NEW YORK, May 27 (UPI) -- Andy Pettitte pitched 7 2/3 superb innings Tuesday night to win for the first time in nearly a month and Derek Jeter opened the bottom of the first inning with a home run as the New York Yankees snapped an eight-game home losing streak with an 11-3 triumph over the Boston Red Sox.
New York also snapped a five-game losing streak overall - its longest since dropping seven in a row at the end of the 2000 season. All the losing had led to some open questioning, particularly by Jeter, regarding the current team's ability to prosper.
Pettitte and Jeter, who were key members of New York's four most recent championship teams, combined to give the Yankees exactly what they needed - a quality start and an early lead.
Pettitte (5-5) snapped a career-high four-game losing streak and won for the first time since April 30 against Seattle. He allowed two runs and five hits, walked just one and struck out six. The veteran lefthander also improved to 11-4 lifetime against Boston.
Antonio Osuna got the final out in the eighth before closer Mariano Rivera, getting some work in, surrendered a run in the ninth.
Pettitte got some early breathing room as Jeter opened the bottom of the first by drilling a 1-2 pitch from Bruce Chen (0-1) just over the left field wall. Moved to the leadoff spot when the Yankees had to shuffle the lineup following the injury to cleanup hitter Bernie Williams, Jeter had just eight hits in his last 36 at-bats coming into the game.
Robin Ventura added a solo homer in the second and Todd Zeile came through with a key two-run shot in the fifth.
Chen allowed four runs and five hits in five innings.
Boston shortstop Nomar Garciaparra went 0-for-4 and had his hitting streak snapped at 26 games.
