NEW YORK — They are professionals. They know better than to gloat.

That’s something for the loyal fans to do, and Boston’s fans have had plenty to crow about at the New York Yankees’ expense, including last night’s 11-4 dismantling of the Red Sox’ chief American League East tormentors.

Boston now is 4-0 against New York this season.

The players, though, will just go about their business, getting ready for today’s game, knowing it’s a long season.

But last night was pretty close to a perfect night for the Sox. Julio Lugo broke out of his slump with three hits, falling a triple shy of a cycle, and two RBI. Kevin Youkilis homered and knocked in three runs. David Ortiz contributed a pair of hits and two RBI and Coco Crisp returned to the lineup, chipping in with two hits, an RBI and a stolen base.

The bullpen duo of Mike Timlin and Hideki Okajima threw blanks and a late rally at the expense of suddenly mortal-looking Mariano Rivera enabled manager Terry Francona to hold back fireballing closer Jonathan Papelbon.

If there was one nit to be picked, it concerned an uneven performance by $103-million Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka, or, more precisely, one out-of-nowhere, totally out-of-whack inning that handed the Yanks four runs on three walks and three hits in a 41-pitch struggle in the fourth inning.

The right-hander, who improved to 3-2, was very good over the first three innings, and spotless in the fifth and sixth. But, as happened in Toronto two starts ago, his command went haywire in the fourth inning.

“If I get into all the things that happened in the fourth inning, it would be a long story. It would sound like a lot of excuses. To keep a long story short, there are a few things technically I need to work on,” said Matsuzaka through interpreter Masa Hoshino.

Catcher Jason Varitek said the problem was simple.

“He just wasn’t executing his pitches,” said Varitek. “It wasn’t any one pitch. We walked too many there.”

From the bench, Francona and pitching coach John Farrell were getting a little nervous as the pitch count kept climbing in the inning, which was prolonged by two-out singles by Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter, as New York went ahead, 4-2.

“We still thought he could get people out,” said Francona of his decision to watch Dice-K struggle and let him find his way out of it.

“That was a lot of work for one inning. But we didn’t feel he was losing his composure. He’d done it before (in Toronto on April 17). I don’t think it’s just (trouble pitching out of the stretch). He starts to rush a little bit, trying to keep away from the long ball and not trusting his stuff enough. The good news is he’s capable of gathering himself and he came back and gave us two more good innings,” said Francona.

Matsuzaka admitted he has to trust his stuff a bit more as he makes the adjustment from Japanese baseball to facing big-league hitters.

“Overall I think I have been too cautious,” he said. “The sort of pitching you saw today may be what you see a few more starts as I learn opposing lineups. It’s a natural phase, but I have to get over it.”

But at least, despite a 6.92 earned-run average in two starts against the Yankees, he also happens to be 2-0 against the rivals, having beaten them twice in six days.

“I don’t get any personal satisfaction beating the Yankees, but as team we have those wins,” said Matsuzaka.

While the Red Sox are riding high, the Yankees – the last-place Yankees – have been looking like a sad-sack also-ran that will be lucky to get a sniff of .500, let alone contend for another division title.

Over the last week, the euphoria of a ninth-inning rally, punctuated by Alex Rodriguez’s three-run homer in a walk-off win over the Indians on April19, has melted in an avalanche of losses, the stretch reaching seven with last night’s setback.

Not that any Red Sox fan is going to feel any sympathy, but for the record, New York now has used at least five pitchers in eight straight games, the longest such stretch in 50 years. They have had numerous injuries, especially to the starting corps. Their starters are averaging less than five innings per start.

The Yankees also are the only team without a save this season. And their ace closer, Mariano Rivera has looked so vulnerable in blowing two saves this year, there have to be concerns about whether he has just plain lost it at 37, a notion he did nothing to refute in a miserable get-him-some-work embarrassing one-third of an inning in the ninth last night.

The last time he was pulled in the middle of an inning was on April 6, 2005 — also against the Red Sox.

“We better start winning soon or there’s going to be panic around here,” said ex-Soxer-turned-Yankee Johnny Damon the other day.

The eruption from Mount Steinbrenner can’t be far off.

But that’s New York’s problem. Boston, meanwhile, is on a roll. The Red Sox have won 11 of their last 14 games in bolting out to a four-game lead over the second-place Toronto Blue Jays, the only team to have beaten Boston during this hot stretch.

They’ll try to keep it rolling today, against rookie Jeff Karstens.

skrasner@projo.com