(SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Yankees should have Derek Jeter back in the lineup on Sunday when they wrap up a four-game series with the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
Jeter was given Saturday off by manager Joe Girardi, but New York barely missed him, as Brian McCann hit his first two homers in a Yankees uniform, and the Yankees rolled to a 7-4 win.
Kelly Johnson, Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Beltran also homered for the Yankees, who bounced back from Friday's 4-2 loss.
"I think that's what we're capable of. We have a deep lineup that gets on base," McCann said. "We're capable of big innings. So far, so good."
Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda (2-1) gave up four runs on six hits while striking out five over 6 1/3 innings.
A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-run homer for the Red Sox, who went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven. Mike Carp had two RBI.
David Ortiz also doubled in the loss and has now reached base safely in all 25 games that he has played against the Yankees since the beginning of the 2012 season.
John Lackey (2-1) got the start for Boston and allowed six runs on 10 hits -- including four homers -- while striking out six over 5 2/3 innings.
"The mistakes he made were up and unfortunately in this park, you pay for those mistakes, especially to right field," Pierzynski said of Lackey being done in by the long ball. "Other than his mistakes he threw the ball fine, it was just those mistakes were magnified because they were homers."
Now New York turns to righty Ivan Nova, who is coming off an awful showing his last time out. Nova was hammered by the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday to the tune of seven runs and 10 hits in just 3 2/3 innings, as he fell to 1-1, while his ERA ballooned to 8.68.
"It wasn't a good day, so we've got to figure out what's going on," Nova said. "I don't feel so good to be pitching the way I pitched today. No excuse today; I was throwing the ball up in the zone, and you get hit that way when you throw the ball up in the zone."
Nova is 2-3 in eight games (7 starts) against the Red Sox with a 5.50 ERA.
Boston, meanwhile, will counter with an equally ineffective hurler of its own in lefty Felix Doubront, who is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA. Doubront was rocked by the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, as he gave up five runs in just 2 2/3 innings.
"I don't know. I can't explain what happened," said Doubront. "I was feeling really good during the first two innings and the whole day, and in my bullpen and the start of the game. I started doing too much. I think that's what happened. I was trying to do too much and overthrow."
Doubront has faced the Yankees 12 times (8 starts) and is 3-2 with a 4.17 ERA.
Boston was 13-6 versus the Yankees last season.
[SportsNetwork.com]
