"Apparently the Yankees can only win due to bad officiating now" "Horse s*** call" - Tampa Bay Rays fans furious after controversial strike costs them the game against the New York Yankees

The New York Yankees managed to avoid being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays, but it was not accomplished without controversy. With a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Yankees were in trouble. Two runners were in scoring position for the Rays, so even a base hit would have driven in a game-winning run. Then, with a full count against Yandy Diaz, the game's deciding call was made.

Talkin' Baseball posted a clip of the final pitch and its aftermath to Twitter.

If the Tampa Bay Rays hope to catch the New York Yankees for the American League East lead, they need every win they can get. Losing this game on a call that was dubious, at best, was heartbreaking.

Rays fans have every right to be upset with a call like that, especially since it cost them the game.

As often happens after calls like this, there are more and more fans asking for the implementation of robot umpires. While this move would likely reduce the amount of mistakes made by the officiating crew, it also removes a human element of the game. There are good arguments both for and against robot umps, but Tampa Bay Rays fans have a clear side now.

The New York Yankees went through a lot in this game, and their resilience should be commended. Between the benches being cleared early in the game and manager Aaron Boone being ejected, there were plenty of distractions.

Now back to five games behind the Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays still have a lot of work to do to win the division.

This is a play that will be analyzed plenty over the next 24 hours, but most will arrive at the same conclusion where they started.

Few rivalries in the MLB run as hot as the one between the Yankees and Rays.

This was a game the New York Yankees needed to win, and they likely don't care about how they got there.

New York Yankees need to build off this win over the Tampa Bay Rays

New York Yankees v Tampa Bay Rays

With the division race alive once again, the Yankees could not lose this game. They may not have gotten there in the way anybody expected, but they did get the win. After months of struggle, the Yankees and their fans have been searching for the turning point.

This low-scoring and controversial win could prove to be one of the most important of the season for the Yankees. Only time will tell.