OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Athletics left fielder Khris Davis is known for his ability to hit the ball out of the park to all fields.

On Thursday night, with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, Davis found another way to deliver a big hit.

Davis, who has a team-high 17 home runs, blooped a two-run, walk-off single, leading the Athletics to an 8-7 victory against the New York Yankees in the opener of a four-game series at Oakland Coliseum.

Yankees right-hander Giovanny Gallegos (0-1) came on in the 10th, trying to protect a 7-6 lead. After Gallegos retired the first two batters, Rajai Davis singled and moved to third on Chad Pinder's double. Gallegos intentionally walked Jed Lowrie, loading the bases.

Davis hit a soft fly to shallow center that went off the glove of second baseman Starlin Castro, who tried to make a diving catch. Rajai Davis and Pinder scored on Khris Davis' third career walk-off hit.

"I thought it had a chance, but Castro was getting after it out there, so you never know," Khris Davis said. "I saw it tip off his glove and then I saw my boys running after me, so that was fun."

Davis' walk-off ended a battle that lasted four hours and 29 minutes.

"We kept fighting back," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose team lost its third straight game. "We got behind, then we tied it up, got behind, tied it up. We did it a bunch of times. It hurts because it's a matter of a couple inches that you lose that game by, and it's frustrating."

Lowrie went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and a triple for the A's. Yonder Alonso had two hits, including a solo home run. Pinder went 3-for-6 with a double, an RBI and a run.

"You're basically spent at this point," A's manager Bob Melvin said of the final inning. "It was 10 innings, and it felt like 15. There were so many emotional swings in the game, and it just kind of wears you out a little bit. At the end of the day, it's a lot better to win those games than to lose them."

Castro hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th inning.

Castro had three hits, including a double, and scored three runs. Chris Carter, a former Athletic, went 2-for-5 with his 13th career homer against Oakland, and drove in two runs. Gary Sanchez went 3-for-3 with a double, walked twice and drove in two runs.

Brett Gardner grounded a one-out single to right off Liam Hendriks (3-1) in the 10th. Gardner went to third on Aaron Hicks' infield single, and Hendriks walked Aaron Judge, loading the bases. Castro brought Gardner home with a sacrifice fly to right field.

The A's broke a 5-5 tie with a run in the eighth inning when Matt Joyce grounded into a fielder's choice off Dellin Betances with the bases loaded.

The Yankees answered with a run in the ninth off closer Santiago Casilla. Castro doubled with one out and scored on Sanchez's single.

Yankees rookie left-hander Jordan Montgomery gave up four runs and seven hits, including two home runs, over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.

A's right-hander Sonny Gray allowed three runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.

"I think a lot of guys were going on fumes toward the end, but to be able to stay in it and be able to pull it off was a pretty special feeling," Gray said.

Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius extended his career-high hitting streak to 17 games with a single in the sixth inning. Gregorius has the longest active hitting streak in the major leagues.

NOTES: Yankees C Gary Sanchez left the game for a pinch runner in the ninth after stealing a base. "When I got up, I tried to move too quickly, and that's when I felt a little tightness in the groin area," said Sanchez, who is day-to-day. ... Yankees OF Aaron Hicks left the game in the bottom of the ninth with tightness in his Achilles tendon. He's day-to-day. ... Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) was placed on the 10-day disabled list. ... The Yankees recalled RHPs Luis Cessa and Domingo German from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Cessa will likely start in Sabathia's place on either Saturday or Sunday. ... RHP Ronald Herrera was optioned to Double-A Trenton by the Yankees. ... Yankees 1B Greg Bird (right knee contusion) was shut down from his rehab assignment at Triple-A and he'll be examined Friday by team Dr. Christopher Ahmad. Bird went on the disabled list May 2 with a bone bruise in his right ankle. He fouled a ball off his knee Sunday. ... The A's fired longtime pitching coach Curt Young and promoted bullpen coach Scott Emerson. Young, a former A's pitcher, was in his sixth season of his second stint as Oakland's pitching coach. ... Oakland called up 3B Matt Chapman from Triple-A Nashville. He went 0-for-3 with two walks and scored a run in his major league debut. To make room for Chapman on their 25-man roster, the A's designated 3B Trevor Plouffe for assignment.