Red Sox notes: Ciriaco continues mastery of Yankees

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NEW YORK -- It wasn't exactly a booming, 400-foot triple. In fact, it was more like a 300-foot misplayed fly ball.

But Pedro Ciriaco wasn't complaining. It came in the ninth inning and helped snap a 6-6 tie after the Red Sox had blown a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, and helped them gain an 8-6 comeback win over the New York Yankees.

Jacoby Ellsbury was on first with a walk with one out when Ciriaco came to the plate against Rafael Soriano.

"I had two strikes,'' recalled Ciriaco. "I was just trying to put the ball in play and make something happen. He gave me a good pitch to hit and I was a little bit lucky, too.''

The ball was a rather routine fly ball, but Yankee center fielder Curtis Granderson froze immediately, then had to backpedal quickly and finally, turned the wrong way.

The speedy Ciriaco took full advantage of the gaffe.

"I thought he was going to make (the catch),'' said Ciriaco. "But when I saw him running back, I thought I had a chance, so I ran as hard as I could.''

Ciriaco had three hits and scored three runs. Against the Yankees this season, Ciriaco is hitting .556 (10-for-18) and seven of the eight runs he scored this season have come against New York.

"I'm excited, happy to be here,'' said Ciriaco. "They're giving me the opportunity to play and I've got to take advantage of that.''

"He's had great at-bats,'' said Adrian Gonzalez. "He's a good baserunner who's stolen some bases at huge times in the game and he's a really good hitter. He's a big part of our success when we win.''

The news is not good for reliever Scott Atchison.

After missing the last few weeks with some forearm tightness, Atchison made a rehab start for Pawtucket Friday night, which didn't go well -- during or after.

"He didn't have great results,'' said Bobby Valentine of Atchison, who gave up three runs in the one inning he pitched. "And he didn't feel so good this morning when he woke up, so I don't think there's anything imminent with him on the major league roster.

"Physically (he didn't feel good). I bet he gets more tests, probably an MRI.''

Meanwhile, the news is better on Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has been on the DL with a trapezius strain since July 3. Matsuzaka is scheduled to start in a rehab appearance Monday in Pawtucket.

Andrew Bailey threw some live batting practice for 25 pitches and will begin his rehab program pitching for the team's Gulf Coast League affiliate in Fort Myers Monday.

"It's a process,'' said Valentine of Bailey's rehab. "We'd like to get him out there about eight times with a back-to-back and then go out for another inning. We're talking weeks. At least weeks.''

Bailey is seeing improvement in his sessions and is eager to get back.

"I'm excited about it,'' said Bailey. "It's been frustrating. You want to be out there with your teammates, grinding with them, and I've been kind of grinding in a different way. I'm looking forward to getting back here as soon as possible and getting to where we want to be.

"It's been a long time coming. You never want miss time, especially with a stupid thumb injury. But I'm looking forward to this rehab assignment and getting back here. The way I feel right now, I'm fine and I'll be back here before you know it.''

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