Greg Bird, John Ryan Murphy and Carlos Beltran homered during an eight-run second inning Wednesday and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 13-8.
Stephen Drew doubled during New York’s big inning and added a three-run homer in the third. Didi Gregorius later homered for the Yankees.
Masahiro Tanaka (11-6) pitched into the seventh inning as the Yankees won for the fifth time in six games. New York improved to 7-2 against the Red Sox at Fenway Park this season and 10-5 overall this season against their longtime rivals.
The Yankees entered the day 1 1/2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.
The win was the 800th of Yankees manager Joe Girardi’s career. He guided the Marlins for one year and is in eighth season with New York.
Red Sox rookie Henry Owens (2-2) retired the first four batters in order but the next eight Yankees reached base safely, with one out coming on the basepaths.
Chase Headley walked, then Bird and Murphy homered. Gregorious singled, Drew doubled and Brett Gardner walked to load the bases.
Chris Young singled in a run, but Gardner was caught between second and third — with other Yankees occupying both. Alex Rodriguez singled in two runs to chase Owens.
In all, the 23-year-old left-hander was charged with seven runs on six hits and two walks.
Ryan Cook relieved him with two outs in the second and gave up a first-pitch homer to Beltran that made it 8-1.
Xander Bogaerts had three hits, including a homer, for the Red Sox.
Boston loaded the bases in the seventh, but Justin Wilson got pinch-hitter Sandy Leon on a fly ball to left to protect a 12-5 lead.
After the Yankees scored another in the top of the eighth, the Red Sox scored two in the bottom half and loaded the bases with one out. Dellin Betances came on and struck out Pablo Sandoval on a 3-2 curveball, then got Bogaerts on a grounder.
Boston scored one more in the ninth before Andrew Miller struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. to end it.
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