Murphy, who had a two-run homer in the game, was mobbed by his teammates after rounding first base with his game-winning hit.
Michael Young led off the 10th with an infield single off Rivera (3-2), beating Derek Jeter's throw after the shortstop made a backhanded stop deep in the hole, and scored the winning run.
New York (69-43) still has the best record in baseball and Texas has by far the largest lead in any of baseball's six divisions. The Rangers (65-47) started the day with an eight-game lead over Oakland.