BOSTON — How hot are the Yankees?
Boone Logan struck out Adrian Gonzalez, the best hitter in the American League, with the bases loaded and the Yankees trailing by two runs in the fifth inning last night.
After that colossal upset, the Yankees waltzed out of Fenway Park with a pulsating, 3-2, win over the Red Sox in front of a sold-out gathering of 38,006.
The victory accomplished three things. One, it moved them past their blood rivals into first place in the AL East by a game. Two, it was just the sec ond Yankees win over the Red Sox in 10 games this season. Three, it extended the Yankees’ season-high winning streak to eight.
“We are not looking at the scoreboard,” said Derek Jeter, who singled and scored in a three-run sixth inning that erased that 2-0 deficit against Jon Lester (11-5). “We just want to continue to play well.”
Nobody is playing better than the Yankees, who will send ace CC Sabathia to the mound today. A win would guarantee they will take two of three and leave Fenway Park in first place in the division.
Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher drove in runs in the three-run sixth and another run scored as Robinson Cano banged into a bases-loaded, no-out double play.
Manager Joe Girardi’s decision to replace starter Bartolo Colon with the bases full and bring in Logan was a risk he said he felt he had to take.
“You look at Gonzalez,” Girardi said of the left-handed hitter who is seemingly a lock for the AL MVP. “He has a lot of success and Bartolo was getting tired.”
Logan, the only left- hander Girardi has in the bullpen, jumped ahead of the AL’s leading hitter, 0-2 and executed a plan.
“I thought if I threw the next pitch, a slider in the dirt, he will swing over it and he did,” Logan said.
Girardi left Logan (3-2) in the game to face Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Carl Crawford in the sixth. Logan retired the first two, and after Crawford doubled, Cory Wade came in to get Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a grounder to Mark Teixeira.
Logan getting out of the big jam was the start of a strong night for Yankees relievers, who didn’t allow a run in 4 1/3 innings.
Rafael Soriano, asked to get big outs for the first time in three outings since returning from the disabled list, worked a perfect seventh. Ditto David Robertson in the eighth. Mariano Rivera gave up a one-out infield single to Crawford in the ninth, but fanned Saltalamacchia and Josh Reddick looking to earn his 29th save.
“Right now we feel confident,” Swisher said. “It’s not cocky. It’s a confidence inside. To win the first game is huge. They are human and can be beat.”
The Yankees hadn’t led the AL East since July 6, when they were a half-game up. Of course, it’s early August and there are 51 games remaining. Nevertheless, as recently as July 27 they trailed the Red Sox by three games and were on the cusp of looking at the wild-card entrance as the lone way into the postseason.
So which was most important, improving to 2-8 against Boston or moving into first place?
“Winning the game more than anything,” Girardi said. “There is a long way to go.”