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Red Sox pound out another win over Yankees

Apr 29, 2007 - 9:20 PM BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- The home runs came from an unexpected source in Alex Cora and from familiar ones such as David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Either way, they powered the Boston Red Sox to another win over the New York Yankees.

Cora homered, tripled and drove in three runs and Ortiz and Ramirez also went deep as the Red Sox handed the Yankees their eighth loss in nine games, with a 7-4 victory in the rubber-game of a three-game series.

Ramirez hit a two-run blast in the eighth for his 50th career home run against the Yankees. The only other players to accomplish the feat are at Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Hank Greenberg and Carl Yastrzemski.

Julian Tavarez pitched five-plus innings and earned his first victory of the season for the Red Sox, who have won five of six games from the Yankees this season.

"They are playing better than we are right now," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Hopefully, the next time we play, we will be playing better than them."

Doug Mientkiewicz hit a three-run homer in the third inning for the first Yankee hit and Derek Jeter homered in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 17 games. But the Yankees would collect just five other hits.

"We're out there trying our best but it isn't good enough," Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon said. "We know we're still a good team."

Cora, batting ninth in the Boston lineup, drove in a run with a groundout in the third, hit a two-run homer in the fifth and tripled and scored in the seventh.

The Yankees were hoping that Chien-Ming Wang (0-2) would provide a much-needed boost to a starting staff ravaged by injuries, a list that grew even larger with a fractured fibula suffered by Jeff Karstens when he was hit by a line drive on Saturday.

Karstens joined Carl Pavano and Mike Mussina on the disabled list Sunday.

Wang made his second start since coming off the disabled list and took the loss, allowing four runs and six hits in six innings. He also battled through a cracked nail on the index finger of his pitching hand.

"Whenever he got the ball up, we hit it good," Cora said. Tavarez (1-2), Boston's fifth starter, allowed three runs and three hits in five-plus innings, including a three-run homer to Mientkiewicz in the third that followed a pair of walks.

"I took this (start) like it would be the last one that I pitch in my life," Tavarez said.

Tavarez left after Derek Jeter reached on a throwing error by shortstop Julio Lugo to open the sixth. Hideki Okajima relieved and pitched two scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

Mike Timlin worked the eighth, allowing the home run to Jeter. Timlin allowed a single to Bobby Abreu, but got Alex Rodriguez to ground into a double play to end the inning.

Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for his eighth save.

"Looking at the pitching matchup going in, this was a good game for us to win," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Ortiz opened the scoring in Boston's first at-bat when he belted the first pitch he saw into the upper deck in right field. Crisp tripled to right-center field to open the third and scored on a ground out by Cora.

After the home run by Mientkiewicz, Boston regained the lead in the fifth on a two-run homer by Cora. Both of Cora's homers this season have come in the last five days.

"Whether you get a home run or drive in three runs, you have to realize what your role is," said Cora, who was making just his sixth start of the season.

Cora tripled in the seventh and scored on sacrifice fly by Lugo. Ramirez went the opposite way to right field for a two-run blast off Sean Henn.

"We feel good about the way we're playing now," said Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, who had is hitting streak snapped at 15 games.