Yankees botch chance to clinch playoff spot

NEW YORK— The Yankees’ normally steady bullpen wasted a chance to clinch New York’s first playoff berth in three years when Dellin Betances gave up a tying homer and Andrew Bailey allowed the go-ahead hit in Boston’s 9-5, 11-inning victory Wednesday night.

After losses in the first two games of the four-game series and with the chance to wrap up a wild-card berth, the Yankees rallied from a 3-0 deficit. Alex Rodriguez’s first homer in two weeks gave them a 5-4 lead in the sixth.

But on a night when Masahiro Tanaka struggled early in his return from a hamstring injury, the Yankees stumbled again. Still, they need just one win in their final four games to earn the playoff spot.

Mookie Betts tied it with a seventhinning homer off Betances — who has allowed six homers this season, all from July 4 on. Betts connected again in 11th to cap Boston’s seasonhigh sixth straight victory and again deny the Yankees their 10,000th win.

Bailey (0-1) gave up an RBI single to Deven Marrero with one out in the 11th. Chasen Shreve yielded a runscoring sacrifice to Jackie Bradley Jr. and a two-run homer to Betts.

New York, which dropped to 65-3 when leading after six innings. left 15 on base and was 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Tanaka was rusty in his first start in 12 days, returning from a right hamstring strain to make what should be his final tuneup before a likely start in the wild-card game on Tuesday.

The Japanese star entered with a deceptive 3-0 record against Boston. He allowed 10 earned runs in those starts, but the Yankees romped to big wins in each.