Through five innings Monday night the New York Yankees looked headed for a much-needed victory over the Tampa Bay Rays that would have snapped a five-game Yankee losing streak. Instead, A.J. Burnett melted down in the sixth inning and the Rays scored five times, turning a 5-1 deficit into a 6-5 lead, which they held onto for the win.
Burnett surrendered two-run home runs to Sam Fuld and B.J. Upton during the uprising, as well as an RBI single to Matt Joyce. Former Yankee Johnny Damon also homered for Tampa Bay.
Curtis Granderson hit his 14th home run of the season, a three-run blast that gave New York a 5-1 edge in the fifth. The Yankees also scored twice in the second inning.
Kyle Farnsworth, a former Yankee reliever, pitched the ninth inning for Tampa Bay to earn his eighth save.
The Yankees are now just one game above .500 at 20-19. Their sixth straight loss dropped them three games behind the 24-17 Rays in the American League East.