NEW YORK --
\n\nThe Judge sequence was eerily similar to one in the [eighth inning of Monday’s series opener](https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/edwin-encarnacion-two-home-runs-yankees-lose-rays \"undefined\"), when Encarnacion followed a long foul drive with his second home run of the game. That was reduced to a footnote when Aroldis Chapman coughed up the lead, one strike away from victory.\n\n\"Pretty, pretty big,\" Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. \"Another big comeback win, especially after going home after last night.\"
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Poche's 1-2 pitch to Gregorius was a fastball out of the strike zone, but it did not sail high enough. The shortstop sparked bedlam by swatting the offering into the right-field seats for the Yanks' fourth grand slam of the season, following Torres' June 19 blast at Tropicana Field.\n\n\"You pass the baton and just keep fighting,\" Gregorius said. \"I had two strikes, and I was able to put a good swing on a high pitch, and it went out. It felt pretty good to come through, finally.\"\n\nIf it feels like these division rivals have seen plenty of each other, it is because they have. [CC Sabathia](https://www.mlb.com/player/cc-sabathia-282332 \"undefined\") acknowledged that there is \"no love lost\" between himself and the Rays, [having briefly cleared benches in the sixth inning](https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-avisail-garcia-shouting-match-clears-benches \"undefined\") after engaging in an on-field argument with Avisail Garcia.
\n\n \n\n\"It’s a good team,\" Sabathia said. \"They are really good, right there with us. We’re battling for the division, so all the games are going to be intense.\"\n\nJudge said that it was possible that the late surge had something to do with Sabathia's outburst, with the Bombers' bats having been limited to Encarnacion's homer through five innings, providing meager support as Sabathia allowed three runs and five hits over six frames.
\n\n \n\n\"He'll fire us up when we need it,\" Judge said of Sabathia. \"We needed it tonight, and he did that for us.\"
\n\nDidi Gregorius said protecting CC Sabathia was “like holding a bear.” \uD83D\uDC3B
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) July 17, 2019
\n\nIn addition, Judge lauded the relief appearance by