ST. PETERSBURG -- The keys to making a game-saving catch, as Trent Grisham recounted late on Wednesday evening, are all contained within the finer details. Peering in at Yandy D¨ªaz in the batter¡¯s box, he shaded a few steps to his left, knowing that the Rays¡¯ leadoff hitter likes to use the right side of the field.

That pre-pitch setup made all the difference in a game decided by the slimmest of margins. Getting a good jump at the crack of the bat, Grisham glided deep toward the outfield wall, stealing an extra-base hit that helped to preserve the Yankees¡¯ 2-1 victory at Tropicana Field.

¡°I got a pretty good read, but it was hit a lot better than I thought initially,¡± Grisham said. ¡°I had to adjust course a little bit, but I was happy to make the play.¡±

A two-time Gold Glover, Grisham covered 61 feet in 3.9 seconds to pocket D¨ªaz¡¯s 106.3 mph rocket, part of a four-out save for closer Clay Holmes. Had he started further away, Grisham might have been scooping up what D¨ªaz said he believed would be an ¡°easy¡± two-run double.

¡°I knew he hit it pretty well off the bat,¡± manager Aaron Boone said. ¡°It looked like Grish, out of my eyeline, knew he got a good break on it like he normally does. So I wasn¡¯t sure, but pretty shortly in, I felt like he had a bead on it.¡±

That wrapped ¡°a big day for Grish on both sides of the ball,¡± as Boone would say. Grisham drove in the Yankees¡¯ only runs against Zach Eflin, stroking a second-inning RBI double and lifting a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.

If that feels like an uncommon formula for a Yankees win, well, it has been. Wednesday marked the Yanks¡¯ first victory without hitting a homer since June 18, losing their previous five such contests. The Yanks have won just seven of their last 24 games overall.

¡°It¡¯s been a rough stretch, and I think we¡¯re all aware of that,¡± said starter Marcus Stroman. ¡°The work ethic from every guy, the confidence, hasn¡¯t changed one bit. It¡¯s one of those spurts in a long season of playing 162 games. It was a whole team effort tonight.¡±

Indeed, it also proved to be a banner night for the Bombers¡¯ bullpen, which Boone described as ¡°the ultimate bend but don¡¯t break, playing the nickel defense.¡±

The first call was made in the fifth inning, as Stroman handed over the baseball and a bases-loaded headache to the bullpen.

In strode Tim Hill, the sidewinding veteran left-hander, who promptly extinguished the jam by striking out Josh Lowe on three pitches and inducing a Randy Arozarena flyout.

Boone used the term ¡°bulldog¡± to describe Hill¡¯s work. Those are the types of situations that saw leaks spring during a slide that has lasted nearly a month. Perhaps Wednesday¡¯s game will restore some confidence.

¡°I think it just boosts the morale,¡± said Hill, who has pitched to a 2.38 ERA in eight appearances since being signed by the Yankees on June 20. ¡°It's good for the boys.¡±

Said Stroman: ¡°That¡¯s huge. That¡¯s one of those moments in a game where it can go either way. To get the punchy and the out, that¡¯s incredible. It allowed us to take that into the rest of the game.¡±

Luke Weaver needed just one pitch to generate an inning-ending double play in the sixth inning, then escaped another jam after issuing a pair of seventh-inning walks, retiring Lowe on a flyout and striking out Arozarena.

¡°Getting that double play ball on one pitch was huge,¡± Boone said. ¡°He didn¡¯t back down, didn¡¯t flinch, and did what he¡¯s been doing all year.¡±

In all, Yanks hurlers held Tampa Bay hitless in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position, stranding 12 men on base. Rays manager Kevin Cash said it ¡°felt like they were making some big pitches with two outs just about every inning.¡±

¡°I think it¡¯s big to win a game like that -- just really nitty-gritty,¡± Grisham said. ¡°Well-fought the whole way and close the whole way. For our pitchers to come up big in all those situations, I think that¡¯s going to do a lot for us going forward.¡±