Juan Soto's heroics lead New York Yankees to victory over Tampa Bay Rays

NEW DELHI: Juan Soto was the hero for the New York Yankees as they secured a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. Soto's three-run homer in the seventh inning capped off a five-run rally for the Yankees, who took advantage of defensive miscues by the Rays.

The game-changing sequence started with errors by Tampa Bay's Curtis Mead and Yandy Diaz in the seventh inning.

Mead's botched grounder allowed Alex Verdugo to reach base, while Diaz's error allowed Jose Trevino to reach safely and set the stage for the Yankees' comeback.

After Anthony Volpe's RBI single broke the tie, Soto delivered the decisive blow with a towering home run into the second deck in right field off Rays pitcher Chris Devenski.

Soto, who also made a spectacular leaping catch at the right-field fence earlier in the game, showcased his all-around talent and played a pivotal role in the Yankees' victory.

Despite a strong start by Tampa Bay's Tyler Alexander, who limited the Yankees to just two hits over 5 1/3 innings, the Rays couldn't hold off the Yankees' late surge.

Clarke Schmidt started for the Yankees and delivered a solid performance, allowing just one run on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. Dennis Santana picked up the win in relief, while Clay Holmes sealed the victory with a game-ending double play to secure his eighth save of the season.

The Rays' offense was led by Richie Palacios, who homered in the sixth inning, and Issac Paredes, who drove in two runs with a single in the eighth inning. However, their efforts weren't enough to overcome the Yankees' late rally and defensive prowess.

With the win, the Yankees improved to 14-6 on the season and continued their strong start to the campaign.

(Inputs from Reuters)