NEW YORK -- The group celebration was not waiting for Brett Gardner at the plate.

Bases loaded in a tie game with nobody out in the ninth inning, it seemed likely the celebration would occur near first base for the New York Yankees

Gardner created another celebration with a single that gave New York a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon.

Gardner recorded his second walk-off hit of the series and the eighth of his career. His latest occurred after the Yankees loaded the bases on a walk, a hit batsman and a bunt single by the bottom three hitters in the order against Brad Boxberger (2-3).

"When we needed the huge hit, he got it for us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's playing extremely well."

Left-hander Dan Jennings came on and two pitches into his at-bat, Gardner won it by lining a 1-and-0 pitch up the middle through a drawn-in infield.

"Today, there's no reason not to be comfortable in that spot," Gardner said. "That's the reason to play the game, to come up in a spot like that. Bases loaded, no outs, he's going to throw strikes."

As Gardner rounded first base, his teammates met him to celebrate New York's sixth straight win and eighth in nine games. Leading the celebration were Chase Headley and Gary Sanchez, who doused the veteran leadoff hitter with water.

Then Aaron Judge continued the celebration by dousing him with Gatorade while Gardner conducted his on-field interview. Judge did it after chipping a tooth celebrating Gardner's walk-off home run in the 11th in Thursday's 6-5 win.

The inning started when Headley drew a walk from Brad Boxberger (2-3). After pinch runner Jacoby Ellsbury stole second on a 1-and-0 pitch, Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch.

"It (stunk), no other way to put it," Boxberger said.

The Rays moved the corners in but Boxberger couldn't throw a strike as Ronald Torreyes attempted to bunt on the first three pitches. Torreyes was successful on the fourth pitch with a bunt single between the mound and third base, setting it up for Gardner.

"He's been spectacular," Yankees first baseman Chase Headley said of Gardner.

Not everything was spectacular for the Yankees, who blew a 4-3 lead when Lucas Duda hit a 2-and-0 curveball from David Robertson into the second deck in right field in the eighth. Duda's second homer forced the Yankees to create their breaks and rely on Gardner in the ninth.

Before Gardner won it, Headley slugged a pinch, two-run homer with one out in the sixth off Sergio Romo to give New York a 4-3 lead. After Robertson faltered, Aroldis Chapman (4-1) worked around two errors and stranded a runner at third in the ninth by retiring Evan Longoria.

Peter Bourjos and Steven Souza Jr. homered for the Rays, who used every position player and even starting pitcher Austin Pruitt as a pinch runner.

The Rays are 0-6 at Yankee Stadium this season, 2-7 in their last nine games and dropped their major league-leading 33rd game when holding a lead at some point.

"That team's on fire right now and it seems like a lot of things are going their way," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "Stuff's not going our way right now but we got to find a way to overcome it.

The Rays opened a 1-0 lead when Bourjos hit Caleb Smith's second pitch over the left-center field fence. The teams traded sacrifice flies as Didi Gregorius tied the game at 1-1 in the second and Duda put Tampa Bay ahead 2-1 in the third.

Sanchez tied the game with his 16th homer in the in the fourth and Souza gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead with his 22nd homer of the season in the fifth.

NOTES: Tampa Bay 1B Logan Morrison was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game (bruised left heel) but singled as a pinch hitter in the seventh. Manager Kevin Cash said Morrison was going for further testing after he struggled to run to first base on his hit. ... New York OF Aaron Hicks (strained right oblique) said he thinks he can start a rehab assignment by Wednesday. Hicks took swings and did some baserunning activity. Manager Joe Girardi said it's possible Hicks might return when New York returns from its next trip on Aug. 11. ... Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner took part in some of the ceremonies for "Military Appreciation Day" before the game. ... Plate umpire Dan Iassogna had a ball go off his mask in the fourth inning but stayed in the game after Yankees trainer Steve Donahue checked on him.