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A-Rod homers as Yankees pound Red Sox

Apr 17, 2008 - 5:44 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Alex Rodriguez powered his way up the ladder in history, but it was the bullpen that made sure the New York Yankees went home winners.

Rodriguez passed Ted Williams and Willie McCovey on the all-time home run list while the Yankees' bullpen tossed five solid innings en route to a 15-9 victory over the rival Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.

Jorge Posada doubled twice and drove in three runs and Bobby Abreu homered for New York, which pounded out 16 hits while scoring double-digit runs for the first time this season.

"It was a heavyweight fight between two good teams," Rodriguez said. "It will continue to be that way all summer."

The Yankees' bullpen, led by a surprising performance from LaTroy Hawkins (1-0), allowed just three hits and no runs in the final four frames. Hawkins lowered his ERA to 7.00 with two scoreless innings.

"He (Hawkins) gave us six huge outs today in the sixth and seventh," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He threw the ball very effectively. He was great tonight. I have liked the way he threw the ball the last couple of times, but luck was not really on his side."

"We showed we can win games when our ace isn't on," said Brian Bruney, who pitched two scoreless frames. "I think collectively that we think that every role is important. The middle innings were just as big as the late innings. It gave us an opportunity to score more runs."

New York wasted little time overcoming an early one-run deficit when Abreu clubbed a two-run blast in the bottom of the first off Red Sox rookie starter Clay Buchholz. Rodriguez followed Abreu, taking Buchholz's 1-1 offering deep into the bullpens beyond the left field wall to move into sole possession of 15th place on the all-time home run list.

"When I tied them (Williams and McCovey) in Tampa I feel as I do now - it's very humbling," Rodriguez said.

Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang - just five days removed from tossing a complete game two-hitter against Boston at Fenway Park - did not have his best stuff Wednesday and quickly coughed up the lead, allowing single runs in the second and the fourth for a 3-3 tie.

"Tonight, they did not swing at the first pitch," Wang said. "When you fall behind in the count, they wait for you to come up in the zone. It had nothing to do with arm strength. I simply could not find the strike zone."

Buchholz did not last through the fourth as the Yankees rallied for four runs in the frame, with Derek Jeter's two-run single serving as the biggest blow. Buchholz was charged with seven runs and eight hits while walking one and striking out two in 3 2/3 frames.

"Sometimes you've got to give them (the Yankees) a little bit of the credit," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "In the first inning, his fastball was real live, and they hit two off of him. They were not bad pitches. He made some really good off-speed pitches that they either fouled or put in play for base hits."

But the Red Sox got the runs back in the fifth, plating six runs on four RBI singles. J.D. Drew drove in a pair and Dustin Pedroia capped the rally with another bases-loaded single to make it 9-7 in favor of Boston.

But the discrepancy between the bullpens became apparent when Boston's Julian Tavarez (0-1) failed to hold the lead. Tavarez and Mike Timlin allowed four runs apiece.

"Early in April, relievers get a lot of work and get tired," Timlin said. "In the middle of the season, starters get stronger and there is bullpen famine ... no innings for anybody. Later in the season it evens itself out."

Posada and Jason Giambi each clubbed two-run doubles off Timlin in the eighth to cap the scoring.