Prior to the final game of a four game series between the Yankees and Red Sox, both teams had won 460 games against one another all-time. The Yankees broke the deadlock and took their third game in the four game set with a 7-3 victory Sunday night.

They got started early once again, scoring in the first inning as they did in every game of the series. Consecutive singles by Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson against Sox starter Jon Lester set the table for Mark Teixeira who drove Jeter home with an RBI single.

A walk to Robinson Cano loaded the bases with one out, as Nick Swisher stepped to the plate and hit a ground ball to third that should have allowed the Red Sox to get out of the inning, but third baseman Mauro Gomez, after stepping on third base, threw a ball to first into the dirt and Swisher was safe, allowing Granderson to score and add a second Yankee run.

Boston pulled one back in the second inning as a Cody Ross pop up was dropped by Jeter, the Yankees sixth error in their last ten innings of play, scoring Pedro Ciriaco.

Jayson Nix led off the second inning with a double, advanced to third on a passed ball, and was driven in on a Chris Stewart sacrifice fly, putting the Yankees back up by two runs.

In the bottom of the third, David Ortiz continued his torrid weekend with an RBI double off of the Green Monster in left field, knocking in Ciriaco to cut the Yankee lead to 3-2. The Red Sox loaded the bases later in the inning, but Ivan “N to the Izz-O, V to the Izz-A” Nova retired two straight Sox to get out of the jam.

Following a leadoff single by Mark Teixeira in the top of the fifth, Alex Rodriguez sent a booming triple into the famed Triangle in center field, driving in Tex.  Andruw Jones tacked on another with a single through the left side, bringing Rodriguez home and extending the Yankee lead to 5-2.

Nova, who looked shaky early in the game, settled down nicely for the Yankees. He allowed two hits after the third inning, throwing six solid innings and only allowing two runs (one earned), while striking out ten Red Sox batters. The Yankee bats would continue to pad the lead.

After a Swisher double, Andruw Jones hit a bomb over the Green Monster, a two run shot and Jones’ fourth in the last two days, making it a 7-2 Yankee lead.

Boston made a charge in the bottom of the eighth, with a Mike Aviles RBI double cutting the Yankee lead to four. The Red Sox had men on second and third, threatening to make a bigger dent in the lead, but David Robertson got Daniel Nava to fly out to end the inning. Despite walking two batters, Rafael Soriano closed the door in the ninth.

Player of the Game: Ivan Nova (6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 10 K)

After a double header yesterday, one where the bullpen was stretched in the second game, Ivan Nova was just what the doctor ordered. He delivered a quality start and was one of the few effective pitchers for either team in this series.

“Good Job, Good Effort” Player of the Game: Jon Lester (4.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER)

To say that Jon Lester didn’t have it tonight would be an insult to other pitchers who haven’t had it on a given night. Lester had one 1-2-3 inning, and only two innings in which he didn’t allow two or more base runners. The Yankees made one of Boston’s aces look simply pedestrian. Good job, good effort, Jon Lester.

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