"So good for the first five innings, Jon Lester turned into not good enough during the sixth last night.

The Yankees lineup, being as good as it is, did not waste the opportunity.

Down 2-0, New York scored three times in the sixth inning and took the series opener from the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 3-2. Seven batters came up in the frame against Lester, who was done after the inning having thrown 108 pitches total.

"I lost command," said Lester, who fell to 11-5 with a 3.23 ERA. "They did a good job of staying patient that inning. There were some pretty good pitches that they laid off, whether it was a ball or a strike, they stayed within themselves. It seemed like in the first five innings we dictated both sides of the plate. In the sixth inning, they did."

Lester threw two straight strikes to No. 9 hitter Eduardo Nunez before walking him. He then allowed the next three batters — Derek Jeter (single), Curtis Granderson (RBI single) and Mark Teixeira (walk) — to reach base."