The New York Yankees got one they absolutely had to have.
Rallying from an early four-run deficit Wednesday night, then getting stellar work from their taxed bullpen, they pushed one across in the 13th inning to take a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals in front of 22,615 at Kauffman Stadium.
The Yankees (69-63) are two games behind the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers, who are tied for the second AL wild-card spot.
The Bombers, after a day off Thursday, start a three-game series against the Orioles in Baltimore today.
The Royals (69-64), who had won 18 of their last 23 coming in, fell a half-game behind the Yankees.
Royals righty reliever Chris Young, who allowed four runs Monday night and did not retire a batter, brought that level of execution into Wednesday.
He escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 12th but was not as fortunate in the 13th.
Didi Gregorius opened the latter inning with an infield single and Starlin Castro, who hit a two-run homer in the sixth, doubled.
In came lefty Matt Strahm, the Royals’ seventh reliever, to face Brian McCann, whose sacrifice fly made it 5-4.
Dellin Betances, who worked two scoreless innings in Tuesday night’s 5-4 victory in 10 innings, walked Cheslor Cuthbert to start the bottom of the 13th, but got a double play off the bat of Eric Hosmer and a fly out from Kendrys Morales to end it for his seventh save.
The righthander was the Yankees’ sixth reliever of the night. The group combined to throw seven scoreless innings and did not allow a hit.
In the 12th against Young, Chase Headley got ahead 3-and-1 before singling to right. Young struck out Aaron Judge but Brett Gardner singled to right. Third base coach Joe Espada chose not to send Headley, and rightfielder Paulo Orlando’s throw home sailed high, allowing Gardner to go to second.
Jacoby Ellsbury, who had four hits Tuesday and one Wednesday, was intentionally walked to load the bases for Gary Sanchez. The rookie, 1-for-4 with a double and walk to that point, lined out to third. Mark Teixeira got ahead 3-and-0 before grounding to short on a 3-and-1 pitch.
Rookie Ben Heller pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 12th. He was preceded to the mound by Blake Parker, Adam Warren, Tommy Layne and Chasen Shreve.
Righthander Luis Cessa was so-so in his third big-league start. The rookie allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits over six innings. Two of the hits were homers, a two-run job by Morales and a solo shot by Hosmer.
Royals starter Ian Kennedy, who came in 9-9 with a 3.57 ERA, including 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA in his previous six starts, pitched five shutout innings before losing his command.
The former Yankee could not hold the 4-0 lead he was given, allowing three runs in the sixth - Castro’s two-run homer made it 4-3 - and one in the seventh on an Ellsbury sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the first, with a runner on, Morales smoked a hanging first-pitch curveball to dead center for his 22nd homer of the season, making it 2-0 and giving the DH a team-best 63 RBI.
The Royals added an unearned run in the second. After Cessa struck out Alex Gordon to start the inning, Paulo Orlando sent a grounder to third. Chase Headley came in but missed on his scoop attempt, the ball trickling into left and allowing Orlando to take second. Cessa fell behind Alcides Escobar 3-and-1 before grooving a fastball the shortstop lined to left for an RBI double that made it 3-0.
Hosmer led off the fourth with an opposite-field shot that just cleared the leftfield wall, his 19th homer of the season making it 4-0.
“We went through the trade deadline and I still felt we could win in here and these guys are showing it,’’ Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
“There’s a toughness in there and these guys really want it.’’

RESULTS
Detroit 3 Chicago White Sox 2
Boston 8 Tampa Bay 6
Texas 14 Seattle 1
Houston 4 Oakland 3
Colorado 7 LA Dodgers 0
San Francisco 4 Arizona 2
LA Angels 3 Cincinnati 0
Toronto 5 Baltimore 3
Washington 2 Philadelphia 1
NY Mets 5 Miami 2
Cleveland 8 Minnesota 4
Atlanta 8 San Diego 1
Chicago Cubs 6 Pittsburgh 5
Milwaukee 3 St. Louis 1
LA Dodgers 10 Colorado 8
NY Yankees 5 Kansas City 4 (13 innings)