NEW YORK

Alex Rodriguez had a three-run double in a sevenrun first-inning outburst, and the New York Yankees broke out the bats and avoided their worst start in more than 25 years with a 14-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night.

Chase Headley and Stephen Drew had consecutive homers as a New York lineup that entered hitting .193 throttled Clay Buchholz (1-1) to avoid a three-game sweep and win for just the second time in six games.

Masahiro Tanaka survived one wild stretch to earn his first victory and with five solid innings somewhat put to rest concern about his right elbow.

Brian McCann hit his 200th career homer, Rodriguez walked with the bases loaded for a fourth RBI and Headley added a runscoring single for New York, which had 16 hits. Carlos Beltran, who entered 2 for 20, singled twice, and Brett Gardner had a two-run single.

Every Yankees starter had a hit and scored a run.

The Red Sox were hoping to match their best start since 2006 at 5-1. Instead, they fell flat heading into Monday’s home opener against Washington.

Tanaka (1-1) looked a whole lot more impressive than he did on opening day through three innings, mixing in more fastballs — topping out at 92 mph. He retired nine of his first 11 batters, allowing one hit and a walk.

But he lost control in a 38- pitch fourth, throwing two wild pitches and 17 balls as the Red Sox scored three times. Xander Bogaerts had a two-run double for one of Boston’s two hits in the inning.

Overall, Tanaka allowed four hits and four runs — three earned. He struck out four and walked three.

Manager Joe Girardi called this an important game for the Yankees — they last opened the season 1-5 in 1989 — before a stretch in which they play 25 of 35 on the road.

The Yankees hadn’t even had a hit in the first inning through five games, but on Sunday they had their highest scoring first inning against the Red Sox since putting up eight runs on Aug. 15, 1954.

Batting sixth, Rodriguez came up with the bases loaded and drilled a liner into the gap in left-center. Buchholz kicked at the cleats cleaner on the back of the mound after McCann scored from first.

Headley followed with two-run shot and, two pitches later, Drew connected for a 7-0 lead.

Hanley Ramirez hit his third homer, a solo shot off Tanaka in the fifth, and added a sacrifice fly.

The Yankees chased Buchholz with one out in the fourth after Mark Teixeira’s sacrifice fly made it 10-3.

Buchholz yielded 10 runs — nine earned — nine hits and two walks.

Saturday

Joe Kelly pitched one-hit ball for seven innings and the Red Sox ran over the Yankees, 8-4, Saturday, hours after winning their own New York City marathon.

Brock Holt, the only position player on either side who didn’t get into the Friday victory, had four hits and drove in three runs. Mark Teixeira and Hanley Ramirez were among several regulars out of the lineups after playing all 19 innings.

Kelly (1-0) came off the 15- day disabled list and saved Boston’s bullpen. He retired his final 17 batters, starting with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Didi Gregorius in the second and leaving with an 8-1 lead.

Friday night

In one of the classic games of their long and illustrious rivalry, the Red Sox finally outlasted the Yankees, 6-5 in 19 innings early Saturday when a gameending double play was turned at 2:13 a.m.

In the first meeting of the year between the teams, Boston at last went ahead for good on a sacrifice fly by Mookie Betts. Xander Bogaerts scored the decisive run after reaching on his fourth hit in extra innings.

Chase Headley and Mark Teixeira hit tying home runs for the Yankees in an earlyseason epic interrupted by a power outage for 16 minutes in the 12th. That’s why the official time of game was 6 hours, 49 minutes — even though it took more than seven hours to complete.

Up next

Red Sox: Rick Porcello (0- 1), acquired from Detroit in December and signed to a four-year, 82.5 million contract last week, will start against Jordan Zimmermann (1-0) and the Washington Nationals today in the opener at Fenway Park. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.