Yankees 4, Rays 2: Mark Teixeira homered and Brett Gardner knocked in a pair of runs as visiting New York edged Tampa Bay to take two of three in the series.

Chase Headley and Martin Prado each collected two hits for the Yankees, who moved within 3 ½ games of the American League’s second wild-card spot. Hiroki Kuroda (8-8) allowed two runs on four hits over 6 2/3 innings for the victory and David Robertson notched his 33rd save with a perfect ninth.

Evan Longoria recorded two RBIs and Matt Joyce had two hits for the Rays, who dropped 6 ½ games behind the second wild card. Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson (1-2) yielded three runs on four hits and two walks over five innings while throwing 99 pitches.

The Yankees did not get their first hit off Hellickson until Prado’s two-out double in the fifth and Gardner followed with a two-run single up the middle for a 2-1 lead. Derek Jeter’s single sent Gardner to third and Jacoby Ellsbury snapped an 0-for-17 slump on the road trip with a base hit to plate another run.

Kuroda retired 17 straight batters before Joyce doubled to lead off the seventh and later came home when Longoria singled to left. Reliever Shawn Kelley stranded a runner at third with two outs in the seventh and Teixeira gave the Yankees more cushion with a solo shot to right off Joel Peralta in the eighth.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Teixeira finished the series 5-for-12 and reached the 20-homer mark for the 11th time in his 12-year career, tying Joe DiMaggio for 80th on the career list with 361. … The Yankees optioned C Austin Romine to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for the return of C Brian McCann (concussion), who went 0-for-4. … The Rays’ club-record streak of 12 straight games without allowing more than three runs came to an end.