Read More: yankees-red sox rivalry, mlb scores, mlb standings, Josh Beckett (P – BOS), Alex Rodriguez (3B – NYY), Phil Hughes (P – NYY), New York Yankees, New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox, Aug 31, 2011 7:10 PM EDT

(Sports Network) – The New York Yankees try to move past the Boston Red Sox and into first place in the American League East Wednesday night in Fenway Park. The Yankees cut the deficit to just a half-game in Tuesday’s opener, as CC Sabathia labored through six innings to get his 18th win of the year and finally beat the Red Sox in New York’s 5-2 win.

Josh Beckett will to keep the Red Sox atop the American League East standings this evening when they continue their key three-game series against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

Beckett has dominated the Yankees this year, going 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in four starts against them. He won his second straight start last Wednesday in Texas, as he held the Rangers to a run and four hits in six innings to improve to 11-5 on the year to go along with a 2.43 ERA.

In 11 home starts this season Beckett is 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA.

New York, meanwhile, will rely on inconsistent right-hander Phil Hughes, who is 4-4 with a 6.46 ERA. Hughes was awful against Oakland on Thursday, as he lasted just 2 2/3 innings and was hit for six runs and seven hits. He escaped without a decision, though, as the Yankees went on to score 22 runs in the win.

Hughes absorbed the loss in a relief outing against the Red Sox back on August 7 and is just 2-4 lifetime against them with a 6.25 ERA in 15 games (seven starts).

The Yankees are expected to once again be without third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who is nursing a thumb injury.

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BOSTON (Reuters) – The New York Yankees enjoyed a rare success over bitter rivals the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, the 5-2 victory in a hot-tempered affair enabling the visitors to tighten the battle for supremacy in the American League East.

Emotions ran high with both benches clearing in the seventh inning when Boston starter John Lackey hit New York batter Francisco Cervelli before Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected for arguing a call in the ninth.

Cervelli had begun to move toward Lackey on the mound after being struck, but the matter settled without incident after both teams exchanged words.

“It looked a little weird, but I think it’s part of the game,” Cervelli told reporters. “I’ve got so much adrenaline, and I maybe need to control it a little bit, but I don’t try to do anything bad.

“It’s Yankees-Boston — everybody wants to win.”

On the mound, New York ace CC Sabathia remained cool with 10 strikeouts in six innings to notch his first win over the Red Sox this season and pull the Yankees (81-52) within a half-game of first-place Boston (82-52) in the division.

It was far from smooth sailing, however, as Sabathia (18-7)allowed 10 hits and dodged a Red Sox offense that stranded 16 runners on base.

In the end, the big left-hander helped the Yankees reverse their recent fortunes against a team that had entered the game with a 10-2 record over the Bronx Bombers this campaign.

“It’s a big win against a team that we’re chasing,” Sabathia said. “I’ve been struggling a little. I felt I had good stuff.”

Eric Chavez had RBI singles in the second inning and fourth to give New York an early 3-0 lead, but the Red Sox responded with two scores in the bottom of the fourth.

Cervelli hit a solo homer for the visitors in the fifth and the Yankees bullpen carried the team home.

Reliever Boone Logan got the final two outs of the seventh with the bases loaded, and Mariano Rivera came on in the ninth to lock down his 35th save of the year.

Carl Crawford hit a home run as the Red Sox racked up 13 hits but went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Lackey allowed all five runs in seven innings to fall to 12-10 on the year.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)

CC Sabathia got his first win in
five starts against the Boston Red Sox this season as the New
York Yankees defeated their division rivals 5-2.

Sabathia improved to 18-7 after allowing two runs on 10
hits while striking out 10 over six innings at Fenway Park in
Boston last night. Sabathia threw a season-high 128 pitches.

“CC was great, he battled all night,” Yankees manager
Joe Girardi told reporters. “He made some really good pitches
when he had to and got some strikeouts when he had to.”

