Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees have quite a hike if they hope to get back in the AL East race, and they took an important step in the right direction last night.

Rodriguez homered for the third straight game and Chien-Ming Wang stymied Boston, sending the Yankees to a 6–2 victory that moved them within 9 1/2 games of the division-leading Red Sox, who still own the best record in the major leagues at 30–14.

Jason Giambi snapped a 1-for-26 slide with an upper-deck homer and leadoff batter Johnny Damon got the Yankees started all game against his former team. New York improved to 2–5 this year against its biggest rival, with both wins coming against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.

Building on a crisp victory the night before over the Mets that allowed them to avoid a Subway Series sweep, the patient Yankees drew eight walks and ran on Wakefield all night. New York had five two-out RBIs, and the Red Sox went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Robinson Cano hit a two-run triple and Damon finished with three singles, a walk and two stolen bases.

“More so the importance of the series is us – we need to put something together,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said before the game. “I don’t think we can make an impact as far as where we are in the standings here. We can make ourselves feel better.”

Wang (3–3) yielded two runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings to win his second consecutive start. He left to a huge ovation from the spirited crowd of 55,078 and tipped his cap as he neared the dugout.

Scott Proctor escaped a basesloaded jam in the eighth and Kyle Farnsworth finished up.

Wakefield (4–5) walked five in five innings and served up both New York homers. Once a befuddling matchup for the Yankees, the right-hander fell to 1-7 with a 6.00 ERA in his past nine starts against them beginning May 27, 2005.

He walked six in 5 1-3 innings during his other start against New York this season, a 3–1 loss on April 28 at Yankee Stadium.

With Kevin Youkilis at bat in the fifth, plate umpire Ed Rapuano went to the mound — perhaps to inspect the ball or Wang’s glove for something illegal. Torre didn’t appear pleased with the explanation he received from Rapuano.

Youkilis doubled to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games and scored when David Ortiz followed with a double, knocking the ball out of shortstop Derek Jeter’s glove on a headfirst slide. But Wang avoided further damage by retiring personal nemesis Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew.

Bobby Abreu got a two-out rally started in the bottom half with a single and a stolen base. Giambi walked and hustled home from first on his aching left foot when Cano tripled to left-center, making it 6–1.

Rodriguez hit his major leagueleading 18th homer with Damon aboard in the first, a long drive to left into Boston’s bullpen adjacent to Monument Park.