NEW YORK, May 7 (UPI) -- Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria hit consecutive home runs in the ninth inning Thursday, giving the Tampa Bay Rays an 8-6 win over the New York Yankees.
New York had rallied to tie the game 6-6 in the eighth, but Mariano Rivera surrendered the back-to-back homers that handed the Yankees their fifth straight loss. Tampa Bay has won three in a row.
Longoria's homer was his second of the game and his 10th of the season. He contributed a two-run shot in the third inning to give the Rays a 4-0 lead.
The Yankees came back to tie it through five innings, only to have the Rays rebuild a 6-4 lead going into the eighth.
Johnny Damon delivered a two-run blast in the eighth to again bring the Yankees back and Rivera was called on to keep the game tied in the top of the ninth.
Rivera struck out leadoff man Jason Bartlett, but then gave up Crawford's homer to right on a 3-2 pitch at the end of a nine-pitch at-bat. Longoria's shot went out to left on a 2-2 pitch.
The Yankees went down in order in the ninth, Joe Nelson getting the final out for his first save.
Dan Wheeler (1-0) got the win despite giving up Damon's homer in the eighth.
