G86: Yankees 7, Red Sox 3

Yankees - 210 020 200 - 7 14  1
Red Sox - 101 000 010 - 3  7  0

Pedro Ciriaco reached base five times (three singles, one walk, one fielder's choice), but no one else did much against Ivan Nova (6-6-2-2-10, 111) and four relievers.

The Yankees once again got off to a fast start, scoring three runs on Jon Lester (4.1-9-5-2-6, 101) in the first two innings. Boston stayed close, however, as Ciriaco singled with one out in the first, stole second, and scored when Derek Jeter dropped a routine pop-up*. Ciriaco also singled in the third and scored on David Ortiz's double off the Wall. The Red Sox, trailing 2-1, left the bases loaded in the third.

* All three ESPN announcers, including Terry Francona, went into damage control on Jeter almost as soon as the ball hit the ground. For the next five minutes, they told us how Jeter may never have muffed such an easy chance before. They extolled the wonderful and extraordinary things Jeter has done on the field in the past, insisting over and over (and over) what a magnificent player he is, how he oozes class, and how the wind may have been blowing a bit hard on that play. It was quite possibly the most extreme case of Jeter worship I have ever heard. Two innings later, they were still praising him, as though he were a dictator threatening to send them to the gulag if they did not grovel appropriately. ... Look, the guy has been very good for 17+ seasons (though he has been a bad fielder since his first day in the major leagues), but he is human. Therefore, he will make a mistake every now and then. That dropped fly ball was Error #239, in fact. ... Jeter actually made two errors in this game, bobbling and then dropping a ground ball hit by Ciriaco in the third, but that play was (quite wrongly) ruled a hit.  

New York pulled away in the fifth. Mark Teixeira singled and Alex Rodriguez tripled. After Robinson Cano struck out, Nick Swisher walked and Andruw Jones singled. Jones hit a two-run dong in the seventh off Scott Atchison, his fourth homer of the series.

Yankee relievers walked two Red Sox batters in each of the last three innings, but Boston could score only one run, that one coming on Mike Aviles's double in the eighth, which missed clearing the top of the Wall by a foot or two.

The Red Sox are 43-43, 9.5 GB the Yankees in the East, and 2.5 GB the second wild card spot. They begin a series in Tampa Bay on Friday night.

Ivan Nova / Jon Lester

Nava, LF
Ciriaco, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Gonzalez, 1B
Ross, RF
Saltalamacchia, C
Sweeney, CF
Gomez, 3B
Aviles, SS

A victory will leave the Red Sox 7.5 GB the Yankees at the break, with 76 games remaining.

Adrian Gonzalez's 18-game hitting streak (29-for-77, .377) is a career best. He had two 17-game streaks in 2006. ... David Ortiz has reached base in 11 of his 14 plate appearances in the series (six hits, five walks).

Jarrod Saltalamacchia's 17 home runs are the second-most for a Boston catcher before the All-Star break since 1933 (when the ASG began). Carlton Fisk hit 18 in 1973.