NEW YORK -- Grady Sizemore hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and the Boston Red Sox finally gave Jon Lester enough run support for his first win of the year, 4-2 over the New York Yankees on Friday night.
Jonny Gomes homered leading off the sixth against CC Sabathia (1-2), and the four-run inning was more than Boston had scored for Lester in his first two starts combined. Despite a 2.51 ERA coming in, Lester (1-2) was at risk of falling to 0-3 for the first time in his career.
The left-hander was lifted with two outs in the seventh after Kelly Johnson singled to pull the Yankees within two runs. Junichi Tazawa relieved with runners at the corners and retired Derek Jeter on a flyout.
Lester allowed Alfonso Soriano's homer starting the second and six hits overall. He improved to 12-5 in 27 starts against New York.
Edward Mujica was perfect in the ninth for his first save with Boston. Red Sox closer Koji Uehara was bothered by shoulder stiffness before the game and was held out as a precaution.
BLUE JAYS 2, ORIOLES 0
BALTIMORE -- Dustin McGowan allowed five hits over 6 1-3 innings to earn his first win since 2008, and Toronto used two unearned runs to beat Chris Tillman and Baltimore.
Making his second start since September 2011, the oft-injured McGowan (1-1) walked one, hit two batters and struck out two. He had faced the Orioles 13 times previously -- going 0-3 with a 6.99 ERA in 37 1-3 innings.
The right-hander spent time on the disabled list in each of the last six seasons. He had shoulder surgery in 2008 and 2010 and missed the entire 2012 season. In his debut this year, McGowan didn't make it out of the third inning in a loss to the New York Yankees.
Against Baltimore, however, he allowed only one runner past second base for his first win since June 22, 2008.
Brett Cecil got five straight outs and Sergio Santos worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save.
Tillman (1-1) allowed three hits over eight innings, lowering his ERA to 0.84. Two throwing errors by third baseman Jonathan Schoop provided the Blue Jays with a 2-0 lead in the fourth.