ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Derek Jeter knew how bad it looked, because he could feel it. He had gone 28 at-bats without a hit until he singled sharply in the sixth inning during Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

"I'm 1-for-my-last-2, guys, I'm hot," said Jeter, noting he grounded out in the at-bat after his hit. "It felt good. I'm well aware of what is going on. At the same time, I try to forget anything that has happened to this point. Those stretches aren't fun. Going through it is difficult because you can't control where it goes."

Jeter returns home for the final time as a player. Beginning Thursday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, the next week will be a tribute to his career in the Bronx, culminating in his final home game on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles. While manager Joe Girardi said it is impossible to not think about the end, the 40-year-old Jeter said he is trying to go into the week with a blank slate.

"I don't know," Jeter said when asked what he expects. "I try not to anticipate anything or try to figure out what it is going to be like. We will find out. I really have no idea."

While Jeter may not feel the finality, the fans surely will as the Yankees will end his championship-filled career on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

"It is strange," Girardi said. "I've been around here a long time. I was here when he really burst onto the scene in 1996. It is amazing how fast time goes. Here he is and he is still playing. It is hard to believe."

Jeter, with 3,451 career hits, refused to relish what was ahead as he tried to soak in actually getting another.

"I'm just happy we won a game and I got a hit," Jeter said. "I'm trying to enjoy it."