Jorge Posada doubled in two runs to cap a four-run fifth inning that sparked the New York Yankees to a 9-5 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Alex Rodriguez homered and drove in a pair of runs and Robinson Cano had a two-run triple as the Yankees rallied to take the rubber game of the three-game set.

New York also got an outstanding effort from its beleaguered bullpen, which put together 6 2/3 strong innings following an injury to starter Andy Pettitte.

Chan Ho Park (2-1), the second of five relievers, worked 1 1/3 innings for the win.

Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher all chipped in with RBI singles as New York roughed up Rays ace David Price (12-5) to extend its lead in the American League East to three games over Tampa Bay.

Staked to a 3-0 lead before he threw a pitch, Price lasted just five innings and was tagged for a season-high seven runs and seven hits in five innings.

Pettitte was forced to leave the game with a strained groin with one out in the third inning – the second straight day a Yankees starter exited with an injury in the third.

Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer in the first, his 20th of the year, for Tampa Bay.

Rodriguez’s seventh-inning blast put him within two of 600 for his career.