NY Yankees pinch runner Jose Pirela (left) scores the winning run in front of Tampa Bay Rays catcher Curt Casall (19) on a throwing error by Rays pitcher Brad Boxberger (not pictured) in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. (USA TODAY Sports)

By Roger Mooney/Tampa Tribune (TNS)

The Yankees were giving up an out with two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday, trying to move the winning run 90 feet to third when Ramon Flores dropped a bunt to the left of the mound. Brad Boxberger picked up the ball, glanced at second and threw to first.
Pretty routine stuff on both ends.
Except Boxberger’s throw reached Jake Elmore on a short hop to set off a quick chain of events that allowed the Yankees to dance out of Yankee Stadium with another walk-off win, this one 3-2.
“Well if there was any question that we were in a bad funk coming into the game we solidified that with (that) game,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
The loss was the seventh straight for the Rays and 11th in their last 13 games.
Ten games above .500 and in first place on June 20, the Rays are now 42-41 and tied with the Blue Jays for third in the AL East.
“It just seems like every little thing just doesn’t go our way right now,” Steven Souza Jr., said, “and that’s what happened when you get in these streaks.”
Souza, who snapped an 0-for-26 slump with a fourth inning single, hit a two-run homer into the left field stands off Yankee right-hander Dellin Betances to tie the score at 2-2 in the ninth.
That was the first home run allowed by Betances since Aug. 13, 2014.
At the time it looked as if it was the break the Rays needed to end the losing streak, but all it did was set up the Yankees second walk-off win in as many nights.
The Yankees rallied in the 12th inning Friday for a 7-5 victory on Brian McCann’s three-run homer off Steve Geltz.
Saturday’s Fourth of July matinee didn’t end with the same fireworks, but it ended just as quick when pinch-runner Jose Pirela rounded third base and raced home with the winning run on Boxberger’s throwing error.
“You make that play nine times out of 10,” Boxberger said. “But when everything is going in the wrong direction it’s kind of that every little bad break that can happen happens.”
Boxberger entered in the ninth inning and allowed a leadoff double to Mark Teixeira and a walk to Chris Young. Yankees manager Joe Girardi called for the sacrifice bunt, and Flores did his job.
Boxberger didn’t hear Evan Longoria calling for the ball as Longoria charged in from third base, but said the confusion wasn’t an issue. Boxberger said he thought he could get Young at second base but decided on the sure out at first. But his feet weren’t quite set, and he was off-balance when he made the throw.
Second baseman Elmore, who covered first base, tried to pick the ball out of the dirt, but never got the ball totally in his mitt and it bounced toward second base. Elmore raced after the ball, picked it up, and threw home, but Pirela slid behind catcher Curt Casali.
“It’s frustrating that the outcome of the game is based on one throw that should be pretty simple,” Boxberger said.
The Rays have now lost three straight game in the opponent’s final at-bat.
“I think the guys are not down but more disappointed and hurt because we know what it can be and how close it was to being two victories (in New York) instead of two losses,” Elmore said.
The Rays wasted another outstanding effort by the starting pitcher. Chris Archer had nothing to show for his 6 2/3 scoreless innings in Friday’s loss. Nathan Karns rebounded after allowing two first inning runs to strike out a career-high 10 in seven innings.
“We’re going to go through parts of the season where everything is going to go our way, and we’re going to go through parts of the season where it is not,” Cash said. “I think we’re in one of those parts.”