Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Jon Lester threw seven strong innings to win his third straight start, and Jeremy Hermida blasted a two-run homer and finished with three RBI as Boston battered the New York Yankees, 9-3, in the conclusion of a three-game series between the heated AL East rivals.
Red Sox Rout Yankees, A-Rod Ties Robinson For 7th On HR List
The Yankees won the first two games by a combined 24-6 margin, but Lester (3-2) limited them to four hits, including solo homers to Nick Swisher and Alex Rodriguez, while fanning seven against just two walks. Lester has permitted three runs over his last three starts, a span of 22 innings.
“I feel good mentally and physically going into each start. That’s half the battle,” Lester said. “I just have to go out there executing and keep the ball down. For the most part, I was able to do that tonight.”
Adrian Beltre added a two-run double for the Red Sox, who won for the fifth time in seven games. Hermida's RBI single capped Boston's five-run third inning.
The Yankees had their six-game winning streak broken and lost for just the second time in 11 contests.
A.J. Burnett (4-1) was dealt his first loss of the season after being pounced for nine hits and nine runs -- eight earned -- in 4 1/3 innings.
“I think I would have gotten pounded whoever I faced tonight,” Burnett said. “I threw some balls in some good spots in good hitter’s counts. Especially against this team, you can’t do that.”
J.D. Drew singled to start the Boston second and went to second on a one-out wild pitch. After Beltre struck out, Hermida hit a ball to left field, but Marcus Thames misplayed it for an error as the ball caromed off the wall, accounting for the game's first run.
The Red Sox sent nine men to the plate in the second inning to extend the lead to 6-0. Marco Scutaro walked and Dustin Pedroia doubled to start the frame. Kevin Youkilis walked with one out to load the bases before Drew lifted a sacrifice fly to left. David Ortiz then smacked a ground-rule double to right field before Beltre laced a double to the gap in left-center. Hermida's bloop single to left capped the frame.
Swisher led off the fourth with a blast over the Green Monster. Two batters later, Rodriguez hit one off the top of the high left field wall and barely over it for the 586th homer of his career, tying him with Frank Robinson for seventh on the all-time list.
Youkilis doubled in Pedroia in the fourth for a 7-2 game and Hermida homered to right in the next inning following a Beltre double. That was the final batter faced for Burnett, who was relieved by Romulo Sanchez.
Robinson Cano singled in Ramiro Pena in the eighth, but Manny Delcarmen struck out Jorge Posada to leave two men on base.
This was Terry Francona’s 1,004th game as Red Sox manager, passing Bill Carrigan (1,003) for sole possession of third place in club history. Only Joe Cronin (2,007) and Mike Higgins (1,119) have more...Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected from the game in the fourth inning for arguing a third strike call against Thames...Lester moved to 4-1 lifetime against the Yankees, while Burnett dropped to 5-3 against Boston...Swisher has driven in at least one run in seven of the Yankees’ eight games in May...Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner singled in the fifth inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
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