The Yankees’ Nick Green, left, prepares to tag out the PawSox’ Sean Danielson on a stolen-base attempt last night.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

PAWTUCKET — Pawtucket and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre were evenly matched this season as they fought for a division title, but if last night is any indication, the Yankees are in much better shape than the Red Sox for the playoffs.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre easily dispatched the PawSox, 7-1, at McCoy in the opener of the best-of-five series between the teams.

That probably should not be considered a surprise. The Yankees have to be favored. They have almost the entire team that outlasted the PawSox by three games to take Scranton’s third straight North Division title.

It showed last night. The Yankees received solid pitching from starter Chase Wright and four relievers and pounded 13 hits, including 3 home runs, as they won easily. In the process, they beat Charlie Zink, the International League’s most valuable pitcher this season.

“We didn’t play very well,” said Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson.

There were bad omens for Pawtucket from the start. On the first pitch of the game, Zink hit Justin Christian with a pitch, although Christian did not work too hard to avoid the knuckleball. In the bottom of the first, Jason Lane, batting third for Pawtucket, was ejected for arguing a called third strike.

As it is, Pawtucket is playing the series without several key parts of the squad that helped produce a franchis- record 85 victories. Player of the year Jeff Bailey is in Boston, as is closer Chris Smith and starter David Pauley, who won 14 games. Also, the Red Sox have opted to keep Clay Buchholz in Portland, which also has made the playoffs in the Eastern League.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was not hurt by call-ups. Melky Cabrera, Shelley Duncan, Ben Broussard and Justin Christian, all of whom have spent a good part of the season in the majors, were in the lineup at McCoy last night. Christian had one of the game’s key hits, a two-run homer that capped a three-run third. He reached base four times. Catcher Chris Stewart also had a big night with a solo home run, a double and a single.

Pawtucket had its chances, but left 13 men on base. Wright, a lefty, started for the Yankees and went 4 2/3. Red Sox fans might remember him. He was called up by the New York Yankees early last season and made a memorable start against the Red Sox. It was memorable for the Red Sox, not Wright. Wright tied a major-league record when he allowed four Boston home runs in one inning.

Wright had some control problems last night, walking five, but pitched well enough to keep his team ahead.

Scranton stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings. Twice it had a runner on third with one out, but Zink pitched his way out of it.

In the fourth, Eric Duncan singled with one out. He stole second and scored on a double to the gap in left-center by Stewart. Two batters later, Christian lined a homer to left to make it 3-0. Scranton scored three more in the sixth and Broussard homered in the seventh.

pkenyon@projo.com