Ramirez, Betts Help Red Sox Beat Yankees 5-3

Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer, Mookie Betts had a pair of extra-base hits and David Ortiz also had two hits Saturday to help the Boston Red Sox beat the first-place New York Yankees 5-3.

The Red Sox won for the 10th time in 13 games. They remained in last place in the AL East, but they closed to 5 1/2 games out in the division. Boston was 10 games out June 20.

The Yankees had beaten the Red Sox five straight times, including a 5-1 win Friday. But a day after losing the series opener and top starter Clay Buchholz on the same night, the Red Sox got 6 1-3 solid innings from Eduardo Rodriguez (5-2).

The rookie left-hander allowed five hits and a walk while striking out two, leaving with a 3-2 lead in the seventh. It was just the third time in nine career starts that he has given up two runs or more.

Koji Uehara pitched the ninth for his 22nd save, ending it by getting Brian McCann on a 400-foot fly ball to center with a man on base.

Alex Rodriguez homered in the first inning for the second straight game, and ex-Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits, including a home run.

Rodriguez made it 1-0 with his 672nd career homer, hitting it over the Green Monster, where it was grabbed by a fan in a "Free (Tom) Brady" T-shirt. The Yankees designated hitter was booed by the crowd, but he found a fan in a Yankees jersey in the front row to hand his batting gloves to on the way to the dugout.

Boston tied it in the third, then Ortiz singled to lead off the fourth and Ramirez homered to make it 3-1. Ellsbury homered into the Boston bullpen to cut the lead to 3-2.

The Red Sox added two in the seventh, chasing Ivan Nova, when Betts hit an RBI triple and then scored on Xander Bogaerts' infield single.

Nova (1-3) allowed four runs on eight hits, striking out three in 6 2-3 innings.

UP NEXT

Yankees: Nathan Eovaldi (8-2) pitches for the Yankees in the series finale.

Red Sox: Wade Miley (8-7) will try to help Boston win its fifth straight series.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: The Yankees moved OF Mason Williams from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Rob Refsnyder on the 40-man roster.

Red Sox: Buchholz was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow a day after leaving his start in the fourth inning. To take his place, the club selected LHP Brian Johnson from Triple-A Pawtucket.