Beckett, Red Sox hold off Yankees 10-8 to knock New York out of first place in AL East

Red Sox hold off Yanks 10-8, knock NY out of first

NEW YORK — Andy Pettitte was chased early, ineffective in his second start since being activated from the disabled list, and the Boston Red Sox held off New York 10-8 Friday night to knock the Yankees out of first place in the AL East.

Jed Lowrie hit a three-run homer off Pettitte and went 4 for 4, setting a career high for hits. Bill Hall added a three-run shot against Jonathan Albaladejo, handing Red Sox starter Josh Beckett a 10-1 cushion in the fifth.

Alex Rodriguez rallied the Yankees with a pair of home runs, giving him 610 to pass Sammy Sosa for sixth place on the career list. Mark Teixeira also connected twice as New York went deep a season-high six times, yet fell a half-game behind Tampa Bay with its third straight defeat. The Rays beat Seattle 5-3.