BOSTON, May 19 (UPI) -- Raul Mondesi's three-run triple highlighted a five-run first against Casey Fossum as the New York Yankees snapped a season-high three-game losing streak Monday night with a 7-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
In the first of 19 meetings between the archrivals who were tied for first place, the Yankees got to Fossum (4-2) right away. They sent 10 men to the plate and collected five hits in the opening inning, when the lefthander threw 39 pitches.
Fossum gave up three hits before recording an out and fell behind, 2-0, when Jason Giambi drove in Alfonso Soriano and Derek Jeter with a single. Following a one-out single by Hideki Matsui and a walk to Jorge Posada, Raul Mondesi tripled off the "Green Monster" in left field for a five-run cushion.
Fossum allowed just one hit thereafter and lasted six innings. He gave up a single to Posada with one out in the third but retired 11 of the final 12 hitters.
While Fossum got sharper, David Wells (6-1) battled through 6 2/3 innings. En route to his 18th win in 21 decisions, the burly lefthander yielded one run and nine hits - seven with two outs.
Pitching one day before his 40th birthday, Wells gave up a hit in every inning but the third. That was one of two innings in which the Red Sox did not strand a runner, leaving two apiece in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
