BOSTON _ Each loss at this time of year takes on the narrative of "there's no way they'll come back from this one."
Much of the time that's hyperbole, but what happened Thursday night at Fenway Park likely indeed feels that way to Yankees fans, and maybe even the Yankees themselves.
After Masahiro Tanaka continued his recent brilliance, the bullpen couldn't close the deal, allowing five runs in the ninth inning of a stunning 7-5 loss to the Red Sox in front of a delirious crowd of 37,767 _ many of whom already had left when Hanley Ramirez hit a walk-off three-run homer.
On a 3-and-1 pitch, Ramirez hit a 98-mph fastball from Dellin Betances into the center field stands. Ramirez knew it was gone off the bat, pausing to admire it.
The Yankees (77-69), who entered the night two games behind the Blue Jays for the second AL wild card, fell five games behind the AL East-leading Red Sox (82-64). The Blue Jays played late Thursday in Anaheim, Calif.
The Yankees, who led 5-1 at one point, had 14 hits _ four by Starlin Castro and two each by Jacoby Ellsbury, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius and Chase Headley _ but failed to take advantage of several excellent opportunities to break open the game. They got a runner to third with less than two outs in the third, fifth and ninth innings _ doing so with none out on the latter two occasions _ but failed to score.
In the ninth, left-hander Tommy Layne struck out pinch hitter Aaron Hill, but Blake Parker hit pinch hitter Chris Young and Betances walked Dustin Pedroia. With runners on second and third after fielders' indifference, Xander Bogaerts grounded back to the mound, and Young was retired after a short rundown for the second out. Ortiz's RBI single to center and Mookie Betts' RBI single to left made it 5-4 and brought Ramirez to the plate with runners on first and second. After a passed ball put the winning run on second, Ramirez ended it.
Tanaka, who came in 13-4, was 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his previous five starts and 6-0 with a 1.94 ERA in his previous seven. He was terrific, allowing one run and four hits in seven innings in lowering his ERA to an AL-low 2.97. The right-hander, who has put himself in AL Cy Young contention with his recent stretch, walked three and did not strike out a batter.
Adam Warren took over to start the eighth and gave up Ortiz's 34th homer of the season with one out, making it 5-2. It also was Ortiz's 537th career homer, breaking a tie with Mickey Mantle.
Boston left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who entered the game with a 2.76 ERA in 10 post-All-Star break starts and had allowed a total of two earned runs in two previous starts against the Yankees this season, did not resemble the pitcher who put up any of those numbers. He allowed four runs and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings.
The Yankees got after Rodriguez in the first. Ellsbury lined a single to center and Sanchez lined a 1-and-2 fastball over the head of center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. for a ground-rule double. Castro's RBI single and Butler's sacrifice fly made it 2-0.
Castro doubled off the Green Monster with one out in the third and Butler sent a sharp RBI single to center to make it 3-0. Gregorius doubled and Headley dumped an RBI single down the right-field line to make it 4-0 and put an end to Rodriguez's night.
Castro's two-out RBI infield single in the fourth made it 5-1.
