"The middle of the Red Sox batting order again lacked any firepower in yesterday's 9-4 loss to the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

And the team's free fall will be tough to stop unless its Nos. 3-4-5 hitters do better.

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez, third baseman Kevin Youkilis and designated hitter David Ortiz went a combined 1-for-13 with a single, two walks and three strikeouts against the Yanks. Each expressed confidence that the team will recover from its 1-7 start.

"Dire, I don't think it's dire .?.?. so we have a chance with a 150-something games to make up ground," said Youkilis, who's hitting .125. "These two teams have good offenses, and they are going to put together long games and good at-bats, but with this series you never know what is going to happen.

"If we play good baseball good things will happen. David hit the ball hard but got out. I didn't really pay attention to what every single person was doing."

Youkilis had an opportunity in the first inning to rattle Yankees starter Ivan Nova. But after Dustin Pedroia and Gonzalez drew back-to-back one-out walks, he went down swinging at a pitch out of the strike zone. Ortiz then flied out to left.

As a team, the Sox stranded 10 runners.

"I've got nine walks and I'm hitting the ball. I got a hit today, and there is still a long way to go," Youkilis said. "If today were the end of the season I would be (expletive), but I've got a long way to go and a lot of at-bats."

Pedroia mashed a two-RBI double in the fourth, but Gonzalez flew out to center with the tying run at second base."