By Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The Yankees wasted a late one-run lead and a superb acting job by Derek Jeter in a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, dropping them back into second place in the AL East.
Designated hitter Dan Johnson hit two home runs off Yankees starter Phil Hughes and knocked in all four runs to lead the Rays to their second one-run win in the three-game series between the top two teams in baseball.
"It was two mistakes over the plate to the same guy," Phil Hughes (16-8) told reporters after the game. "What are you going to do?"
Johnson's game-winner in the bottom of the seventh inning took the lead back from the Yankees who'd gone up 3-2 a Curtis Granderson home run in the top of the seventh.
The Yankees even received a lucky break in the inning when the umpire ruled Jeter had been hit by a pitch and awarded him a first base to set up Granderson's two-run home run.
Jeter appeared to fake a grimace even though replays showed the ball missed him. Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected after arguing the call and the Yankees captain later admitted the call was wrong.
The loss helped the Rays leapfrog the Yankees into first place by half a game in the AL East. The Red Sox are in third place, six and a half games behind New York.
The Yankees have lost five out of their last six games, but Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is confident the team will bounce back.
"I think we haven't played our best baseball," said Rodriguez, who went 1-for-4 in the game. "That's what I take away from it. We have to get better; our situational hitting has not been good. That's something that we take a lot of pride in doing."
The Yankees have an off day on Thursday before beginning a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
