Yankees rout Red Sox to avoid sweep

Bronx, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Alex Rodriguez knocked in four runs and scored once in the New York Yankees' 14-4 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night.

Chase Headley and Stephen Drew each homered during a seven-run first inning for the Yankees, who avoided a three-game sweep. Brian McCann added a solo homer in the eighth.

"I think overall it's good to see one through nine come out and get some good at-bats, get some hits," said Rodriguez. "I think this is a game that we needed."

Masahiro Tanaka (1-1) allowed four runs -- three earned -- on four hits over five innings. The right-hander struck out four and walked three.

Hanley Ramirez hit a solo homer and finished with two RBI for the Red Sox, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Xander Bogaerts drove in two runs.

Boston starter Clay Buchholz (1-1) gave up 10 runs -- nine earned -- on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings.

"I'm not going to let one start affect the way I feel about the year that we're going to have or how I feel," said Buchholz.

The Yankees, who came into the game hitting just .193, exploded for seven runs in the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury walked, moved to third on Brett Gardner's single and scored when Carlos Beltran grounded into a fielder's choice.

The bases were loaded after Mark Teixeira walked and McCann reached on Mike Napoli's fielding error. Rodriguez then hit a three-run double to left-center field. Headley and Drew followed with back-to-back homers.

Boston scored three runs in the fourth. David Ortiz walked, advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on Ramirez's sacrifice fly. Pablo Sandoval singled, Napoli walked and Shane Victorino reached on a fielder's choice. Drew's throwing error filled the bags for Bogaerts, who hit a two-run double to left. Tanaka prevented further damage by striking out Ryan Hanigan and Mookie Betts.

But New York got all three runs back in the bottom half. Didi Gregorius and Ellsbury scored on Gardner's single to center. Gardner moved to third on Beltran's infield single and crossed the plate on Teixeira's sacrifice fly. Craig Breslow took over for Buchholz and got the final two outs of the inning.

Boston got within 10-4 on Ramirez's solo homer in the fifth.

The Yankees tacked on three more runs in the sixth. With the bases loaded and no outs, Rodriguez walked to force in a run. Headley hit an RBI single to center and Drew followed with a sacrifice fly.

McCann's homer in the eighth accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

Boston went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight ... Headley went 3-for-5 with three RBI for the Yankees, who pounded out 16 hits.