By HOWARD ULMAN AP Sports Writer
BOSTON (AP) _ Brett Gardner drove in three runs, Nathan Eovaldi pitched well into the seventh inning and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Saturday for their 12th win in 15 games.
One day after tying Willie Mays for fourth place with 660 career homers, Alex Rodriguez singled in four at-bats.
The Yankees have bounced back after a 3-6 start and lead the AL East. The Red Sox are 5-9 in their last 14 games.
Gardner doubled home a run in the third and gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead with a two-run single in the fifth. Chris Young hit his sixth homer of the year, a solo shot in the ninth.
Eovaldi (2-0) allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings. He left after his only walk, to Blake Swihart. Chris Martin took over and Mookie Betts hit an RBI double that just missed clearing the 37-foot Green Monster for a tying home run.
Dellin Betances then relieved and struck out all four batters he faced for his first save.
Wade Miley (1-3) took the loss.
Swihart got a hit in his first major league game. He was called up from Triple-A after catcher Ryan Hanigan broke a finger.
Rodriguez hit a sharp single to left field in the eighth off Alexi Ogando after grounding out three times against Miley (1-3).
Both starters pitched well after their worst outings of the season last Sunday. Eovaldi gave up four runs in 4 1-3 innings in a 6-4 win over the New York Mets. Miley allowed six earned runs in 2 1-3 innings in an 18-7 loss to Baltimore.
On Saturday, Miley gave up a run in the third when Didi Gregorius singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on the double by Gardner, who was thrown out trying to reach third.
The Red Sox tied it in the fourth on Dustin Pedroia’s fifth homer of the year.
Chase Headley led off the Yankees fifth with a double and stayed at second when Gregorio Petit’s fly to center bounced in front of Betts. After a sacrifice by Gregorius and a groundout by Jacoby Ellsbury, Gardner singled.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: RHP Ivan Nova allowed an infield hit and struck out one in 1 1-3 innings at extended spring training in his first game since elbow ligament replacement surgery a year ago. “More than I was expecting,” Nova said. “Everything was good. I’m happy.” Nova, scheduled to throw two innings Thursday at extended spring, appears on target to be back in June.
Red Sox: Hanigan went on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right pinkie sustained in Friday night’s 3-2 loss. Swihart came up from Pawtucket and struck out in his first at-bat before singling in the fifth when he beat out a deep grounder to second baseman Petit.
UP NEXT
Yankees: Adam Warren (1-1, 4.35 ERA) pitches against Boston for the second time this season in Sunday night’s series finale. In his first outing, he allowed one earned run in 5 1-3 innings in an 8-4 loss in Boston on April 11.
Red Sox: Joe Kelly (1-0, 4.94) faced Warren in that game and gave up one run and one hit in seven innings. He has not gotten a decision in his last three starts and allowed five runs in each of his last two.
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