BOSTON -- Derek Jeter's go-ahead three-run homer on Sunday broke up a back-to-the-future pitchers' duel, lifting the Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox on a memorable night at Fenway Park.
Jeter's shot to the back row atop the left-field Green Monster came on a hanging eighth-inning splitter from Curt Schilling, who spent six frames entangled in a one-run fight with 45-year-old Yankees righty Roger Clemens in a rematch of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
Making his first start at Fenway Park since the 2003 American League Championship Series and the 200th Yawkey Way start of his career, Clemens pitched nothing short of the gem he became so well-known for within the stadium's confines.
Clemens rolled back the clock in limiting the Red Sox to one unearned run and two hits over six innings, his first start back after receiving a pair of cortisone injections in his pitching elbow and missing one turn.
Boston got its only run off Clemens in the first inning, when Johnny Damon misplayed a Jacoby Ellsbury fly ball for an error. After a one-out walk to David Ortiz, Mike Lowell came through with a run-scoring single. That would be Boston's last hit until Lowell again singled with one out in the sixth, as Clemens was completing his successful 87-pitch return to Fenway Park.
Instead of Clemens, the victory would go to reliever Joba Chamberlain, who surrendered an earned run after 17 2/3 innings of scoreless work. Chamberlain pitched a scoreless seventh after a leadoff double to Eric Hinske but gave up a solo home run on a high 98-mph fastball to Lowell with two outs in the eighth, cutting New York's lead to 4-2.
Damon's fifth-inning home run over the Green Monster was all the Yankees mustered against Schilling before Jeter gave New York the lead. Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth inning to help the Wild Card leaders take two out of three games in the weekend series, moving within 4 1/2 games in the AL East with 13 games to play.