The Yankees (81-52) moved to within a half-game of Boston
(82-52), which leads Major League Baseball’s American League
East division. The teams play again today and tomorrow.

Eric Chavez drove in Robinson Cano with singles in the
second and fourth innings, and Cano had a run-scoring double in
the fourth as the Yankees took a 3-0 lead.

Carl Crawford hit a fourth-inning home run and Marco Scutaro followed with a run-scoring double to trim New York’s
lead before backup catcher Francisco Cervelli hit a 380-foot
home run in the fifth to restore New York’s two-run advantage.

Cervelli was hit in the back with a pitch the next time he
came to bat in the seventh inning, prompting both benches to
empty. Three batters were hit by pitches in the game.

Derek Jeter returned after missing two games with a bruised
kneecap and pushed the Yankees’ lead to 5-2 when a run scored on
his double-play ground ball in the seventh.

Chavez started at third base in place of Alex Rodriguez,
who missed the game and may sit out the rest of the series with
a thumb injury. He was hurt on Aug. 21 against Minnesota and
aggravated the injury against Baltimore a week later.

John Lackey (12-10) gave up five runs on seven hits in
seven innings for the Red Sox, who are 10-3 against the Yankees
this year. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera got his 35th save after
retiring the Red Sox in the ninth inning, when Girardi was
ejected for arguing about whether Boston’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia
was hit by a pitch.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Nancy Kercheval in Washington at
nkercheval@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net

TRENTON – Instead of possibly starting on the left side of the Yankees’ infield tonight against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Ramiro Pena was back at Double-A Trenton on a Major League rehab assignment.

With the Thunder on the brink of playoff elimination, Pena started at shortstop and went 1-for 3 before being lifted for a pinch-runner in a 3-2 loss to New Hampshire at Waterfront Park.

Trenton (64-70) has dropped seven straight and has little chance of hurdling both New Britain and Reading for the final playoff spot in the Eastern League East Division with just seven games to play.

Both New Britain (69-66) and the R-Phils (69-67) won tonight to extend their advantage over the Thunder to 4 1/2 and four games, respectively.

Pena, 26, may be in a hurry to get back to the Bronx following his July 18 appendectomy, but even with Alex Rodriguez nursing a jammed thumb and Derek Jeter hobbled with a bruised knee, his rehab is not a high priority as Pena will remain with Trenton for the remainder of the regular season.

Pena is likely to rejoin the Yankees after Labor Day and expansion of major league rosters to 40.

“I want to be there,’’ Pena said. “But sometimes things happen that you can’t control. I never thought (the rehab) was going to be this long, but I am not ready right now. I need more games. The final seven here will be good for me.’’

Pena, a .253 hitter in 257 games with the Thunder from 2005 to 2008, also struck out looking on six pitches in his first at bat and tapped into a 6-4-3 double play in the third inning.

In 14 games with the Yankees this season, Pena is just 2-for-25 (.080) with a home run and two RBIs.

Even with shortstop Jose Pirela and his franchise-record 37 errors taking a breather as the designated hitter, the Thunder continued to kick the ball around with three more miscues to pad their Eastern League to 153.

Trenton has 15 errors in the last six games and at least one in seven straight.

By comparison, first-place New Hampshire (73-63) has committed only 89.

Although the Thunder have a chance to run down New Britain with five games to close the regular season at New Britain Stadium, they also have to jump third-place Reading in the standings.

****

Thunder play-by-play man Jay Burnham was named the 2011 Broadcaster of the Year by “Ballpark Digest.’’

Burnham garnered national recognition when he called Derek Jeter’s two-game rehab appearance in Trenton July 2-3, which was featured in the HBO documentary of Jeter’s pursuit of 3,000 hits, “Derek Jeter 3K.’’

“I am truly honored and humbled to be the recipient of this award, especially since there are any number of broadcasters at all levels that are deserving as well,” said Burnham, who worked Thunder games this season with first-year partner Hank Fuerst.

