Bullpen burned by 3-run homers vs. Yankees

NEW YORK -- Three-run homers did in the Rays during Friday night's 7-5 loss to the Yankees in 12 innings at Yankee Stadium.

The last one particularly stung because the Rays grabbed a 5-3 lead in the top of the 12th and were just two outs away from a win when Steve Geltz allowed a three-run homer to Brian McCann to give the Yankees the walk-off win.

Rays manager Kevin Cash had the last reliever in the bullpen, lefty C.J. Riefenhauser, warming, but he stayed with Geltz, who pitched a scoreless 11th.

"Rief, probably would have turned it over to him the next at-bat, with [Garrett] Jones," Cash said. "We kind of like the matchup with Geltzy's split with McCann. Looked like he kind of left a fastball up over the plate."

Geltz did not speak to reporters after the game. Catcher Rene Rivera described what happened.

"It's one of those pitches, you know, you try to go to the corner and the ball got too much of the plate and McCann put a good swing on it," Rivera said. "Those things happen. We just get them back tomorrow.

"It was a fastball. We tried to go outside. McCann is a good hitter. All-Star guy, who know what to do in there. And he didn't miss it."

Earlier in the game, the Rays held a 3-0 lead and were six outs from a win with Kevin Jepsen on the mound to start the eighth.

The veteran right-hander struck out Brett Gardner to start the inning then allowed back-to-back singles to Chase Headley and Alex Rodriguez. Jepsen fell behind, 1-0, to Mark Teixeira before the slugger drilled the next pitch into the upper deck in right field to tie the score at 3.

"All the losses hurt," Rivera said. "You don't want to lose, you want to win. That's why you play the games. But teams go through slumps. ... We've been playing hard. We've been playing good baseball. And hopefully we get out of it soon and start winning games."

Video: TB@NYY: Teixeira's RBI single surrounded by fireworks