NEW YORK -- Just when it seemed that the Red Sox were about to blow another huge lead and lose a game to the Yankees they had no business losing, they snapped to life -- with some help from the home team.
Curtis Granderson misplayed a fly ball from Pedro Ciriaco into a run-scoring triple and Dustin Pedroia added a sacrifice fly as the Sox rallied and beat the New York Yankees, 8-6.
The Sox built a 6-1 lead through 4 12 innings with four RBI from Adrian Gonzalez (three-run homer and RBI double) and Will Middlebrooks adding a two-run double.
But the Yankees chipped away with a three-run fourth against Jon Lester and Mark Teixeira got the best of nemesis Vicente Padilla with a game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth.
Lester, who had the worst start of his major league career in his previous outing, showed improvement, though he allowed four runs in four hits in six innings. But Padilla's misstep cost him his first win in more than a month.
Padilla nonetheless got the win when the Sox rallied in the ninth and Alfredo Aceves picked up his 22nd save.
The Sox beat up CC Sabathia, who was done after six, having allowed six runs.
Boston Red Sox
The win was only the second for the Sox in their last eight games and was just the second this season against the Yankees in eight tries.