James Loney hit a go-ahead infield single in the 13th inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays outlasted the New York Yankees 3-2 Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep.

New York's Alex Rodriguez remained one home run shy of tying Willie Mays for fourth place at 660. A-Rod went 0 for 6 with four strikeouts and hit into a game-ending double play. He is 5 for 36 (.139) since April 17, when he homered twice at Tampa Bay. It was just his fifth four-strikeout game, first since 2008.

Left-hander Chasen Shreve (1-1), New York's seventh pitcher, entered in the 12th and walked Steven Sousa with one out in the 13th. Asdrubal Cabrera advanced the runner with a groundout, and Evan Longoria was intentionally walked to bring up the left-handed-hitting Loney.

Loney hit a grounder that shifted second baseman Stephen Drew needed five steps to grab with a slide about 15 feet into right field. He looked at first, where he didn't have a play, and then threw home well behind Sousa. It was the first hit since the sixth inning for the Rays, who had seven overall.

Brandon Gomes (1-1) pitched two innings, and Ernesto Frieri got three outs for his second save.

The teams combined for a whiff-fest on the sunny afternoon, with Tampa Bay batters striking out 13 times and New York's fanning 16 times -- one shy of the team record. The Rays might not be used to sunlight -- it was their first outdoor day game this year.

It was the second long game of the young season for the Yankees, who lost to Boston in 19 innings on April 10. Ddi Gregorius made the final outs in the 10th and 12th innings, twice stranding a pair of runners.

New York lost for just the third time in its last 13 games.

The 1:07 p.m. start drew 30,055, the Yankees' lowest for a home game since Sept. 23, 2004, when the crowd for a game against the Rays was 29,501.

Kevin Kiermaier put the Rays ahead with a two-run triple in the fourth against Michael Pineda, but the Yankees tied the score 2-2 against Drew Smyly on home runs by Chase Headley in the fifth and Chris Young in the sixth.

The triple by the left-handed-batting Kiermaier, a one-hop drive to the left-field wall, came on the ninth pitch of his at-bat and with right-handed-hitting Brandon Guyer on deck.

Young's homer made him 10 for 21 against left-handers this year.

Making his second start of the season after a disabled list stint caused by shoulder inflammation, Smyly allowed two runs and four hits in six innings with 10 strikeouts, one shy of his career high.

Pineda gave up two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, struck out five and walked none. Pineda has walked just two batters in 31 1/3 innings this season.

In the sixth inning, Loney became the first batter to ground into a double play against Pineda since Toronto's Adam Lind on July 19, 2011, according to STATS. The streak of 26 starts without a GIDP matched the Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi last year for the third-longest since 1974, trailing only Toronto's Brandon Morrow with 29 from 2010-11 and Atlanta's Charlie Leibrandt with 28 from 1991-92.

Evan Longoria was 0 for 16 against Pineda before a single to shortstop leading off sixth.

Yankees reliever Dellin Betances appeared to have a slight limp when he walked toward the dugout in the middle of the eighth, and manager Joe Girardi said the the right-hander had a blister on his toe.

BANKING IT

Tampa Bay released RHP Grant Balfour, who had been designated for assignment. The Rays are responsible for his $7 million salary this year.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rays: Tampa Bay voided the option of RHP Kirby Yates to Triple-A Durham because of a right pectoral strain and placed him on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 15. Vega had been sent down after a game on April 14.

Yankees: Because Tanaka went on the disabled list, New York was able to recall infielder Gregorio Petit from Triple Scranton-Wilkes Barre just a day after Petit was optioned. Petit said he got word Tuesday before he would have traveled to join the RailRiders, and he started at second base against the Rays.

UP NEXT

Rays: RHP Alex Colome makes his season debut Friday in a series moved from to St. Petersburg from Baltimore. After visa delays prevented him from arriving at spring training until March 10, Colome had pneumonia and started the season on the DL. He made four injury rehabilitation starts in the minors.

Yankees: After a day off, New York opens a three-game series at Boston with LHP CC Sabathia (0-4) on the mound. New York is scheduled to play 17 games in 17 days.