeout for the first time in 34 appearances, ending his club-record streak.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: OF Jorge Soler remained in Chicago while dealing with tightness in his side but could rejoin the team in Cincinnati on Friday. Maddon said an MRI on Soler came back negative, but with the division already clinched theres no rush to get Soler back on the field. Side bothers him, nothing horrible, nothing to be highly concerned about, Maddon said. I dont know what we think right now, except that it wasnt bad.Pirates: LF Starling Marte remained out of the starting lineup with back stiffness and grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the fifth. The All-Star has just three plate appearances -- all as a pinch hitter -- since Sept. 5. My brothers are out there battling and I wish I could get out there with them, Marte said.UP NEXT:Cubs: Jake Arrieta (18-7, 2.85 ERA) makes his final start of the regular season. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner is 9-1 with a 1.46 ERA in 12 career starts against the Pirates.Pirates: Rookie Jameson Taillon (4-4, 3.49) faces the Cubs for the second time this season. Chicago touched him for four runs in four innings of a 10-5 loss on June 19. ' ' '