Evan Longoria lined a solo home run in the bottom of the 12th inning - his second blast of the game - to give the Tampa Bay Rays an improbable 8-7 victory over the visiting New York Yankees on Wednesday and the American League wild card berth.

The Rays (91-71), who trailed 7-0 in the eighth, enter their AL Division Series with the Texas Rangers on a five-game winning streak. Moments before Longoria's homer, the Boston Red Sox (90-72) lost at Baltimore 4-3.

Tampa Bay became the first team in major league history to make the playoffs after overcoming a nine-game deficit in September.

Eight New York pitchers held the Rays to two hits through seven innings. But Longoria’s three-run homer capped a six-run rally in the eighth and Dan Johnson’s two-out, pinch-hit home run tied it in the ninth off Cory Wade. It was Johnson’s first homer since April 8.

Mark Teixeira belted a grand slam in the second inning and connected for a solo blast in the fourth as the Yankees built a 7-0 lead.

Longoria became the 13th player in major league history to have at least 100 home runs and 400 RBIs after his first four seasons.

Jake McGee (5-2) worked out of a first-and-third, none-out jam in the 12th to earn the victory.

Scott Proctor (2-6) took the loss for the Yankees, who used 11 pitchers.

Tampa Bay starter David Price threw 97 pitches in four innings and allowed six runs - five earned. He did not win a game in September.

Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez was scratched from the lineup with a right knee injury.