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Pettitte, Cano lead Yankees to rout of Red Sox

Jul 27, 2008 - 1:29 AM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- In making a controversial return to the lineup, Manny Ramirez could not help the Boston Red Sox slow down the red-hot New York Yankees.

Robinson Cano homered and collected three hits in support of six strong innings from Andy Pettitte as the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 10-3, on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park for their eighth straight win.

Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera each collected two hits as New York (58-45) drew within one game of Boston (60-45) in the American League East. Both team trail the first-place Tampa Bay Rays (60-42).

"I love the way we're playing," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Obviously, we know that we're chasing teams, and we have a lot of road games and we're going to have to win on the road. And we're going to have to take care of our own field, too. Win series and things should work out."

"The team is playing very well," Rodriguez added. "It all starts with our starting pitching. The bullpen did a brilliant job today and we got some good timely hitting."

The Red Sox scored two unearned runs off Pettitte in the first after third baseman Rodriguez booted a routine grounder by Dustin Pedroia. David Ortiz drove in the first run with a single and Ramirez, after hearing some boos from the sellout crowd, plated the second with a groundout.

"We come out of the chute today and we turn an error into a couple of runs, and then Pettitte's really got his cutter going, and we didn't do much after that," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Ramirez started in left field and hit cleanup, playing his first game since Tuesday in Seattle. The slugger had complained of a sore right knee, which kept him out of Boston's previous two games, but an MRI on both knees Friday revealed no serious damage.

Ramirez went 0-for-4 with an RBI groundout.

Pettitte (12-7) allowed three runs - one earned - and five hits while walking three and striking out seven.

"It was good to battle and hang in there," Pettitte said. "I struggled in the first inning with my command a little bit. Right out of the get-go, I was in the stretch and I didn't feel comfortable at all. Thankfully, I was able to get through that inning just giving up two runs. I settled in later, and in about the fourth inning, I felt like I got into a little bit of a rhythm."

"I really thought he grinded it out," Girardi added. "He wasn't sharp the first two innings. He had a walk in the first, a walk in the second. You don't see that a lot from Andy. But then he seemed to find his rhythm and really got going and gave us six strong innings."

The Yankees started to get to Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield (6-8) in the third, when Abreu singled home Jose Molina. One inning later, New York took the lead for good as Cano homered to straightaway center and Johnny Damon singled in Cabrera for a 3-2 lead.

In his 5 1/3 innings, Wakefield was tagged for eight hits and six runs, his most allowed since giving up eight on May 23 at Oakland.

"I didn't have great stuff today," the knuckleballer said. "I was inconsistent. Obviously, I left a lot of balls up and they didn't have a lot of late finish to them. The hits that I gave up were costly."

The Yankees broke open the game in the fourth, chasing Wakefield from the game in the process. Jeter, Abreu and Rodriguez had consecutive RBI hits off rookie reliever Justin Masterson to build the lead to 7-2.

J.D. Drew belted his 19th homer off Pettitte in the sixth, but the Yankees responded in the eighth with three runs to seal the win.

Rodriguez was plunked on the left biceps by Craig Hansen's fastball in the eighth in apparent retaliation for Joba Chamberlain's high and tight pitching this season to Kevin Youkilis.

"I have no idea," Rodriguez said when asked about the intent of the pitch. "I'm just happy we won the game."

Boston's dugout was warned by plate umpire Derryl Cousins and no further incidents took place.