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Granderson homers twice, Yankees clip Red Sox

Sep 13, 2012 - 5:29 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Curtis Granderson hit two home runs, Robinson Cano added a two-run shot, and the New York Yankees held on to beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-4, in the second meeting of a three-game series.

Granderson hit a solo blast in the fourth, and his two-run homer three innings later proved to be the difference for New York, which remained tied for first place in the AL East with the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-2, on a walk-off win Wednesday.

David Phelps (4-4) allowed one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings to pick up his first win since August 13.

Aaron Cook (3-10) lost his fifth straight decision after surrendering three runs on seven hits in five-plus frames.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 3-for-3 with a solo home run in the ninth inning for the Red Sox, who won Tuesday's series opener but have dropped 12 of 14 overall.

James Loney doubled with two away in the home eighth to bring the tying run to the plate, but the Yankees called on closer Rafael Soriano, who threw a low payoff pitch to Cody Ross that was called for strike three.

Ross argued the call, as did Boston manager Bobby Valentine, and both were quickly ejected by home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez.

Soriano, the sixth reliever used by the Yankees, stayed on for the ninth and yielded a leadoff homer to Saltalamacchia. Daniel Nava followed with a deep fly ball to left, only to have Chris Dickerson snag it on the warning track.

A Soriano error with two away kept the Red Sox alive, but Jacoby Ellsbury was retired on a comebacker to the mound to culminate Soriano's 37th save.

The second time through New York's lineup was significantly different for Cook, who served up a leadoff homer to Granderson in the fourth after retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced.

Alex Rodriguez followed Granderson's homer with a single, and Cano took an outside pitch over the Green Monster for his 30th home run, setting a career high.

Dustin Pedroia recorded Boston's first hit with a one-out double in the fourth and scored on Loney's dribbler through the right side.

Pedroia also reached on a single in the sixth, but exited the next half-inning to be with his pregnant wife.

Ivan DeJesus came on in relief in the seventh and was greeted by a Derek Jeter single. Granderson then made it a four-run game when he took a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right-center for the 13th multi-homer game of his career.

Boston's Mauro Gomez and Mike Aviles each knocked in a run in pinch-hit situations in the seventh to provide the final margin.

Jeter appeared to injure his ankle in the eighth inning trying to beat out a double-play grounder and was pulled for Jayson Nix.

"It's not a big deal. I wanted to stay in the game," said Jeter, who is expected to play in the series finale.

Game Notes

The Yankees have been in first place -- either tied or alone -- since the start of play on June 12 ... Twenty-six of Granderson's 37 homers have been solo shots ... Jeter went 2-for-5 and has six multi-hit efforts in his last eight games ...Nick Swisher had three of New York's 11 hits ... Prior to the game, the Red Sox honored Joe Castiglione for his 30 years broadcasting Red Sox baseball on the radio.