NEW YORK, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford both hit solo homers in the seventh Wednesday and both had two RBI, lifting Tampa Bay to a 7-2 win over the New York Yankees.
The Rays had lost the first two outings of the series, but moved back within 1 1/2 games of the Yankees for first place in the American League East. The teams meet again Thursday.
Longoria put the Rays in front with a sacrifice fly in the first and Crawford singled home a run in the fifth.
After Lance Berkman homered for the Yankees in the fifth, Dan Johnson hit a solo shot in the sixth to again give the Rays a two-run lead.
The Yankees cut their deficit to 3-2 before Crawford and Longoria hit back-to-back homers in the seventh. Ben Zobrist drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth and Reid Brignac singled home Longoria in the ninth to complete the scoring.
The game went through a 2-hour, 11-minute rain delay in the bottom of the third and Tampa Bay starter Wade Davis gave way to Jeremy Hellickson when the action resumed.
Hellickson (4-0) got the win despite giving up the only two New York runs over 3 1/3 innings.
A.J. Burnett (10-14) also left after the rain and he took the loss by allowing the first-inning run that put Tampa Bay in front for good.
