NEW YORK — In a 7-0 victory, the seventh run of the game might seem meaningless.

Not for Jason Varitek and the Red Sox. Not last night.

Boston held a six-run lead when the Boston catcher snapped an 0-for-19 skid with an RBI single in the eighth inning.

"There were 25 guys, me, the coaches, the trainers jumping around," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "The players were pulling for him. He means so much to what we do. It was actually a pretty good at-bat. He fouled some pitches off, and I know what the score was, but I hope it does [continue]."

It wasn't just the fact that the captain snapped his slump, it was his first two at-bats of the game that proved crucial.

"I felt fine," he said. "I did some little things. I ended up with a walk, moved a runner over, so it was good."

Hitting in the No. 8 spot in the order, Varitek drew a walk in his first plate appearance in the second inning. In the fourth inning, Coco Crisp collected his second hit of the game and then swiped second base. Varitek fought off a couple of pitches before hitting a chopper down the first-base line to move the runner to third.

Varitek popped out in the sixth before connecting for an RBI single in the eighth to put the game well out of the reach of the Yankees.

"I felt good just to get the runner over and then [Julio] Lugo gets him in," said Varitek. "It's just the little things. Whether I got a hit there or not (in the eighth), I had a good at-bat, so that’s a good start."