OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's trailed the New York Yankees 3-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning Thursday night and appeared headed for yet another loss in their nightmare season.

Not this time.

Center fielder Billy Burns hit a solo home run off left-hander CC Sabathia, third baseman Brett Lawrie crushed a game tying, two-run shot in the sixth, and the A's came from behind for a 5-4 victory at the O.co Coliseum.

For one of the few times this season, Oakland's bullpen avoided a meltdown and came through when it mattered most, helping the A's snap their streak of 12 straight one-run losses at home.

"A comeback win is fun and gives you energy," Burns said. "Hopefully we can carry that momentum into the next game and this entire series. ... The pitchers really just stood their ground out there and pitched really well in those last few innings and just held us in there. That was a great team win."

The A's ended their two-game skid and snapped the Yankees' three-game winning streak. The Yankees lost for the 10th time in their past 11 games in Oakland.

Sabathia (2-7), a native of nearby Vallejo, had another rough start against Oakland, taking the loss and falling to 8-11 for his career against the A's. Sabathia gave up five runs on eight hits, including two home runs, over six innings. In his previous start this season he gave up six runs on seven hits and lasted a season low 2 1/3 innings in a 15-4 loss to Texas.

"It's tough," Sabathia said. "You get the runs early and you want to be able to hold that lead and get the ball to the back end our bullpen. I wasn't able to do that."

A's relievers Fernando Abad and Evan Scribner combined to blank the Yankees over 2 1/3 innings. Abad was perfect for two-thirds of an inning and Scribner for 1 2/3 innings, earning the victory. Closer Tyler Clippard gave up a run in the ninth when center fielder Brett Gardner doubled home pinch hitter Garrett Jones, who had walked with two outs. But Clippard retired third baseman Chase Headley on a deep fly to center, recording his fifth save.

"We haven't won many games like that this year, and for them to battle back and put up runs late in the game and for our bullpen to do a great job tonight, that's a big confidence builder for us," said A's rookie right-hander Kendall Graveman, who allowed three runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings and got a no-decision. "I had a feeling the whole time going through that game that if we just keep it close we would do well at the plate. We were having some good at-bats and to keep putting those together toward the end of the game and to come up with some runs was big."

Catcher Brian McCann went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBIs for the Yankees. Designated hitter Alex Rodriguez had his 1,996th career RBI, moving into a tie with Barry Bonds for second place on baseball's all-time list.

After pulling even in the sixth, the A's scored two more runs in the seventh, taking a 5-3 lead. Catcher Josh Phegley hit a leadoff single, and left fielder Mark Canha walked, ending Sabathia's night. With one out, shortstop Marcus Semien grounded a single to left off right-hander David Carpenter, loading the bases. Carpenter walked Zobrist, forcing in a run. Then designated hitter Billy Butler hit a sacrifice fly to center.

McCann gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, launching a solo home run with one out into the right field seats off Graveman. McCann extended his home run streak to three games, and he has had at least one RBI in each of his past six games.

The Yankees extended their lead to 2-0 in the fourth. Rodriguez grounded a leadoff single to left and moved to second when first baseman Mark Teixeira walked. McCann singled to center, driving in Rodriguez, who was initially ruled out before the call was overturned after Yankees manager Joe Girardi challenged the