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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- After another deflating loss, Brett Gardner knows the math is tough for the New York Yankees to reach the playoff.We need to win 11 games, the left fielder said after Thursday nights 2-0 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays.When told 10 remained, he responded: We need to win 11 out of 10.Blake Snell and the Rays bullpen combined to strand 11 New York runners, preventing a much-needed three-game sweep by the Yankees.New York went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 7 against Snell. The Yankees are three games behind Detroit for the second AL wild-card spot and also trail Baltimore, Houston and Seattle.Snell (6-8) gave up five hits and three walks. New York had scoring threats in four of five innings against him, leaving the bases loaded in the third when Chase Headley flied out. Headley returned to New Yorks lineup after missing three games because of back tightness.We had a couple innings set up but werent able to get a hit, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. I felt like we were going to break through if we can keep it close, but tonight we werent able to.Chase Whitley, in his third game since returning from Tommy John surgery, allowed two hits in 2 2/3 innings, and Alex Colome finished for his 35th save in 37 chances.The feel that he has for his off-speed right now says a lot about him because you just dont see that from guys coming back from an extensive rehab, Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Whitley.Brad Miller had an RBI single in the first after Logan Forsythe led off with a catchable popup to right field that Aaron Hicks allowed to drop in front of him for a hit. Girardi said Hicks lost sight of the ball off the bat.Corey Dickerson hit a solo homer in the sixth off Luis Cessa (4-3), who gave two runs and six hits in six innings.Yankees rookie catcher Gary Sanchez threw out Kevin Kiermaier at second base in the third inning to end the speedsters run of 18 consecutive successful stolen bases attempts. Sanchez picked Curt Casali off second one inning later.Sanchez went 0 for 2 but walked twice.He can help you in so many ways, Girardi said.ROOKIES RITUALNew York rookies, including Sanchez, were given blue Yankees one-sie pajamas to wear for the flight from Florida to Toronto, where a four-game series with the Blue Jays starts Friday night. Teams through the majors have similar trips in September for rookies.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka will miss his start Monday at Toronto due to a slight lower right forearm strain. ... 2B Starlin Castro (right hamstring) expects to be back soonRays: LHP Xavier Cedeno (neck) wont play again this season.INSTRUCTION TIMEYankees 1B Greg Bird (right labrum surgery) remains on target to take batting practice against pitchers at instructional league early next week. . Reggie Jackson and Alex Rodriguez are expected to spent time as instructors with the Yankees instructional league team.MOVING DAYYankees: Minor league LHP Phil Coke was traded to Pittsburgh for $1.Rays: INF Juniel Querecuto had his contract selected from Double-A Montgomery and started at third base in his big league debut.UP NEXTYankees: RHP Bryan Mitchell (1-1) will start against LHP Francisco Liriano (1-2) Friday night.Rays: RHP Chris Archer (8-18) will look to avoid a team-record 19th loss when he pitches against LHP Drew Pomeranz (2-5) and AL East-leading Boston on Friday night. Sam Mills Jersey . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. Donte Jackson Jersey . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. http://www.officialcarolinapantherspro.com/Ryan-kalil-panthers-jersey/ . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Christian McCaffrey Jersey . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. DJ Moore Jersey . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. ROME -- At the age of 17, Gianluigi Donnarumma is already considered the heir apparent to Gianluigi Buffon.After only seven Serie A appearances, 18-year-old Manuel Locatelli is drawing comparisons to Andrea Pirlo.MBaye Niang, a relative veteran at 21, is providing the kind of consistency at forward that Mario Balotelli couldnt.AC Milan is fully embracing a youth movement as it endures a third consecutive season out of European competition. In a league where the top clubs have had a tendency to rely on veterans and the odd Brazilian teenager, seeing so many young faces wearing the familiar Rossoneri colors is a novelty.Theres less fear in Italy now, even though some clubs still prefer veterans, Niang said. Weve got the right mix. When you have great players that can win matches by themselves it throws the other players off balance.The Milan side that beat Chievo Verona 3-1 Sunday was the youngest average team of the weekend in Serie A at 24 years, 231 days. Seven of the players were born in the 1990s -- Donnarumma, Locatelli, Niang, Alessio Romagnoli, Suso, Mattia De Sciglio and Gianluca Lapadula.I dont feel like a young player anymore. Im nearly 22 and Ive been a pro since I was 16, Niang, who made his Ligue 1 debut with Caen in 2011, said in an interview with La Repubblica. (De Sciglio and I) have got to be examples for the actual kids, like Donnarumma and Locatelli.Riding a five-match unbeaten streak, Milan is in third place, level on points with second-place Roma.Up next for Milan is a match against five-time defending champion Juventus on Saturday at the San Siro. Its a rematch of last seasons Italian Cup final, which Juventus won 1-0 after extra time.Milan hasnt beaten Juventus since November 2012.It reminds me of Juve from a few years ago, Buffon saaid of Milan, recalling Juves transformation after a 2006 match-fixing scandal that saw the Bianconeri relegated to Serie B.dddddddddddd They just need time and experience to improve.The last time Milan collected 16 or more points over its first eight matches was in 2010-11, when the Rossoneri won their last title. A year after that title, Milan sold top players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain -- part of a mass exodus of veterans instigated by a drop in investments by club president Silvio Berlusconi.The overhaul sparked a downward spiral that has seen Milan fail to finish higher than seventh the past three seasons, including a dismal 10th in 2014-15.Since current Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri was fired by Milan in January 2014, five different coaches have taken charge of the club. Berlusconi is in the process of finalizing the sale of the team to a group of Chinese investors.Unlike Clarence Seedorf, Filippo Inzaghi, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Cristian Brocchi, current coach Vincenzo Montella has been able to restore some pride in the seven-time European champion.Montella has brought back the joy of the game, midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura told the Gazzetta dello Sport of the manager who was known as the Aeroplanino -- the Little Airplane -- as a player for his small stature and trademark goal celebrations, when he spread his arms like wings.It shows in the fact that weve reached this point with more or less the same squad as a year ago, Bonaventura added. Hes improved things on the pitch and hes changing our mentality. Its been a pleasant surprise.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf ' ' '