BOSTON -- The hugs were back for the Red Sox last night, especially for David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

For Sox fans, that is welcome news.

For the first time in more than two months, the two guys at the heart of the Boston order were doing what they have done so often in the past. That is, they were ripping the ball all over the park and helping the Sox to a victory, this one 9-2 over the Yankees.

Between them Ortiz and Ramirez combined for five hits, four runs scored and five RBI.

``David looked like he felt good at the plate and that's a good feeling for us,'' said Boston manager Terry Francona. ``(Manny) swung the bat great. That's what we need. That shouldn't be a surprise. That part of it, that's why we wanted him out there.''

The on-field performance was a big change after so many health issues and continuing episodes of Manny being Manny. The off-field hijinks did not stop. Ramirez was in the middle of it again. Before the game he told ESPNdeportes.com that he would not mind being traded. If the Red Sox can work out a deal, he said, he would agree to waive his 10-5 rights that allow him to approve any trade.

Neither Ortiz nor Ramirez wanted to talk after the game. Ramirez dressed quickly and was the first player gone after the game. Ortiz declined a request to talk in the clubhouse.

On the field, both did a lot of talking with their bats.

Ortiz had a single and Ramirez an RBI double during a three-run first inning. Ramirez doubled and scored in the third. Ortiz clouted a towering two-run homer into the grandstand in right in the fourth, boosting the Sox lead to 7-0. Ramirez added an RBI-single in the sixth.

``When those two are right in the middle swinging it -- and it helps when there are runners on base -- that's part of what has been successful for us,'' Francona said.

After seeing Ortiz miss 46 games with a partially torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, and Ramirez have assorted issues of his own, it was a very encouraging development for the Sox. The home run for Ortiz was his first since May 31, his first at Fenway since May 18. The two RBI for Ramirez gave him 1,669 for his career, moving him past Sammy Sosa into 23rd place on the all-time list.

``The big thing for us,'' said Jacoby Ellsbury, who had three hits of his own from the nine hole in the lineup, ``is to get everybody healthy.''

For Ramirez, though, that is only one part of it. He has become an issue the other players have to deal with. Since Ramirez does not like to discuss it, the other players find themselves asked about it more and more frequently, and it is obvious they do not enjoy it.

``That's out of our hands, so to speak,'' said captain Jason Varitek when asked about the reports that Ramirez is willing to be traded. ``We've got to focus on playing good baseball. When all is said and done, whether he's here or not here, we still have to continue to be better here (in the clubhouse) and on the field.''

``I don't know if you call it Manny being Manny or whatever, we're not paying much attention to it,'' Ellsbury said. ``Manny is a tremendous player. He does a great job. We're better with him in the lineup.''

``I don't want to play speculation,'' Varitek responded when asked about a possible Ramirez trade. ``We have Manny here and we're going to play with Manny here.''