Yankees 2, Red Sox 0
BOSTON - The Yankees took the field at Fenway Park Thursday night knowing they needed a win to remain tied with the Orioles in the American League East.
After learning that Baltimore had beaten Tampa Bay in 14 innings, the Yankees then went out and got a marvelous pitching performance from Phil Hughes, securing their first two-game winning streak since a three-gamer Aug. 12-15 with a 2-0 blanking of the hapless Red Sox.
The victory came on the night Derek Jeter tied Willie Mays for 10th place on the all-time hit list.
The win allowed the Yankees to stay in a first-place tie, and they haven't been out of first since June 10. Both the Yankees and Orioles lead the Rays by four games, with Tampa Bay in New York this weekend.
Hughes (15-12, 3-1 against Boston) pitched 7 1/3 innings of five-hit ball in his 100th career start, out-pitching Felix Doubront (10-9 and winless since July 18).
Hughes left with a man on second and one out in the eighth, before Boone Logan and David Robertson got out of that inning and Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth for his 38th save.
The Yankees won the series 2-1 despite going 2-for-34 with runners in scoring position.
Doubront, 0-4 with an 8.27 ERA in his last seven starts coming in, pitched into the seventh inning and pitched well enough to win. But the pitcher who gets the most run support in the majors got none on this night.
Jeter, who was the DH a night after leaving the game with a bruised ankle, singled in the second Yankee run with his 3,283rd career hit. He was 1-for-5 in the game.
The last-place Red Sox suffered their 80th loss and have lost six of their last seven, 13 of their last 15 and 18 of their last 23.
Through four innings, Alex Rodriguez had a hand in all three of the game's hits, with two singles of his own and a ball Cody Ross hit by him for Boston's first hit.
Rodriguez singled with two out in the first and got no further. But he singled opening the fourth before Doubront walked the next two hitters to load the bases. Andruw Jones got a run in with a sacrifice fly before Curtis Granderson broke his bat and lined into a double play. First baseman James Loney caught Granderson's liner and just stepped on the bag to double off Russell Martin.
Hughes threw just 26 pitches in retiring the first nine men in order and got the first out in the fourth before walking Scott Podsednik. Loney lined to left before Ross singled past Rodriguez, Podsednik going on to third. But Hughes got Daniel Nava to ground out and end the threat.
Eduardo Nunez, playing shortstop with Jeter occupying the DH spot, doubled with one out in the fifth, took third when Jeter grounded out and died at third when Nick Swisher also grounded out.
Mike Aviles singled with one out in the bottom of the inning and was running when Pedro Ciriaco hit the ball right at a covering Robinson Cano for an easy double play.
NOTES: The Red Sox played without Dustin Pedroia. He left Wednesday night to be with his wife, who gave birth to the couple's second child, a boy, Thursday morning. ... Boston owner John Henry denied a FOX Business Network report that stated the owners were talking sale. "A sale of any kind is so far from our thinking it hasn't even come up apart from technical planning issues involving death or liability," Henry told the Boston Globe. "This report is completely without foundation." Henry also said CEO Larry Lucchino, seen as involved in much of the club's off-field turmoil, will return next season. ... The Yankees won Wednesday night despite going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. According to the Elias Sports Bureau (through the YES Network), it marked the first Yankee win recorded with the team going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position since May 31, 1961. That was a 7-6 win over the Red Sox, with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris both hitting homers while Maris was en route to a 61-home run season. ... The Red Sox didn't discipline reliever Alfredo Aceves for showing manager Bobby Valentine up on the mound Wednesday night. ... Andy Pettitte will come off the disabled list to pitch for the Yankees against the Blue Jays Tuesday night. ... Bill Cosby threw out the first pitch, while Larry David and Jon Hamm were also spotted in the crowd.
