Urshela, LeMahieu come up big in unlikely rally

NEW YORK -- The Yankees refused to hang their heads after an eighth-inning rally fizzled, re-energized by a 73-minute rain delay. Down to their final two outs, Gio Urshela and DJ LeMahieu delivered big hits that helped author one of the team's most exciting victories of the young season.

The slick-fielding Urshela atoned for an eighth-inning error by depositing a game-tying home run into Monument Park, and LeMahieu lashed the deciding hit, driving home Cameron Maybin with the winning run as the Yankees stunned the Mariners, 5-4, on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

• Box score

"We didn't have a whole lot going there," LeMahieu said. "For [Urshela] to hit that homer, it kind of just gave us new life there. Once he tied it up, I kind of got the feeling, all of us on the bench were like, 'All right, we're going to win this game somehow.' It was a fun ending."

Trailing for most of the evening, the Yanks broke through in the ninth against Anthony Swarzak. Gleyber Torres singled and Urshela homered onto the netting over the monuments, later saying that as he rounded the bases, he had been enraptured by the flickering lights atop the Stadium's iconic frieze.

"It feels so good, seeing the lights go back and forth," Urshela said, with a broad grin. "I feel so happy for me and for the other guys who are here with me. They are so excited to see this, and [I'm] so happy to be here and be part of the team."

It was a memorable day for Urshela, who has enjoyed a few of them during his unexpected starring role in pinstripes. Earlier in the afternoon, Urshela learned that Yankees manager Aaron Boone plans to continue playing him regularly at third base, despite Miguel Andújar's return from the injured list.

Maybin followed with a single that chased Swarzak, then stole second base. After Roenis Elías recorded an out, LeMahieu lined the deciding single into right field, sending Maybin sliding safely past catcher Omar Narváez.

The Mariners challenged the call, which was quickly confirmed, crediting the Yanks with their 13th victory in 17 games. When the clubhouse opened to media, the air remained thick with smoke from a portable fog machine, indicative of a particularly satisfying celebration.

"What a great effort," Boone said. "We didn’t play perfect, obviously. We hung around enough. The next guy up again got it done. That’s a fun one to be a part of."

The Yanks had been mostly stifled by lefty Marco Gonzales, who scattered three hits over six innings. New York’s only damage against Gonzales came in the third inning, as Urshela doubled and scored on a Brett Gardner groundout.

"I think their starter did a really good job; kind of took us out of our game and we couldn't get much going," LeMahieu said. "When we did have opportunities, we took advantage of it. It's a good win for us, that's for sure."

Maybin was thrown out on the bases in the fifth, then squelched a rally by hitting into a double play in the seventh.

"I've been here for a week, but it's what this team continues to show: a lot of fortitude, a lot of belief in each other," Maybin said. "What a big win."

The comeback followed a start in which Masahiro Tanaka uncharacteristically reacted with frustration to a pair of fly balls that fell in the outfield; one fourth-inning hit dropping between center fielder Brett Gardner and right fielder Clint Frazier, the other sailing through heavy raindrops and clanging off of Frazier’s glove for a two-base error in the seventh.

But those misplays did not result in runs. Seattle scored on Ryon Healy’s second-inning sac fly and Edwin Encarnacion’s sixth-inning homer, which was slugged off a splitter that caught too much of the plate.

"Obviously, I wasn’t my best," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "I was able to get through six innings and a little bit. It was an OK outing. … I think it is a priority for me to get that split back."

Following the delay, Domingo Santana and Jay Bruce added run-scoring hits off Tommy Kahnle in the eighth. One of the runs (both unearned) resulted from a rare error by Urshela, who booted a Ryan Vogelbach grounder.

"Gio is human, so every once in a while, to see him not make a play -- I know it's different, but that's what it's about," Maybin said. "Bouncing back, having a short memory, and we did that."

Before Tuesday's walk-off, the Yankees had lost 51 consecutive games in which they had trailed after eight innings, the second-longest active streak in the Majors behind the Orioles (54) per Elias Sports Bureau. Tuesday marked the Yanks' second walk-off win of the season, following an April 21 victory over the Royals that was decided by an Austin Romine hit.

"We made some mistakes tonight, and guys just kind of kept playing and enjoying playing the game, enjoying these moments," Boone said. "Just a really good job of stringing together a little bit of a rally there. We had a couple chances late where we just couldn’t break through and finally we were able to."