NEW YORK — When Gary Sanchez reached base after snapping a lengthy skid with a bases-clearing double Jonathan Ericsson Jersey , he reacted as if a significant weight was lifted off his shoulders.

This has been the worst stretch of Sanchez’s 234-game career, and while he still is slumping to the tune of four hits in his last 59 at-bats, the New York Yankees are hoping their catcher gets rolling.

After ending a 0-for-17 slide Friday, Sanchez looks to help the Yankees to a third straight win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees (45-20) are 12-3 in their last 15 games after a 5-0 win on Friday. Sanchez grounded out three times before following an intentional walk to Giancarlo Stanton with a double to right field off Jonny Venters.

“It definitely felt great,” Sanchez said through an interpreter. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to contribute.”

Sanchez’s hit ended his night at .188. His average has dropped from .231 in his last 17 games.

Since his average peaked, Sanchez has driven in five runs.

“Honestly, with Gary, I really feel like it’s every at-bat, it could be turning around,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I feel like he’s close, he’s fighting it, wanting it so bad.”

Sanchez might be the designated hitter Saturday since it’s a day game after a night game, but if he catches, he will be helping Luis Severino attempt to get to his 10th win.

Severino (9-2, 2.27 ERA)is pitching one day before the 40th anniversary of Ron Guidry’s team-record 18-strikeout game against the Los Angeles Angels. On Thursday, Guidry said he believed Severino could be the one to break the mark.

“He’s got the ability to push 20, 21,” Guidry said. “I sit down, and we watch a lot — my wife and I — we watch a lot of games. And I’ve already told her that he’s going to have a night.”

Maybe so Marquez Valdes-Scantling Jersey , but when presented with Guidry’s praise, Severino was modest about it and conceded “there was no chance.”

“It gives me confidence but to strike out 18 people in a game, that’s a lot of strikeouts,” Severino said.

He already has amassed a lot of strikeouts even before Guidry weighed in. His 109 strikeouts are sixth in the American League.

Severino is coming off a rare loss when he allowed a two-run homer to former teammate Todd Frazier among five hits in five innings of a 2-0 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday at Citi Field. It was his first loss since April 10 at Boston.

Severino is 5-0 with a 1.79 ERA in seven home starts this season. He also is 8-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his last 11 home starts. It is the longest streak of consecutive home starts without a team loss since 1999, matching Masahiro Tanaka’s 11-game streak.

The 24-year-old right-hander is 6-1 with a 2.77 ERA in 11 appearances (seven starts) against the Rays.

The Rays are 4-11 in their last 15 games and are on an eight-game road losing streak after getting four hits Friday. They also have struck out 25 times in the first two games and are 2-12 in their last 14 games at Yankee Stadium.

Tampa Bay (32-37) gave Friday off to Carlos Gomez and C.J. Cron, and manager Kevin Cash is hoping they can start producing.

Gomez is batting .138 (8-for-58) in 18 games since returning from a right groin strain last month and Cron has 10 strikeouts in a 0-for-12 skid.

“I’m trying to get him rested,” Cash said of Gomez. “I don’t know if going every other day or picking a little bit more days off for him might help him a little bit. He plays so hard when he is out there, give his body a blow and see if it freshens him up.”

Tampa Bay will use a reliever as its “opening pitcher” for the 20th time. Ryne Stanek (1-1, 2.76 ERA) will do it for the fifth time this season, but Cash said Ryan Yarbrough will get the bulk of the innings.

Stanek’s last “start” was Monday when he struck out three and threw 27 pitches in two innings. None of his “starts” have lasted more than two innings. The right-hander has not thrown more than 40 pitches in those outings.

And for the Rays by now the novelty has worn off.

“I think they’ve handled it really well,” Cash said. “I think the novelty or whatever you want to call it was gone after the first day.”

A fist pump and a late fastball on the cusp of 100 mph was all the indication needed to know just how good German Marquez felt Saturday.

