The Red Sox appeared to be on cruise control, with a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning and Josh Beckett in command of the game, but the Yankees battled back with four runs in the frame to give New York a one run lead.
But in the bottom of the inning, Jason Varitek slapped a ground ball down the line in left field to tie the game at five, scoring Josh Reddick from second. MVP candidate Jacoby Ellsbury followed up with a two run shot over the wall in left into the monster seats to give Boston some insurance in the form of a 7-5 lead. The Captain was at it again in the seventh with a two run shot of his own to make it 9-5 Red Sox, and the score would hold.
The Sox turned to Daniel Bard, who pitched a one-two-three eighth inning with the help of some great defensive plays by Marco Scutaro and Dustin Pedroia, and Jonathan Paplebon nailed down the win with a one-two-three 9th inning.
The Sox will send Jon Lester to the mound tomorrow night to face A.J Burnette, as the Red Sox sit a game and a half ahead of the Yankees for the lead in the division.
