New York Yankees center fielder Slade Heathcott (C) is congratulated by New York Yankees right fielder Chris Young (L) and New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann as he hits a 3-run home run during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports

By Erik Boland/Newsday

The Yankees’ dugout exploded, gray-clad players tumbling out of it as if a walk-off homer had won something far more important than a regular-season game.
But the Yankees, beaten up over the weekend by the AL East-leading Blue Jays, could be excused for their enthusiasm, which was warranted.
After nearly getting no-hit, finding themselves one out from defeat and facing the prospect of falling four games behind idle Toronto, Alex Rodriguez and Slade Heathcott --yes, Slade Heathcott -- saved the day.
“Just awesome,” said Heathcott, who looks like an MMA fighter and talks like an altar boy. “I’m on cloud nine.”
“I was just trying to pretend that this game is the same everywhere I play,” Heathcott said. “Stay calm, get a good pitch to hit and hit it. That’s all you can do.”
A-Rod lined a two-out RBI double to right-center off closer Brad Boxberger to tie it and two batters later, Heathcott’s three-run opposite-field homer sent the Yankees to a 4-1 victory over the Rays in front of 11,940 at Tropicana Field.
The Yankees (79-64) moved within three games of the Blue Jays with 19 to play.
Held hitless by Erasmo Ramirez for seven innings, the Yankees fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth on Logan Forsythe’s two-out RBI double.
Boxberger, who has 34 saves, came on for the ninth. Pinch hitter Dustin Ackley singled for the Yankees’ second hit before Jacoby Ellsbury extended his slump to 0-for-21 by grounding into a 3-6 double play.
But Brett Gardner walked on four pitches, stole second and scored the tying run when Rodriguez ripped a 1-and-1 pitch into the gap in right-center for his 82nd RBI.
After Brian McCann was intentionally walked, Heathcott -- the Yankees’ 2009 first-round pick whose career has mostly been defined by injuries and who actually was released last offseason -- batted for the first time in a major-league game since May 27. The left-handed-hitting Heathcott wasted no time, swinging at the first pitch and launching a 90-mph fastball just over the wall in left to set off the dugout celebration. Andrew Miller struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth for his 33rd save.
Ramirez, who came in 10-5 with a 3.90 ERA but had a 4.64 ERA in his previous nine starts, took a no-hitter into the eighth before Carlos Beltran broke it up, leading off with a ground smash off first baseman Richie Shaffer. CC Sabathia, making his second start since coming off the disabled list, was the best he’s been all season, allowing three hits -- two of them infield hits -- and two walks in 6 2/3 shutout innings.
The Rays blew an early scoring chance in the second. Asdrubal Cabrera punched a single to right and Steven Souza Jr. followed with a slow chopper to second. The charging Brendan Ryan couldn’t quite get a handle on it, then kicked the ball, the error allowing Cabrera to take third. Richie Shaffer walked to load the bases but Sabathia got Kevin Kiermaier to ground into a 3-2 force play, then induced a soft fly out to left by J.P. Arencibia to end the inning.
After the Shaffer walk, Sabathia retired nine in a row, with Kiermaier’s infield single with one out in the fifth breaking the streak. There would be no rally, however, as Arencibia bounced into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
The Rays threatened again in the sixth. Mike Mahtook sent a one-out grounder to third, where Chase Headley bobbled it for his team-high 21st error of the season. Longoria popped out and with Forsythe at the plate, Mahtook took off on a 1-and-2 pitch. Sabathia thought it was a strike but Vic Carapazza called it a ball, angering Sabathia, who glared at the plate umpire.
Forsythe grounded to short for the third out.
It was the Yankees’ turn in the seventh. Gardner worked a leadoff walk and went to second on Rodriguez’s groundout. McCann followed by hammering a 1-and-0 pitch to right where Mahtook, the right fielder, made a leaping catch, his back crashing into the wall. Gardner, assuming the ball would not be caught, was at third and could not make it back to second as Mahtook threw a laser back into second to double him off.