"Yankees manager Joe Girardi summed up centerfielder Curtis Granderson's night Wednesday perfectly:

"It started off great," he said. "And ended up as an 'ouch.' "

Granderson delivered the biggest hit of a 4-0 Yankees win in the top of the first, ripping a two-run homer off Rays left-hander David Price. But in making the game's biggest catch, Granderson ran into the centerfield wall to rob Evan Longoria of extra bases in the fifth. Granderson later fouled a pitch off his right calf and got hit by a pitch in the eighth.

"He's a little beat up," Girardi said.

But Granderson played a key role in beating the Rays, bouncing back nicely from Tuesday, when his miscue, losing the ball in Tropicana Field's roof, helped spark Tampa Bay's winning rally.

Granderson's homer, his 27th of the season (second in the AL), put the Yankees up for good. It was just the fourth career homer Price has allowed in 423 at-bats against left-handed hitters (Granderson has two of them in 24 at-bats vs. Price).

"It's just a constant battle," Granderson said. "He's one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game."

Granderson's 10 homers off lefties this season is the most in the majors by any hitter."