Party of Five

Just over a week after hitting a game-tying home run against Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning at Fenway Park, Jason Bay connects against Yankees once again, this time in the first against Joba Chamberlain last night at Yankee Stadium.  Boston beat the Bombers 7-3 for their fifth consecutive victory against New York this season. (Photo courtesy of New York Daily News)

Last night's Yankees-Red Sox game proved once again where the balance of power in the American League East rests, and New York hasn't wrested it away yet.

After Joba Chamberlain settled down to record a career-high 12 strikeouts through 5 2/3 innings, the four runs he gave up in the first inning proved to be too much for the Bronx Bombers to overcome last night, falling to the Red Sox once again at the Stadium by the score of 7-3.  Boston is now 5-0 against the Yankees this season, which is just a month in the books.

"It's frustrating," said Yankee manager Joe Girardi, who was the object of the fans' affection (or lack thereof) last night when the crowd chanted "We want Torre!" during the ninth inning.  "It's not the way you want to start the season, but it's where we are and we have to do something about it."  The Yankees are a .500 team at 13-13.

Johnny Damon's three-run homer in the third inning accounted for all of the Yankee offense against Josh Beckett, but the Yankee bullpen could not keep it close after Chamberlain departed in the sixth with the Bombers trailing 4-3.

The Yankees continue their homestand tonight against Tampa Bay with A.J. Burnett opposing Andy Sonnanstine on the mound, while Boston returns home to Fenway Park to start a series against the Cleveland Indians.