G40: Red Sox 7, Yankees 5

Red Sox - 013 010 110 - 7  8  1
Yankees - 130 000 100 - 5  6  1

David Ortiz's home run to right in the fifth snapped a 4-4 tie, and the Red Sox got an additional run in the seventh on three walks, a stolen base from Dustin Pedroia, and an error on a ground ball between Alex Rodriguez's legs. After the Yankees cut the lead to 6-5, Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered off Joba Chamberlain.

Kevin Youkilis belted a three-run home run in the third, two pitches after it looked like Garcia had struck him out (for the second out of the inning), but umpire Mike Everitt called it a ball.

Lester (6-5-4-4-7, 109) had a rough two innings to start the night (allowing home runs to Andruw Jones and Curtis Granderson in the second) and trailed 4-1, but settled down, allowing only three walks and a single over the next 16 batters.

Before Ortiz hit his home run, he singled and doubled. However, Flo struck out and popped up in his final two plate appearances. An ESPN graphic stated that the last Red Sox batter to hit for the cycle against the Yankees was Patsy Dougherty, way back on July 29, 1903 (when they were known as the Highlanders)! ... Yook and Salty each had a single to go along with their dongs. J.D. Drew walked three times. ... Adrian Gonzalez was 0-for-3, but walked twice (one intentional).

Jon Lester / Freddy Garcia

If the Red Sox win tonight's game, not only will they sweep the weekend series (and hand New York its 9th loss in 12 games), but they will finally reach .500 for the first time this season and they will match the Yankees' win total (20).

Last night, after striking out and grounding out twice against CC Sabathia, Adrian Gonzalez told Terry Francona: "I'm going to give it a little Ichiro and leak a little bit." What Gonzalez meant was that he would open his front shoulder early, to give him a better chance at putting his bat on an inside pitch.

When a pitcher's beating me in, it's something I do to create a little room inside and make sure I don't miss fastballs in. He was just pounding me in and I wasn't picking up the ball well, swinging at pitches I don't normally swing at. It would be dumb of me to go up there and try the same approach again, you know? ... I've got to try something different. What's the worst that can happen? I make another out again?

Sabathia threw ball one, then Gonzalez pounded a 94-mph fastball into the right field seats to double the Red Sox's lead to 6-0. Five of his nine home runs this season have come on 1-0 counts.

In April, Evil Bert hit one home run and drove in 15 runs. In May, he has eight home runs and 19 RBI -- and the month is not yet half over. He has a long way to go to match the AL record for RBI in May (43), set by Ty Cobb in 1925.

AL East: Orioles 9, Rays 3 (preview) and Blue Jays 11, Twins 3 (Bautista hit 3 dongs) (preview).