BOSTON – Jason Giambi had to look twice at third-base coach Luis Sojo to make sure he was believing what he was seeing:

A bunt sign!

But with the Red Sox’ infield shifted to the right in anticipation of Giambi pulling the ball, and with Hideki Matsui on first base with one out in the seventh and the Yankees leading, 7-4, Yankee manager Joe Torre put the bunt on.

“We talked about it earlier,” Torre said of the rare strategy.

Amazingly, it worked. Giambi laid down a perfect bunt down the third-base line and was safe at first on a single. Later, he was stranded at second base when Matsui was gunned down at third in a strikeout double play with Bernie Williams at the plate.

Giambi went 2-for-3 with a booming double in the fifth and walked twice – but the bunt was the most memorable part of his day.

“[Red Sox pitcher Alan] Embree gives him some problems,” Torre said. “He kept looking down at the sign. I don’t think he has ever seen a bunt sign or had to look for a bunt sign. I am just glad he got it. Even though it didn’t give us any more runs it put a little more pressure on them. It’s just another little thing he can do on the over-shift.”

Giambi has 16 hits in the last 37 at-bats (.432) and has raised his average to a season-high .283.