NEW YORK — Chase Headley remembered watching the New York Yankees as a kid, then as a competitor.

“You expected the magic moment, the big hit, the guy to get out of the jam,” he said. “You just kind of learn to expect it.”

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The Yankees’ Chase Headley celebrates his walk-off home run against Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Koji Uehara in the ninth inning Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. The Associated Press

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WHO: Blue Jays (Hutchison 9-11) at Red Sox (Webster 3-3)

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday

 

TELEVISION: NESN

On Thursday night, he combined with Mark Teixeira to deliver one of those indelible instants, one that gave the Yankees a little more belief that they can put together a spurt and return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.

Teixeira hit a tying home run off Koji Uehara leading off the ninth inning and Headley homered with one out, lifting New York to stunning 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

“Two home runs in the ninth – it used to happen a lot more,” Teixeira said. “It’s a huge win. You feel like you kind of stole one.”

David Ortiz homered twice off Chris Capuano as the Red Sox built a 3-0 lead in the first three innings.

After Derek Jeter hit a two-run double and scored on Carlos Beltran’s single in the bottom of the third, Brock Holt put Boston ahead 4-3 with a fifth-inning homer.

Rich Hill, Esmil Rogers, Josh Outman, Shawn Kelley and Adam Warren (3-5) combined for 4 2/3 innings of one-hit relief, keeping the Yankees within one run.

New York had just one hit since the third before Teixeira fouled off a 2-2 pitch, then drove a hanging splitter into the second deck in right field for his 21st home run this season, his first since Aug. 17.

“I’ve been pretty bad the last few weeks,” said Teixeira, who started the game in a 6-for-44 (.136) slide.

After Brian McCann flied out, Headley worked the count to 3-2 and sent another splitter from Uehara (6-5) deep into the right-field bleachers. Headley threw his helmet as he approached home plate, where he was met by his leaping teammates and doused with an orange bucket of Gatorade by Brett Gardner as he crossed.

It was Headley’s second game-winning hit since the Yankees acquired him from San Diego on July 22. On the night he arrived, his 14th-inning single gave New York a 2-1 victory over Texas.

“A little bit different,” Headley said, smiling. “I actually knew everybody’s name this time.”

New York, which remained four games out of the second AL wild-card spot with 24 games left, is in danger of missing consecutive postseasons for the first time since 1992 and 1993.

“It’s a great win and we needed it,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “And we’re going to need a lot more.”

Capuano, who made 28 relief appearances with Boston this year before he was released, allowed four runs and six hits in 41/3 innings for the Yankees. He gave up three homers to left-handed hitters for the first time in his 239 big league pitching appearances, according to STATS.

Another midseason addition, he watched from the dugout as the ninth inning unfolded.

“I was standing on the top rail there,” Capuano said, “just hoping for some magic.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Second baseman Dustin Pedroia missed his fifth straight game because of concussion-like symptoms but likely will play Friday against Toronto.

Yankees: Martin Prado jogged before the game, and while Girardi said Prado could return from a left hamstring strain on Friday or Saturday, the player sounded less confident.

SPACE SHORTAGE

With September call-ups, the Yankees ran out of lockers and installed four additional stalls in the middle of their oval clubhouse.

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