The New York Yankees traded a haul of prospects to get Juan Soto’s services, and this is exactly why they did it. With the offense sputtering for most of the game, a rally in the seventh inning was stamped by a three-run moonshot from Juan Soto that sent the ballpark into disarray, and the Bronx Bombers hung on to pick up a win in the series opener. Following a dramatic late-game comeback in Toronto against the Blue Jays to avoid being swept, they were looking to make it two in a row in their first matchup of the season versus the Rays.

On the back of a great start from Clarke Schmidt and that aforementioned seventh-inning rally, the Yankees picked up their 14th win of the season, as they put together another sensational win.

Juan Soto Powers the Yankees Ahead of the Rays For a 5-3 Win

Another game, another sensational win for the New York Yankees, who looked dead offensively for the first six innings of this contest. Clarke Schmidt was on the bump trying to give the Yankees a chance to pick up their second-straight win, and after battling through the first two innings of that game, he was able to turn in a really strong outing. With seven strikeouts, zero walks, and just one run allowed off the bat of Richie Palacios, he improved his season ERA to 3.15.

That home run off the bat from Palacios, a New York native, gave the Tampa Bay Rays a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Dennis Santana was able to bridge the gap from Clarke Schmidt to the high-leverage arms, firing 1.2 innings of shutout baseball and keeping their bullpen mostly intact for tomorrow afternoon, it also gave the team a chance to punch back, which they did in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Beginning with an error by Curtis Mead that allowed Alex Verdugo to reach, Jose Trevino would then work a walk and set up a scenario where the tying run was in scoring position with just one out. Oswaldo Cabrera would bounce a ball that got through Yandy Diaz, scoring Verdugo and knotting things up at one while keeping the Yankees in position to take a lead. Anthony Volpe, who was in the middle of an 0-14 skid, smacked an RBI single into center field, and this set the stage for Juan Soto.

HE IS THE DOMINICAN ROCKET YOU CANNOT STOP HIM pic.twitter.com/OjRbMzT7me

— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) April 20, 2024

An absolute rocket into right field, Juan Soto would clear the bases and send the stadium into a frenzy, giving the Yankees a lead they’d hang onto. Ian Hamilton made it dicey, allowing two runs in the top of the eighth as the Rays had a hit parade against the Bronx Bombers with 14 total knocks in the contest. Clay Holmes, who has yet to allow an earned run all season, would give up two hits of his own, setting up a scary situation where the Rays had the tying run at first with no one out.

With a weird dropped pop-up that somehow turned into a force out at third and a liner that was caught for a double play, the Yankees were able to hang on, capturing another win at home and preserving their position atop the American League East for the night. They’ll send Nestor Cortes to the bump tomorrow at 1:05 PM, as the Yankees face off against Zach Eflin in hopes of securing a series win against the Rays in their first matchup of the season.