Matt Moore (16-4) walked six but did not allow a run on three hits in five innings to snap a three-start winless streak as the Rays won their fifth straight game. David DeJesus doubled in two runs and Evan Longoria added a sacrifice fly during a three-run first for Tampa Bay, which moved 2 1/2 games in front of third-place Texas in the wild-card standings.

Hiroki Kuroda (11-13) was reached for five runs on as many hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Yankees, who dropped five games back of second-place Cleveland in the wild-card chase with five remaining.

The Rays jumped out early against Kuroda, with Joyce driving the third pitch of the game out to right. Wil Myers followed with a single and came home on DeJesus’ double before Longoria’s sacrifice fly made it a 3-0 gap.

Moore unleashed three wild pitches to go along with his high walk count but managed to wiggle out of trouble before handing it over to the bullpen. Loney provided some more breathing room with his two-run double in the sixth and Tampa Bay tacked on two more in the ninth to put it away.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Rays SS Yunel Escobar (left ankle) and C Jose Lobaton (bruised right elbow) both left the game and are considered day-to-day. CF Desmond Jennings (hamstring) missed his second straight contest. … Yankees RHP Phil Hughes will move up in the rotation to start on Wednesday after LHP CC Sabathia was shut down with a hamstring injury. … Joyce’s home run marked his first extra-base hit since a double on Aug. 28.