04/15/2002

BOSTON / 2:14 p.m. -- Derek Lowe struck out a career-high nine, allowing just two hits in seven innings as the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 4-3 today.

By holding on in a tense ninth inning to win their annual Patriots Day game, the Red Sox took three of four from the four-time defending AL champions and finished their series leading the AL East by a half-game over New York.

Yankees starter Andy Pettitte (1-1) left after just three innings because of a tender left elbow, which has bothered him since the start of spring training.

Lowe (2-1), making just his 25th career start, allowed only singles by Jason Giambi in the fourth and Robin Ventura in the seventh. The bottom of New York's lineup -- Rondell White, Shane Spencer and Alfonso Soriano -- went 0-for-7 with seven strikeouts against Lowe.

Derek Jeter's two-run homer off Rich Garces in the eighth pulled the Yankees within a run. Ugueth Urbina pitched the ninth to complete the five-hitter and get his sixth save in seven chances, his third of the series.

Jorge Posada singled with one out in the ninth and Ventura doubled pinch-runner Gerald Williams to third. White then struck out for the fourth time and John Vander Wal, batting for Shane Spencer, watched catcher Jason Varitek make a nice stop on a 2-2 pitch in the dirt, then took a called third strike.

Shea Hillenbrand drove in two runs and extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Nomar Garciaparra hit an RBI double in the first, and New York's poor fielding allowed another run when Jeter bobbled Tony Clark's potential inning-ending, double-play grounder to shortstop, loading the bases. Pettitte followed with a four-pitch walk to Hillenbrand.

Posada hit an RBI grounder in the fourth, but Boston made it 4-1 in the fifth off Adrian Hernandez on Hillenbrand's RBI double and Varitek's run-scoring single.

Pettitte, limited to two major league spring training starts because of a sore left elbow, allowed two runs - one earned - and five hits. He threw 64 pitches, 39 for strikes.

He felt a twinge in the elbow March 3 during the second inning of his first spring training start, against Houston and didn't pitch against major league opposition again until March 25.

After opening the season with six scoreless innings against Tampa Bay on April 5, he lasted just 2 2-3 innings at Toronto last Wednesday, allowing four runs -- three earned -- and six hits.

Notes:The Yankees twice intentionally walked cleanup hitter Manny cleanup hitter Manny Ramirez with first base empty to pitch to Clark, who grounded to shortstop in the first and struck out in the fifth. ... Ramirez has 13 walks, three intentional, this season. ... New York went 3-5 on its trip. ... RHP John Burkett, who allowed three runs in 2 1-3 innings Sunday for Triple-A Pawtucket, will make another minor league start before returning to Boston's rotation, manager Grady Little said before Monday's game. Burkett, Boston's best pitcher in spring training, is recovering from a sore throwing shoulder. ... OF Michael Coleman was expected to report to Pawtucket on Monday for a rehabilitation assignment. Little said Coleman could return to the club for next weekend's series at Kansas City. ... The first major league game played in Boston on the same day as the Boston Marathon was April 19, 1902, when 35-year-old Cy Young led the Boston Pilgrims past the Baltimore Orioles 7-6. It was 10 years before Fenway Park opened. ... The game drew a sellout crowd of 33,864.