Yankees beat Rays 3-2 on 9th-inning error by Boxberger
NEW YORK -- A ninth-inning throwing error by pitcher Brad Boxberger gave the New York Yankees their second straight walk-off win against the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-2 on Saturday.
Steven Souza Jr. tied the score in the top half with a two-run drive, the first home run off Dellin Betances (5-1) since Baltimore's Jonathan Schoop connected on Aug. 13.
James Loney singled leading off the inning against Betances, who blew a save for the second time in nine chances.
Souza was in an 0-for-26 slide that included 16 strikeouts before his fourth-inning single.
Tampa Bay has lost seven straight, its longest slide since a 10-game skid from May 26 to June 5 last year.
Mark Teixeira doubled past Loney, who was guarding the first-base line, and into the right-field corner against Boxberger (4-4) leading off the bottom of the ninth.
Chris Young walked and rookie Ramos Flores, recalled from the minors a day earlier, sacrificed. Boxberger threw wildly to first, and pinch-runner Jose Pirela scored all the way from second.
The game began a little more than 13 hours after Brian McCann's three-run homer in the 12th inning rallied the Yankees to a 7-5 victory. The previous time New York had consecutive walk-off wins was Sept. 21-22, 2012, against Oakland, according to STATS.
New York reached the midpoint of its season at 44-37, including a 23-14 mark at home. The Yankees began the day with a one-game lead in the AL East and have finished first 33 of 46 times they had sole possession of first on the morning of Independence Day, according to STATS.
The Fourth of July is a special day for the Yankees, marking the 85th anniversary of the birth of late owner George Steinbrenner, the 76th of Lou Gehrig Day and the 33rd of Dave Righetti's no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox. Both teams wore special Independence Day uniforms, with stars in the numbers and logos, which were outlined in red trim.
Yankees starter Michael Pineda allowed five hits in seven-plus innings, struck out 10 and walked one. He has 105 strikeouts and 13 walks this season, an 8.08 ratio that is second in the major leagues behind Washington's Max Scherzer.
Pineda retired 12 straight batters and 18 of 19 before allowing a leadoff double in the eighth to Curt Casali, his final batter.
Nathan Karns was nearly as impressive for the Rays, striking out a career-high 10 in seven innings. He gave up two runs, five hits and two walks.
Karns allowed a single to Brett Gardner leading off the first, then a softly hit single to Chase Headley that dropped in front of center fielder Kevin Kiermaier.
Alex Rodriguez blooped an opposite-field RBI single into right and Teixeira followed with a sacrifice fly.
NEXT YEAR
New York would open the 2016 season at home against Houston on April 4, according to a draft schedule provided to the team by MLB and disclosed to The Associated Press. After the three-game series versus the Astros, the Yankees would go to Detroit and Toronto.
STREAKING
Teixeira leads the AL with 59 RBI.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (oblique) is to make what likely will be his final minor league rehabilitation start Monday for the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Class A Florida State League, according to manager Kevin Cash.
Yankees: Injured closer Andrew Miller (strained left forearm) threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session and could be ready for a rehab outing.
UP NEXT
RHP Ivan Nova (1-1) starts for New York in Sunday's series finale against RHP Erasmo Ramirez (6-3). Nova has lost four straight decisions against the Rays after winning six of his first seven.
Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press
This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index
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