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Thunder second baseman Corban Joseph is the only Thunder player headed to the Arizona Fall League.

The Yankees also plan to send Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitcher David Phelps, along with Class-A Tampa teammates Rob Segedin (OF) and Ronnier Mustelier (2B).

Read More: Freddy Garcia (P – NYY), Derek Jeter (SS – NYY), Ivan Nova (P – NYY), Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels

(Sports Network) – Derek Jeter will add another milestone to his magnificent career this afternoon when the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles attempt to play a day/night doubleheader at Camden Yards.

Jeter will play in his 2,402nd game as a Yankee and will pass Mickey Mantle for the most games played in team history. He will also move into 16th place all-time in games played among players who spent their entire career with a single team.

“I don’t think you ever sit here and set your sights on a games-played record, you know what I mean?” Jeter said. “My job is to come here and play and try to stay healthy and be on the field. I guess it’s a good thing.”

This was supposed to be a five-game set with a doubledip slated for Saturday to make up for a postponed game back on April 22. However, Hurricane Irene changed those plans. Instead these teams will now play two today and the game missed on Saturday has been rescheduled for September 8.

Baltimore actually got this series started off on the right foot on Friday, as Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer, J.J. Hardy smacked a two-run shot and Mark Reynolds had a solo blast in the Orioles’ 12-5 win.

Nolan Reimold doubled, tripled and drove in three for the Orioles, who won their fifth consecutive game after plating nine runs against New York starter A.J. Burnett.

“The last five or six games have been pretty good,” Hardy said. “Our pitchers have been going out there and working fast and doing really well, and letting us score a few runs and keep the momentum on our side.”

Tommy Hunter (3-2) allowed four runs in seven innings to help Baltimore win on a night the team honored the late Mike Flanagan.

Burnett (9-11) matched a career high with nine runs allowed in five innings, finishing an arduous August. In five starts, he posted an 11.91 ERA (30 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings), and allowed six homers and 44 hits.

The right-hander has given up at least seven runs in four outings this season — three of which came in August.

“It’s really just location at this point,” said Yankees catcher Russell Martin. “He’ll make a couple good pitches with his fastball, and the next one will be belt-high. Guys at this level, they don’t miss it.”

Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher homered for the Yankees, who were coming off Thursday’s 22-9, three-grand slam rout of Oakland. They claimed the record-setting win after falling behind early, and found themselves in a similar position Friday thanks to the Orioles’ six-run second inning.

Taking the ball for the Yankees in game one will be righty Freddy Garcia, who has been on the disabled list and hasn’t pitched since August 7 because of a finger injury he sustained at home.

Garcia has been a pleasant surprise for the Yanks, going 10-7 with a 3.16 ERA. He had won three straight starts before getting a no-decision to Boston on August 7, despite allowing just a run and five hits in five innings.

He is 5-7 lifetime against the Orioles with a 4.07 ERA in 14 starts.

Ivan Nova, meanwhile, will take the ball in game two searching for his 10th straight winning decision.

Nova won his sixth straight start on Sunday in Minnesota, as he held the Twins to five hits over seven scoreless innings to run is record to 13-4 on the year, while lowering his earned run average to 3.97.

“I feel really confident in my slider,” said Nova, who is 9-0 with a 3.48 ERA over his last 10 starts. “We worked on it, we got it back, and it’s a pitch that, in situations, I can throw to left-handed hitters and get the out.”

Nova beat the Orioles the last time he faced them and is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against them.

The Orioles hope Zach Britton can string back-to-back wins together in the first game after he won for the first time in six decisions his last time out. Britton beat the Minnesota Twins on Monday, holding them to a run and six hits in five innings. He is 7-9 on the year with a 4.54 ERA.

The left-handed Britton has faced the Yanks twice this season and is 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA. He failed to get out of the first inning against them back on July 30, surrendering six earned runs in just one-third of an inning.

