NEW YORK -- It's been a while since the Red Sox and Yankees have met in late summer with so little invested in a weekend series. The Red Sox don't have to play much to play for, and in the opener Friday night, that was relfected in their play.
The Sox bunched together one big inning, but were held scoreless in the other eight, and dropped a 6-4 decision to the Yanks.
New York belted five homers -- all of them with the bases empty -- to account for all but one of their runs. Four of those came off starter Franklin Morales, who has given up eight homers in two starts against the Yankees this season. In six other starts againstother teams, Morales has yielded just one homer.
Clayton Mortensen, in relief of Morales, allowed the fifth homer.
Nick Swisher homered twice, with Derek Jeter, Russel Martin and Curtis Granderson each adding one.
After a throwing error by New York starter Phil Hughes led to one run for the Sox, Dustin Pedroia hammered a three-run shot to left, putting the Sox ahead 4-3.
But the offense was shut down after that, managing just three more hits in the final six innings. The Sox were retired in order in five of the nine innings.
The defeat dropped the Sox to 3-8 against the Yankees this season and left them 13 12 games behind the Yanks in the American League East.