Nick Swisher and the New York Yankees paid tribute to George Steinbrenner with the type of thrilling victory the demanding owner loved.

On a night that began with Mariano Rivera placing a pair of long-stemmed red roses across home plate and Derek Jeter speaking a touching tribute to the hushed crowd, Swisher ended the evening in the Yankees’ fashion.

Swisher’s single with two outs in the ninth inning capped a night of comebacks, and the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 Friday night in the first game following Steinbrenner’s death.