Verdugo, the originator of the "dawgs" moniker for this crew, did most of the barking. The top six spots in the Yankees' lineup went a combined 3-for-21, with the lone RBI delivered by Anthony Rizzo's two-out single in the first inning.
With two on and two out in the third, Verdugo hammered a 100.9-mph shot to the warning track in centerfield, where Randy Arozarena chased it down. Verdugo is hitting .357 (15-for-42) with six doubles and a homer in his last 12 games.
"That first at-bat I got tied up pretty good, but I still hit it to the right area," Verdugo said, smiling. "After that, I had a good swing to right-center, where I thought I was going to be able to burn them.
The most important swing, of course, was the one Verdugo put on a first-pitch splitter from Rays starter Aaron Civale in that pivotal fifth inning.
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