NEW YORK -- Two on, David Ortiz at the plate in the late innings with a chance for a big hit.

It is a scenario the many New York Yankees pitchers have faced since Ortiz joined the Boston Red Sox in 2003 and a scenario that often ends negatively.

On Tuesday, it ended up working out for the Yankees.

Pitchers Luis Cessa, Blake Parker and Tyler Clippard each retired the slugger with two runners on -- Clippard to end the game -- and the Yankees prevented the Red Sox from clinching the AL East title with a 6-4 victory.

"What are the chances that he's coming up in this situation," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's just kind of the way fate had it tonight."

Parker said: "He's the guy that gets you on your toes. You see him come out on deck and you know he's out there."

Rookie Tyler Austin hit the tiebreaking home run with none out in the seventh off David Price (17-9) but it was the pitches to Ortiz which enabled the Yankees to regain the lead after squandering a 4-2 edge. Those pitches and the home run allowed the Yankees to stay mathematically alive in the wild card race.

New York (81-76) is four games behind Baltimore with five games remaining after winning for the fifth time in its last 15 games.

"They threw the ball well and made big pitches when they needed to," Austin said of the Ortiz at-bats.

Ortiz finished 0-for-5 in the opener of his final road series and stranded seven runners. He went 0-for-5 for the third time this season (also May 18 at Kansas City and July 31 at Los Angeles) and was hitless in at least five at-bats against the Yankees for the first time since April 11, 2015, the day after Boston had a 19-inning win.

Ortiz's comments were as quiet as his bat. He did not field any questions and before exiting the clubhouse said: "That ain't fun. They got me out, just put it down like that. They tricked me tonight. Too much talking between the pitcher and catcher. I'll trick them tomorrow."

Cessa retired Ortiz on a harmless fly out to end the first and a quiet pop-up for the first out of the fourth with a runner on second in a 2-0 game. Ortiz came up a third time with two on in the sixth after the Red Sox cut the lead to 3-1 on Dustin Pedroia's RBI single.

Ortiz reached a full count but struck out swinging on a breaking ball to end the seven-pitch at-bat.

An inning later, the Red Sox had tied the game on Aaron Hill's pinch hit home run and Pedroia's second run-scoring single when Ortiz came up with two on. This time it was against Parker and on the fifth pitch, he hit a curveball into a routine ground ball to third.

"I threw him a lot of junk," Parker said. "I faced him the other night at Boston and I challenged him with fastballs. One of the biggest things is to not stay in patterns with him."

Moments later, Austin drove an 0-2 pitch into the right field seats, putting Parker (1-0) in position for the win. Parker's win was secured when Clippard fanned the 40-year-old on an off-speed pitch to end a six-pitch encounter.

"Oh, certainly, I think every time David steps to the plate there's the potential for something big," Boston manager John Farrell said. "Particularly in this ballpark with the short right field porch. The table was set in those two innings, the sixth and the ninth, and I think we always view David in that way that something big is going to happen. Tonight, it didn't happen."

The way the Yankees successfully pitched to Ortiz and Austin's fourth career home run prevented the Red Sox from clinching their eighth division title. The Red Sox (92-65) needed a win or Toronto loss to secure the division but while Price was allowing home runs to Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius and Austin, the Blue Jays defeated the Orioles.

"To have a chance to clinch the division for us here, it's not acceptable," Price said. "For our offense to score four runs I feel like I should go out there and be able to win."

Price lost for the first time in nine decisions since Aug. 7. He allowed six runs and 12 hits in 6 1/3 innings and tied a career-high by allowing three home runs.

Cessa allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.

Before Ortiz was unable to get big hits with two on, the Yankees built a 3-0 lead through five on Sanchez's 20th home run and Jacoby Ellsbury's RBI single in the fifth. Sanchez tied Wally Berger's 1930 record with the Boston Red Sox for the fastest to 20 home runs by doing so in his 51st game.

NOTES: Retiring Boston DH David Ortiz gave a lengthy pregame press conference and addressed a number of topics, including his favorite hit in New York and whether he would play for the Dominican Republic in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Ortiz said he couldn't name the favorite hit since he has so many and said he is not participating in the WBC. ... Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka (forearm) played catch without difficulties Tuesday and will have a bullpen session to determine if he starts Saturday against Baltimore. ... Boston RHP Drew Pomeranz (forearm soreness) will not start Thursday and LHP Henry Owens will make the start. ... There was a moment of silence before the game for Jose Fernandez, who died Sunday in a boating accident in Miami.