NEW YORK — July already had been a bad month for the Rays, and it ended with a long and miserable Thursday. The Rays fell behind the Yankees by seven runs in a rough first three innings by starter Ryan Pepiot.

José Caballero turned an inning-ending double play for the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning, then batted in the sixth

On a day that Aaron Boone described as exciting for some players and anxious for others, the Yankees took care of business on the field with the trade deadline looming over them.

The Tampa Bay Rays have recalled right-hander Paul Gervase from Triple-A Durham and optioned lefty Ian Seymour to Durham, the team announced on Wednesday.  The

Tampa Bay is 23-25 on the road and 54-53 overall. The Rays have the second-ranked team batting average in the AL at .255. The teams meet Tuesday for the ninth time this season. The season series is tied 4-4.