BOSTON Ortiz homers off Benitez in BoSox win

Boston moved to 21/2 games out of first place.
BOSTON (AP) -- David Ortiz knows how to take orders.
Called on to pinch-hit with two outs in the ninth inning of a tie game Saturday, Ortiz carried out Boston manager Grady Little's instructions to the letter.
"I wasn't trying to do too much that at-bat. Grady told me to go and hit the Green Monster," Ortiz said.
He did just that, sending Armando Benitez's pitch off the left-center fence at Fenway Park for an RBI single that gave the Red Sox a 5-4 win over the New York Yankees.
"I knew [Benitez] has a good fastball and I guess I was just looking for a fastball," Ortiz said.
Worked on his swing
Ortiz, who didn't start because he is 0-for-20 lifetime against Yankees starter Mike Mussina, spent part of Saturday morning working on his swing with Red Sox hitting coach Ron Jackson.
"I have been getting under the ball lately and we were working on that and getting my timing right," Ortiz said. "He corrected me."
Home runs by Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez helped the Red Sox build a 4-0 lead against Mussina, who had won four straight decisions against Boston. But the bullpen blew it, nearly wasting an outstanding start by John Burkett.
The Yankees tied the game against closer Byung-Hyun Kim on Karim Garcia's pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth.
Benitez (0-1), acquired from the Mets on July 16, gave up a one-out single to Jeremy Giambi in the ninth.
Giambi stole second -- his first career steal -- as Jason Varitek struck out. After Johnny Damon was intentionally walked, Ortiz came through.
Closer to first
"They got me. What can you do?" Benitez said. "I made a good pitch to him."
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter thought Giambi was out at second, but Giambi said catcher Jorge Posada's throw was off line.
"Jeter had to pull the ball from the other side of the bag and that's why I was able to get in there," Giambi said. "I was able to slide around the tag."
When his teammates pulled it out in the ninth, Burkett gleefully ran onto the field in shorts, sandals and a cutoff T-shirt as the Red Sox mobbed Ortiz.
After losing the series opener 4-3 Friday night, Boston trimmed New York's lead in the AL East to 21/2 games.
Burkett is 0-6 in 10 career starts and 11 appearances against the Yankees. He came in with a 9.66 lifetime ERA against New York, but pitched much better this time.
"I would have been disappointed if we didn't win today," Burkett said. "Whether I get the win or not doesn't matter."
Kim (4-3) was the winner after taking a loss in the last two meetings between the teams.
Ruben Sierra's pinch-hit single in the seventh off Todd Jones cut Boston's lead to 4-2. But the Red Sox got out of the inning when Jones struck out Alfonso Soriano and Garciaparra threw out Enrique Wilson at the plate trying to score on Jeter's double off the left-field wall.
NEW YORKBOSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
ASrano 2b5020Damon cf1100
Jeter ss5020TWalkr 2b4010
JaGbi dh3000DJcksn 2b0000
BWllms cf4100DOrtiz ph1011
Matsui lf4000Grcprr ss4122
NJhnsn 1b3111MRmrz lf3111
Mndesi rf3110Millar 1b4120
KGarca rf1011Nixon rf3011
Vntura 3b2000Kapler rf1000
Posada c2110Mueller 3b4000
Flherty c2010JeGmbi dh4110
Sierra ph1012Varitek c4000
EWilsn 3b1000
Totals364104Totals33595
New York000000220--4
Boston300100001--5
Two outs when winning run scored.
E--Mueller (9), Sauerbeck (1). DP--Boston 1. LOB--New York 8, Boston 7. 2B--ASoriano (19), Jeter (16), NJohnson (11), Posada (15), Flaherty (5), TWalker (24), Garciaparra (30), Nixon (17). HR--Garciaparra (16), MRamirez (25). SB--Damon (20), JeGiambi (1). CS--Mondesi (7), Damon (3).
IPHRERBBSO
New York
Mussina7 2-374446
Orosco1-300001
Benitez L,0-1 2-321111
Boston
Burkett5 2-330033
Embree2-311100
TJones2-331101
Sauerbeck2-312000
BKim W,4-31 1-320001
PB--Posada. Umpires--Home, Marvin Hudson; First, Kevin Kelley; Second, Jerry Layne; Third, Dana DeMuth. T--3:19. A--34,356.