He pitched two-hit ball over eight innings and Ian Desmond homered as the Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1.

Marquez (6-8) retired his first 15 batters before Enrique Hernandez connected for a home run off the left-field foul pole leading off the sixth. After a Chase Utley single, Marquez dispatched the Dodgers on three fly balls to end the inning and pumped his right fist to emphasize the moment.

”Isn’t that great? I loved that” Rockies manager Bud Black said of the fist pump. ”He uses (his energy) with his fastball. I want him to use it with his fastball but not overthrow. There is a time you can stand on a pitch and lean on it and I think he does that.”

He appeared to do just that with his fastball in the eighth inning. Facing Hernandez two innings after the home run, Marquez struck out the Dodgers’ utility man on a 99.9 mph fastball.

”No doubt I let it rip on that one,” Marquez said through an interpreter. ”But I worked hard in my preparation in between starts and my goal is to maintain my stamina deep into games. I think today I was able to accomplish that.”

Marquez struck out nine and walked none after entering with a 5.53 ERA, third-worst among qualified National League starters.

The Rockies closed out June with three consecutive victories and two consecutive over the Dodgers after getting swept by Los Angeles in a three-game series at Coors Field to begin the month. Colorado finished June with an 11-16 record.

Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda (5-5) gave up three runs, two earned, on five hits over seven innings and lost for the first time in four June starts. He had a short stint on the disabled list during the month due to a right hip strain. He struck out nine for the second consecutive start.

”It was a good outing,” Maeda said through an interpreter. ”My desire is to be able to pitch deeper into the game and being able to pitch seven innings and is a good thing. But unfortunately, we didn’t get the win and that was something we wanted.”

The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when DJ LeMahieu scored from third base on a passed ball by catcher Yasmani Grandal. Nolan Arenado struck out Authentic Josh Allen Jersey , but advanced to first with LeMahieu scoring when the ball got through Grandal.

Desmond went deep in the fifth for a 2-0 lead. It was his 17th home run of the season and career-best 13th on the road.

Trevor Story doubled for the Rockies in the seventh and scored on Chris Iannetta’s single to make it 3-1.

After a strong start to the month, the Dodgers finished June with a 17-9 record, losing four of their last five games.

CLOSER FOR THE DAY

Rockies reliever Adam Ottavino pitched the ninth Saturday for his second save. Closer Wade Davis, who earned the save after Tyler Anderson’s eight-inning outing Friday, was given the night off.

”He pitched great and he deserved to win,” Ottavino said of Marquez. ”That’s two games straight that we got eight innings out of our starters so we appreciate that down in the bullpen. I think everybody does on the team so I think that was just an awesome job by (Marquez).”

Davis is expected to return to the closer role Sunday.

DODGERS DRIVE 55

Hernandez’s home run gave the Dodgers 55 in the month of June, to increase their franchise record for a month. The previous record of 53 was set in June of last season.

His home run was his 14th of the season and third this week. Max Muncy and Joc Pederson each finished with 10 home runs in June. Pederson has 11 on the season.

”I worked really hard in the off season to get stronger and get in better shape,” said Hernandez, whose previous best was 11 home runs last season. ”Last year I hit a lot of doubles and this year those doubles are turning into homers. Hopefully we can keep swinging the bats in July the way we are in June.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: OF David Dahl (broken right foot) is out of a walking boot and will join the team Monday in Colorado to continue his rehab.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (right rib microfracture), who made one appearance this week after returning from the DL, will likely need two starts at Class A Rancho Cucamonga before he returns to the Dodgers, according to manager Dave Roberts. … RHP Pedro Baez (right biceps tendinitis) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session, but no timetable for his return has been revealed.

UP NEXT

Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis (5-1, 5.07 ERA) will be back on the road where he excels, as his five road victories were tied for third in the National League at the start of play Saturday. Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling (6-2, 1.98) has a loss and a no-decision in his past two starts following a six-start win streak.