Ortiz helps Red Sox defeat the Yankees

The Red Sox managed to keep Alex Rodriguez from hitting another home run. The Yankees can’t say the same about David Ortiz.

Ortiz had a two-run homer and four runs batted in, and Josh Beckett settled down to help Boston beat New York, 7-5, Saturday for its second consecutive victory over the Yankees. It was Ortiz’s fourth homer in seven games.

“Any time he comes up, you’re playing with fire,” Yankees starter Jeff Karstens said.

Rodriguez was two for four with a double and a run-scoring single to extend his hitting streak to 21 games dating to last season. But a day after he hit two home runs to match the fastest start in baseball history -- 12 homers in the first 15 games -- his home run streak ended at four straight games.

Rodriguez was on deck when Jonathan Papelbon retired Bobby Abreu to end the game. Papelbon got three out for his fifth save in as many tries.

“To not have it get to Alex ... it was starting to get to decision time,” said Boston Manager Terry Francona, whose team has won four straight and seven of eight. “The fewer decisions you have to make, the better.”

Beckett (4-0) gave up a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, but retired 15 of 17 batters before allowing three consecutive hitters to reach base with two out in the seventh, cutting Boston’s lead to 7-5. Hideki Okajima struck out Jason Giambi to end the threat.

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Texas designated left-hander Bruce Chen for assignment and purchased right-hander Willie Eyre’s contract from triple-A Oklahoma.