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BOSTON (AP) -- Jon Lester pitched eight dominant innings, and the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox dealt the New York Yankees' wild-card hopes another blow with a 5-1 win on Saturday.
Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes and Shane Victorino each had two hits as the surging Red Sox won for the 16th time in 19 games and beating the Yankees for the fifth time in six meetings in just over a week.
The Yankees lost their second straight after a three-game winning streak and fell 2 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for the AL's second wild-card spot. The Rays play at Minnesota on Saturday night.
Boston entered the day with an 8 1/2-game lead over second-place Tampa Bay.
The Red Sox (91-59) improved to a season-high 32 games over .500, their best mark since the final day of their World Series championship season in 2004.
Cox Media Group
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