Yankees Defeat Red Sox in Ninth

Derek Jeter’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning gave the New York Yankees a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox Friday night at Fenway Park. The win moved them 3 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox in the American League East.

Enrique Wilson led off the inning with a single, stole second and took third on a groundout before Jeter looped a fly ball to center field off closer Byung-Hyun Kim (3-3).

Mariano Rivera (5-0) gave up a one-out double to Nomar Garciaparra in the bottom of the ninth and walked Manny Ramirez, but he struck out Kevin Millar and got Jeremy Giambi to line out to second base to seal the win.

Rivera, in relief of Armando Benitez, blew the save when he gave up Jason Varitek’s bloop single that tied the score at 3-3 in the eighth.

The Yankees took a 3-2 lead on Bernie Williams’ RBI single in the seventh inning.

Williams’ single, which drove in Wilson, came on Boston starter Pedro Martinez’s 128th and last pitch -- the most he has thrown this season. It was his most since May 1, 2001, when he threw 136 in eight innings against Seattle.

Martinez’s career-high pitch count is 142 on Sept. 8, 1998, against the Yankees.

Martinez gave up seven hits and struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings. Kim also lost on July 7 at Yankee Stadium, the last time Martinez faced the Yankees.

Yankee starter David Wells was removed in the sixth after walking three consecutive batters with two out.

Jesse Orosco, the 46-year-old left-hander acquired from the San Diego Padres earlier this week, ended the inning by striking out Johnny Damon in his Yankee debut.

Wells gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings, struck out three and walked five. It was only the third time this season he has walked as many as four in a game.