Derek Jeter hit a tie-breaking home run in the seventh inning after the Yankees’ bullpen blew a strong spot start by Scott Proctor, lifting New York over the Texas Rangers 9-8 last night.

Proctor was making his first big league start in place of Randy Johnson, who was skipped because of a bad back. Proctor, the 14th starter used by the Yankees this season, held Texas to three runs – both on solo homers by David Dellucci – and only three hits, before leaving with a 6-2 lead after five-plus innings.

But the Yankees weak middle-inning relievers let the Rangers back in the game. Trailing 8-4 in the seventh, Texas scored four runs off Felix Rodriguez and Tanyon Sturtze (4-1), who gave up a tying three-run home run.

After Jeter homered off James Baldwin (0-2) in the bottom half, the Rangers loaded the bases in the eighth against Tom Gordon with two outs on a hit and two walks.

Mariano Rivera relieved and got Dellucci to hit a pop-up on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat. Rivera then got three outs for his 31st consecutive save.

The Yankees closed within five games of the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox. Texas matched a season-high with its fifth straight road loss.

The Yankees trailed 2-0 in the third after Dellucci homered in his first two at-bats. Dellucci tied a career high with four hits and scored four runs.

The Yankees closed to 2-1 on Hideki Matsui’s RBI single in the bottom of the third and went ahead on Robinson Cano’s two-run double in the fourth.

Matsui’s leadoff homer – his 18th of the season – in the fifth inning made it 4-2, chasing John Wasdin.

Reliever Erasmo Ramirez hit Jason Giambi with a pitch and Jorge Posada followed with a two-run homer to deep left-center to make it 6-2.

Wasdin, making his seventh start of the year, allowed four runs and eight hits in four-plus innings. He walked three and struck out four.

Dellucci’s home run leading off the game was Texas’s first homer in four games. The Rangers have 192 home runs, the most in the majors. It was Dellucci’s third multihomer game this season and the sixth in his career.

Texas scored twice in the sixth inning. Alan Embree relieved Proctor with Rod Barajas on first. Embree relieved and allowed an RBI double by Young and a run-scoring groundout by Mark Teixeira.

The Yankees made it 8-4 on a throwing error by Young and a sacrifice fly by Tino Martinez in the bottom half.

Felix Rodriguez gave up an RBI single to Rod Barajas to make it 8-5.After Dellucci doubled, Sturtze entered and Young greeted him with a three-run homer to tie it.