Sox bash Yanks, 11-3

NEW YORK --- Dustin Pedroia hit his first career grand slam to highlight a seven-run outburst in the eighth, Jason Bay drove in four runs, and Paul Byrd pitched six strong innings of five-hit ball Wednesday night as the Red Sox crushed the Yankees, 11-3, before a sullen Yankee Stadium crowd of 55,027.

``It was awesome,'' Pedroia said of his grand slam, which was his 15th homer of the season, 25th of his career and first ever at Yankee Stadium. ``Honestly, I didn't think I hit it out.''

He certainly could have fooled Terry Francona. ``I thought he put a big swing on that ball,'' said the Sox manager.

Pedroia went 3 for 5 with three runs scored and drove in four runs when he greeted reliever David Robertson in the eighth by taking him deep to left, depositing the ball into the netting protecting Monument Park. Bay added to the Sox' 13-hit onslaught by going 2-for-4 with one run scored and 4 RBI on a two-run double in the first, a run-scoring sacrifice fly to right in the fifth and run-scoring triple in the big seven-run eighth.

``He's been awesome,'' Pedroia said of Bay. ``He plays the game the right way. He plays hard. He plays good defense and he's always in the right spot at the right time and he's been huge for us.''

As was Byrd.

Acquired from Cleveland Aug. 12, Byrd earned his second career win with the Sox to improve his overall season record to 9-11, outdueling Yankees starter Sidney Ponson, who lasted 4.2 innings and allowed 7 hits, 4 runs (earned), while striking out three. Byrd was relieved in the seventh by Manny Delcarmen, who pitched a tidy 1-2-3 inning, with a pair of strikeouts punctuating his effort.

``I thought that he did well,'' Francona said of Byrd's performance. ``He was very aggressive early on, especially to their lefties Manny then came out and did what we are looking for him to do. It was a good performance.''

SOX NOTABLES

*The Sox won their third consecutive game and improved to 6-2 on their current nine-game road trip, and have won 10 of their last 14 games on the road and are undefeated in their last six road series, going 5-0-1.

*Boston improved to 8-6 vs. the Yankees this season, going 5-3 at Yankee Stadium and 3-3 at Fenway Park, and winning the season series at Yankee Stadium for just the second time in the last eight seasons.

*Byrd recorded the most strikeouts since striking out five July 21 at LA Angels when he was with Cleveland. Also threw his second-most pitches this season (106/66 strikes) after throwing 107 July 28 vs. Detroit with Cleveland.

* Kevin Youkilis (1-for-4) has reached base safely in his last 36 games, keeping intact the Major's longest such streak and longest of his career.

*Mike Timlin's solo homer allowed to Jason Giambi in the ninth snapped a 14.1-inning scoreless streak for the Sox bullpen.

*The three runs Pedroia scored gave him 101 for the season, leaving him two shy of matching Bobby Doerr's 103 in 1950 for the most by a Sox second baseman.