Yankees 6, Red Sox 2
BOSTON -- Alex Rodriguez hit his 631st career home run to move into sole possession of fifth on the all-time list, Eric Chavez hit a pair of solo shots and the New York Yankees' spoiled Boston's 100th anniversary of Fenway Park by hitting five solo homers to beat the Red Sox 6-2 on Friday.
Russell Martin and Nick Swisher also had solo homers for New York, which was the original franchise to face the Red Sox in Fenway's 1912 inaugural game.
David Ortiz had a solo shot for Boston, which dropped its fourth straight game and has opened the season losing nine of its initial 13.
Ivan Nova (3-0) pitched six strong innings to win his 15th straight decision, the majors' longest active streak and the most in a row by a Yankee since Roger Clemens won 16 in 2001. He gave up two runs, seven hits, struck out five and didn't walk anyone, improving to 20-1 after the Yankees give him an early lead.
Clay Buchholz (1-1) took the loss, giving up six runs, nine hits, five homers, walking two and fanning two over six-plus innings.
Rodriguez, now 29 behind Willie Mays, surpassed Ken Griffey Jr. with a fifth-inning blast out of Fenway over the Green Monster seats to make it 5-1.
Former members of the 2004 World Series champion Red Sox -- Kevin Millar and Pedro Martinez -- both stood atop the dugout and led the crowd in part of a ceremonial toast after a few hundred ex-Red Sox players walked onto the field to celebrate the anniversary of Fenway's first game -- a 7-6 walk-off win over the then-New York Highlanders. Then the modern day team of New Yorker's ruined Boston's beginning by scoring an unearned run in the first and two in the second -- on homers by Swisher and Chavez -- to take a 3-0 lead against Buchholz.
Derek Jeter reached when Dustin Pedroia dropped his pop in short right, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Rodriguez's single.
Swisher homered into the Green Monster seats and Chavez hit a drive into Boston's bullpen. Ortiz homered into the first row of Monster seats in the bottom of the inning, a shot originally ruled a double but overturned by replay review.
Chavez's second of the game -- a drive into the center-field bleachers -- made it 4-1 in the fourth. It was his 16th career two-homer game.
Mike Aviles had an RBI double when Swisher lost his liner in right, cutting it to 5-2.
NOTES: Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said of Fenway: "The park has a life of its own. It's like Oz -- everybody wants to come here." ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said: "I think it's special because it takes you down memory lane. No matter what age you are, you can think about the history of the game." Prior to the game, Girardi said "You are in awe of a lot of them," when he was asked about the large number of ex-Red Sox players that were on hand to celebrate the park's birthday. He said he was most excited to see Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk because the pair worked out together and became friends when they were both still playing. ... Both teams wore replica 1912 uniforms. ... Jeter collected his 3,111th hit in the second inning to pass Dave Winfield for 18th on the all-time list. ... Former players Carl Yastrzemski, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr and Martinez, and previous manager Terry Francona got the biggest ovations during the nearly hour-long ceremony that featured over 200 former players walking to their old positions from many areas of the park. ... Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy, threw out one of the ceremonial first pitches.
