Yankees avoid sweep with win over Red Sox

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Yankees rallied for a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep and keep their flickering playoff hopes alive.

Looking to make the playoffs for a 15th consecutive season, the Yankees trailed 2-0 before Jason Giambi stepped up to tie the score with a two-run homer in the seventh inning and win the game with a run-scoring single in the ninth.

With only 13 regular season games left at Yankee Stadium, New York will have to conjure up more magic to make the playoffs through an American League wildcard berth.

"It was a game we felt we had to win," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "It's a big win for us. This was a great game."

On a beautiful day in the Bronx, the Red Sox took the lead in the top of the fifth inning when catcher Jason Varitek lined a run-scoring single to right field. Boston added another run in the same inning on a groundout to go 2-0 up.

Boston starter Jon Lester struck out eight, including last season's AL MVP Alex Rodriguez twice, and held the Yankees scoreless until the seventh inning, when he left the mound after giving up a two-out double.

Giambi then tied the game at 2-2 with a massive pinch-hit homer off Japanese reliever Hideki Okajima. It was Giambi's 27th homer of the season, but he was not finished there.

With the score tied in the bottom of the 9th, he came to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered a game-winning single against Boston's All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Built in 1923, Yankee Stadium is closing at the end of the season and the team will move to a new ballpark next door. While the World Series champions Red Sox and Yankees could meet in the playoffs in October, the series had an air of finality to it.

Asked about playing his final game at the stadium, Red Sox captain Varitek said: "It's an exciting time. It's always exciting for baseball and for the fans."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)