NEW YORK _ Once again, it was the Masahiro Tanaka of the previous three seasons when the right-hander was the unquestioned staff ace.
And it couldn't be happening at a better time for the Yankees.
Backed by a big three-run homer by Matt Holliday, Tanaka pitched another gem Saturday afternoon in a 5-1 victory over the Red Sox in front of a sellout crowd of 46,536 at Yankee Stadium.
The victory pulled the Yankees (72-63) back within 4{ games of the AL East-leading Red Sox (77-59). The rivals have one more game, Sunday night, in their season series that the Yankees lead 10-8.
Though Tanaka entered the day with pedestrian season numbers _ 10-10 with a 4.69 ERA _ focusing on those obscures how the 28-year-old has turned his year around.
Tanaka, who came in 5-3 with a 2.92 ERA in his previous 11 starts, didn't have his best sinker or slider but still shut down the Red Sox over seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He walked two and struck out three.
The Yankees, who had 10 hits after managing four the night before, led 1-0 before the Red Sox tied it in the top of the sixth on a wild pitch.
But Holliday, activated from the disabled list Friday and seeing his first action Saturday, blasted a three-run shot off left-hander Drew Pomeranz in the sixth inning to make it 4-1. Pomeranz allowed four runs and eight hits over 51/3 innings.
Chase Headley continued his consistent work with the bat, going 3 for 4, including a second-inning homer that made it 1-0. It was Headley's 10th homer.
The Red Sox collected just their second hit of the afternoon in the fifth when Rafael Devers led off with a single but he was thrown out by Gary Sanchez trying to steal on the first pitch thrown to Christian Vazquez. The Boston catcher grounded to second for the second out. Jackie Bradley Jr. singled but Tanaka struck out Lin with a curveball to end the inning.
Boston tied it in the sixth. Eduardo Nunez, who hit a key two-run homer in Friday night's victory, led off with a double of the wall in left. Benintendi's grounder moved Nunez to third, where he stayed. With Betts at the plate and the count 2-and-2, Tanaka threw a slider in the dirt that bounced off Sanchez's chest protector and away from the plate, the wild pitch allowing Nunez to score to tie it at 1.
The Yankees quickly retook the lead. Gregorius worked a leadoff walk and Headley made it a 3-for-3 afternoon with a liner to center, putting runners at the corners for Holliday.
Pomeranz delivered a dead-straight 92-mph first-pitch fastball that the 37-year-old hammered to left-center for his 17th homer of the season. It was Holliday's first home run since taking Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel deep in the ninth inning of a 4-1 victory July 15 at Fenway Park.