Heading to the hill in the second game for the Orioles will be lefty Brian Matusz, who has lost his last six starts. Matusz was rocked yet again on Sunday by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as he allowed six runs (five earned) and nine hits in four innings, dropping him to 1-6 to go along with a 8.92 ERA.

Game Two: New York – Ivan Nova (13-4, 3.97) Baltimore – Zach Britton (7-9, 4.54).

Read More: Nick Swisher (RF – NYY), Jorge Posada (DH – NYY), Bartolo Colon (P – NYY), A.J. Burnett (P – NYY), Jesus Montero (C – NYY), New York Yankees

In the wake of the New York Yankees’ record-setting three grand slams in a 22-9 victory over Oakland on Thursday, here are some Yankees-related news and notes for you this morning.

Posada plays second base for Yankees – NYPOST.com

It had been two decades since Jorge Posada fielded a ball at second base. Not since the 40-year-old former All-Star catcher was a raw, first-year minor leaguer. But such was the Yankees’ 22-9 laugher against the A’s yesterday that he provided not only the game’s coupe de grace, but its comic relief as well.

After talking his way into playing the ninth inning at second base — a request manager Joe Girardi couldn’t refuse, after the tough year Posada has been through — Posada fielded Anthony Recker’s ground ball, and fired a one-hop throw to Nick Swisher at first base.

Posada got the out with a seed of a throw that actually knocked Swisher over and left him chuckling as he made the play, falling over.

“Now you guys know why they moved me behind the plate. I told Joe [Girardi] I wanted to go in there. Good glove, no throw,” said Posada. “It’d been a while. It’s been a long time since I took a ground ball on the infield.”

Bartolo Colon could be removed from rotation to right schedule

It seems the time has arrived at last to pull the plug on the six-man rotation. This debate is the only baseball talk we really have in New York right now, what with the Yanks sailing along and the Mets sinking so steadily. Sabathia’s mental and physical well-being are the driving forces in the discussion and the chief concerns of Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman.

And for the first time Wednesday, Cashman said the team would at least discuss the possibility of skipping Bartolo Colon’s next turn.

Colon is a candidate for expulsion, along with A.J. Burnett, because Colon has been tiring early in his starts and could benefit from bullpen duty. Asked if he were uneasy about the pitcher’s decline over the last three months, the Yank GM called such concern “a legitimate question.”

“Nothing we can do about it,” Cashman said. “He’s in an area that he’s been certainly before in his career many times, but he’s in an area that he hasn’t been in in five years. So what it means, I don’t know. I just don’t know. It’s more of a guessing game, and we might as well not bother guessing.”

Bradley: Yankees’ A.J. Burnett deserves a few more starts to prove himself | NJ.com

[A.J.] Burnett deserves not one, but a few more starts to prove he belongs on the mound in the playoffs, not because of his $82.5 million contract, or because he’s got some great track record of Yankee postseason success — though he did go 3-2 with a huge World Series win in 2009 — but because he may still prove he’s the team’s best option.

The scary part is the ‘he may still prove he’s the team’s best option’ line. That tells you that no matter how many starting pitchers the Yankees ‘think’ they have, beyond CC Sabathia they have no idea what will happen. That’s a tough way to enter the postseason.

Montero’s bat remains scalding hot | MiLB.com News | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball

With September right around the corner, Jesus Montero’s tenure with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees could be coming to a close. If he does get called up to “The Show,” Montero is making a lasting impression in the International League, or at least on Rochester.

The Yankees’ No. 1 prospect homered twice and drove in all Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s runs as the Triple-A club beat the Rochester Red Wings, 4-1, on Thursday.

The Venezuelan native hit two-run homers in the bottom of the first and seventh innings. He also walked in the fifth.

Over his last four games, the 21-year-old is 7-for-18 with four home runs and 11 RBIs.