After beating Baltimore on Sunday to take a one-game lead in the division, the Yankees are tied again with the Orioles for first place after falling to the Red Sox on Tuesday night.
Yankees reliever David Robertson gave up three hits in the ninth inning, including the game-winning single to Jacoby Ellsbury that gave Boston the 4-3 victory.
"That was a great feeling," Ellsbury told the Associated Press. "The fans were great tonight. They were into the game, energetic, and we just want to keep putting on a show for them."
The Yankees had a one game lead in the AL East heading into Tuesday's game, but the Orioles were able to take advantage of their loss, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2 to pull into another tie for first. The Rays are two games behind the division lead.
Boston has been struggling all season, but especially of late. The team had lost 11 of 13 games and is too far out for even a chance at playoff contention.
"With the Yankees in town, they're battling for a (playoff) spot, and at this point we can just go out and try to play spoiler," left fielder Cody Ross said. "We don't care who we play. We just want to win."
The Yankees have squandered a 10-game division lead, but have still yet to give up sole possession of first place to the Orioles. Since July 18, the Yankees have gone only 22-28 and haven't won two games in a row since Aug. 18.
"You wouldn't be tied for first unless you found ways to win games throughout the course of 140-something games that we've played," Derek Jeter said. "So we've got to do it again."
In the ninth inning Pedro Ciriaco hit a single through the hole into left field and ended up on second base after another single by shortstop Mike Aviles. On the following play Ellsbury hit a single to right field, but Ichiro Suzuki didn't have enough time to get it back to home plate and Ciriaco was safe for the winning run.
"Ciri and Mike did a good job of getting in scoring position," Ellsbury said. "I knew if I hit something to the outfield, Ciri's going to score with his speed."
Robertson had gotten the previous four batters out before giving up the three hits.
"I was hoping to get the ball down and maybe get him to roll it over, maybe into a double-play ball," Robertson said. "When you make a bad pitch, things can happen."
Yankee starter Hiroki Kuroda was solid, but gave up three runs on eight hits in six innings.
The Yankees were up 3-2 in the sixth inning when Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia tied the game up at 3-3 with a solo home run. He had three hits in the game.
Boston starter Jon Lester had three walks in the first inning and had a bases loaded jam, but was able to escape with only a 1-0 deficit. He had seven walks in the game and only lasted five innings.
The Red Sox relievers were very effective pitching after Lester, allowing no runs, one hit and getting four strikeouts.
The rough September for the Yankees is beginning to look more reminiscent of the Red Sox last year, who were in first place in the Wild Card by nine games at the start of September, but eventually lost 18 of their final 24 games to miss the playoffs.
With 21 games left the Yankees are still tied for first place with the Orioles, but with the Red Sox playing spoiler, the playoffs might end up out of reach.
For Wednesday's game the Yankees will throw David Phelps (3-4) against Boston's Aaron Cook (3-9).
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