OAKLAND, Calif. -- Whenever he sends right-hander Sonny Gray to the mound, Oakland A's manager Bob Melvin feels good about his team's chances to win.

Melvin felt even better Friday night when the A's scored four times in the third inning to take a 4-0 lead against the New York Yankees.

Gray threw eight strong innings, third baseman Brett Lawrie hit a two-run homer and the A's defeated the Yankees 6-2 at the O.co Coliseum, winning back-to-back home games for the first time this season.

"You always feel good when Sonny's on the mound," Melvin said. "Any time you give him an early lead you feel like you're going to win the game."

Gray (6-2), who owns the American League's lowest ERA at 1.82, allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked two.

The A's (19-32) still have the worst record in the A.L, but they've won five of their past seven games, including two straight against the Yankees.

"We're playing with a lot of energy, we're getting some pretty good starting pitching, we're hitting the ball, scoring runs when we need to," Gray said. "We just tried to keep our energy level up. Even through the rough stretch we went through, we always were trying to be positive around here. We knew we were a lot better team than how we were playing and hopefully we can just continue to play well."

In his previous start, Gray took a come-backer off his right ankle in the fourth inning against Tampa Bay and was pulled after five shutout innings in a 7-2 victory. Gray said his ankle gave him no problems Friday.

"In a season that's kind of been tough to get wins, he gives you a chance every time he's on the mound," A's catcher Josh Phegley said. "We're in the game every time he's on the mound. He's been the anchor in the starting rotation.

Gray's teammates gave him plenty of support at the plate and in the field. First baseman Stephen Vogt went 2-for-3 and hit a two-run double in third inning. He also made a couple brilliant grabs of one-hop throws to first. Designated hitter Billy Butler had an RBI double and scored a run in the third. Center fielder Billy Burns went 2-for-5 with a double and scored a run.

Lawrie homered for the second straight game against the Yankees, extending the A's lead to 6-2 in the eighth with his fourth blast of the season. He also made a slick backhand grab and rocket throw in the eighth, robbing Yankees center fielder Chris Young of a double.

Yankees catcher Brian McCann extended his home run streak to four games with a solo shot in the fifth inning. He became just the second Yankee to homer as a catcher in four straight games since 1957, joining Mike Stanley, who accomplished the feat in 1993. McCann has at least one RBI in each of his past seven games.

"I feel like I've been swinging the bat well all year," McCann said. "Just now I'm kind of getting more lift in my swing and the ball's leaving the ballpark."

Shortstop Didi Gregorius went 1-for-2 with a double and scored a run in the sixth, but that was the Yankees' last run against Gray, who pitched his way out of a two-on, two-out jam in the eighth.

"He's just so special," said Vogt, Oakland's No. 1 catcher. "What he did tonight was very impressive and exactly what we needed to kind of continue on this path. We've been playing such good baseball and to have a start like that from your ace is huge."

Yankees left-hander Chris Capuano, making just his third start of the season, allowed four runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings and lost his third straight decision. Capuano opened the season on the disabled list with a strained right quadriceps and didn't make his debut until May 17.

"The stuff isn't real sharp," Capuano said. "I'm still missing too many spots. But I'm fighting every pitch trying to get outs out there."

The A's scored four runs in the third off Capuano, to take a 4-0 l