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Aug 3, 2015 - 6:12 PM The New York Yankees' big bats allowed them to post a winning record on a grueling road trip and maintain a solid lead in the AL East.

That might be bad news for the Boston Red Sox, who will send a rookie to the mound for his major league debut as these archrivals open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.

New York (59-45) completed a season high-tying 10-game trip with a 12-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, giving it a 6-4 mark in that stretch. The Yankees have scored 77 runs in the last nine games.

The Nos. 7-9 hitters in the lineup - Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius and Stephen Drew - went 7 for 12 with eight runs and six RBIs on Sunday.

"When the bottom of the order is as productive as it's been the last week or so, it just makes our entire team better," first baseman Mark Teixeira, who homered for the fifth time in four games, told MLB's official website. "You can score a lot of runs that way."

Gregorius has gone 12 for his last 25 and was 14 for 32 (.438) with 12 RBIs on the trip. Headley is batting .439 with 13 runs and 11 RBIs in an 11-game hitting streak while Drew finished a home run short of the cycle Sunday.

''This whole road trip, from top to bottom, everybody was doing their job,'' Gregorius said. ''Everybody's getting on base. Everybody's scoring, so that's what we want.''

Masahiro Tanaka (7-4, 3.80 ERA) looks to be the latest pitcher to benefit from the offensive largesse. The right-hander struggled in a four-run, six-inning performance in a 5-2 loss to Texas on Wednesday.

While generally solid over the past six weeks, Tanaka hasn't rediscovered the form of his first seven starts in which he posted a 2.49 ERA. Though he didn't allow a home run his last time out, he's given up 15 in 14 starts this season - matching his total in 20 starts last year - and 11 in the past seven outings.

He faced Boston once this season, going five innings and giving up three earned runs in a 14-4 home victory April 12.

That was the first loss in a 1-6 stretch in the season series for the Red Sox (47-59), who had won three in a row before falling 4-3 to Tampa Bay at home Sunday. The Rays' two-run, eighth-inning rally spoiled Boston's bid for its first sweep of a series of three or more games since early June.

The Red Sox had given up 43 runs in the previous seven games, and their 4.52 ERA is among the worst in the major leagues.

Rick Porcello had struggled to a 5.81 ERA before heading to the disabled list with soreness in his triceps Sunday. Taking his spot in the rotation Tuesday will be Henry Owens, a 23-year-old left-hander who posted a 3.16 ERA at Triple-A Pawtucket.

He's struggled with location at times, averaging 4.1 walks per nine innings. The Yankees are drawing 3.3 per game, among the most in the majors, and 5.3 in the past six contests.

"One, we wanted to insert another starter and not move guys up," manager John Farrell said of Owens taking Porcello's spot. "We wanted to provide an extra day of rest. So Tuesday is Henry's day. It's going to be probably the biggest stage he's going to make his debut on, (as) the schedule has it. But ideally having another left-hander go against that lineup in that ballpark (would give us an edge)."