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Hughes, Yankees shut down BoSox

Sep 14, 2012 - 6:45 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Phil Hughes fired 7 1/3 scoreless frames Thursday, as the New York Yankees blanked the Boston Red Sox, 2-0, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Fenway Park.

Hughes (15-12) scattered five hits and struck out seven while walking just one to improve to 3-1 in four starts against Boston this season.

"We needed distance because I didn't know what we were gonna have and I didn't want to ask some of the guys to go full innings and (Hughes) did that for us," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Boone Logan and David Robertson combined to shut the Sox down in the eighth before Rafael Soriano tossed a scoreless ninth to nail down his 38th save of the season.

Derek Jeter and Andruw Jones each plated a run for the Yankees, who moved back into a tie atop the AL East with the Baltimore Orioles after the O's defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in a 14-inning thriller earlier on Thursday.

Jeter finished 1-for-5 to move into a tie with Willie Mays for 10th on the all-time hits list with 3,283.

Felix Doubront (10-9) was pegged with the loss after giving up both runs on four hits and five walks over 6 1/3 innings, as the Red Sox wrapped up a six- game homestand at 1-5.

The Yankees manufactured a run in the fourth, as Alex Rodriguez stroked a leadoff single before back-to-back walks by Robinson Cano and Russell Martin.

Jones followed with a sacrifice fly into right field to score Rodriguez, but Curtis Granderson lined into an inning-ending double play, allowing Doubront to escape with just a one-run deficit.

The run scored by Rodriguez moved him into a tie with Lou Gehrig for ninth on the all-time runs scored list with 1,888.

New York tacked on a run in the seventh after Steve Pearce worked a one-out walk and Eduardo Nunez followed with a single to chase Doubront from the game.

Junichi Tazawa entered to face Jeter, who slapped a looping base hit into shallow center field to plate Pearce for a 2-0 lead.

Tazawa stuck out Nick Swisher and Rodriguez to escape the seventh.

Pedro Ciriaco crushed a leadoff double off the Green Monster to start the bottom of the eighth before Hughes finished off his night by getting pinch- hitter Mauro Gomez to fly out to center.

Logan entered and got Jacoby Ellsbury to fly out to right field before Robertson came on to face pinch-hitter Ryan Lavarnway, who also flew out to right field to end the eighth.

Soriano worked around a two-out single from Daniel Nava in the ninth to secure the shutout.

"We're just not putting together quality at-bats and we're not grinding," said Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross. "When you do that you get quick outs."

Game Notes

The Yankees won back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game winning streak from Aug. 13-15 ... Doubront is 0-5 in his last eight starts and hasn't won since July 18 ... Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia missed the game to witness the birth of his son ... Comedian Bill Cosby threw out the first pitch.