ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Hiroki Kuroda pitched neatly into the seventh inning, Brett Gardner drove in two runs and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Sunday.

Kuroda (8-8) retired 17 straight batters after allowing consecutive one-out singles to Ben Zobrist and Matt Joyce in the first.

Kuroda gave up two runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings. After Shawn Kelley and Dellin Betances combined for 1 1-3 scoreless innings, David Robertson closed for his 33rd save.

New York has won two in a row after losing five straight.

Jeremy Hellickson (1-2) didn't allow a hit until there were two outs in the fifth. The Yankees wound up scoring three runs in the inning.

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