Martinez, Red Sox win easily over Yankees

The win cuts the New York lead to 21/2 games.
NEW YORK (AP) -- This one was a laugher for Pedro Martinez and the Boston Red Sox.
Johnny Damon tripled with the bases loaded Friday and the Red Sox roughed up Andy Pettitte in a 9-3 victory over the Yankees that cut New York's AL East lead to 21/2 games.
Martinez (11-4) struck out nine in six easy innings, cruising to his first win in four starts against the Yankees this season. Boston had not been so close to first place since Aug. 7 -- the Red Sox trailed New York by 71/2 games on Aug. 20.
"I don't think anybody's scared of anybody -- but they know we're here," catcher Jason Varitek said. "They've known we're here all year."
With an 8-0 lead by the third, Martinez even enjoyed a chuckle on the mound at the expense of absent-minded teammate Manny Ramirez.
Manny's mistake
The left fielder, never known for his defense, made a terrific running catch at the wall in the fourth. Ramirez then threw the ball into the stands and began to jog in, thinking there were three outs.
Martinez flashed an impish smile and put up two fingers, for two outs, and covered his mouth with his glove. Ramirez and his teammates also laughed at his mistake.
"I've got a new brain for [him]," David Ortiz said.
"That was hilarious," Kevin Millar said. "We were all dying laughing. The guy took about 20 steps before he realized there were two outs. We had a lot of fun with it."
Ramirez was the center of attention all week after he missed last weekend's series against New York at Fenway Park with a sore throat and fever, yet managed to pull himself out of bed to reminisce with Yankees infielder Enrique Wilson about their Cleveland days.
On Sunday, Ramirez didn't show up for an appointment with the team doctor, and when he joined the team Monday he sat on the bench but said he was "too weak" to pinch-hit.
But he was back in the lineup at Yankee Stadium, hitting an RBI single in the first inning to put Boston on the board and begin the rout. Varitek drove in two runs, and No. 9 hitter Lou Merloni reached base four times in Boston's fourth straight win -- all on the road -- and 11th in 14 games overall.
Ramirez was hit by a pitch in the eighth and left the game.
New York's Roger Clemens makes his final regular-season start against his former team Saturday.