Yankees 7

Red Sox 4

BOSTON – Nothing comes easy for the Yankees. Even when they present Randy Johnson with an early six-run lead, sweat oozes out of every Pinstriped pore.

That was the case yesterday at Fenway Park, where Johnson required almost all of the cushion to squeeze out a 7-4 victory in front a sold-out crowd of 34,694.

Alex Rodriguez provided a two-run homer in a six-run third that eventually was enough for Johnson, who wasn’t sharp but good enough to win his third straight.

Johnson (10-6) went 61/3 innings, giving up four runs and eight hits. Two of them were homers to Mark Bellhorn and Manny Ramirez to bring Johnson’s total to 21 allowed this season. He fanned 10 for the second time this year and has reached double figures 206 times in his career. Only Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan has more, with 215.

John Flaherty, Johnson’s personal catcher, helped out his battery mate with a two-run double in the third. Bernie Williams also drove in a run.

Robinson Cano had three hits, and Jason Giambi went 2-for-3, walked twice and dropped a bunt single to third that foiled the Red Sox’ shift.

The Yankees’ ninth victory in 11 games moved them to within 1½ games of the AL East-leading Red Sox.

Mariano Rivera recorded the final three outs for his 22nd save.

Red Sox starter Matt Clement, an All-Star and 10-game winner, lasted only 22/3 innings. Clement (10-3) gave up six runs and five his and walked five.

The Yankees took advantage of first baseman David Ortiz’ leaky defense to score a run in the seventh and extend their advantage to 7-4. Alan Embree balked Rodriguez to second after Jeremi Gonzalez walked the cleanup hitter leading off. Hideki Matsui’s grounder to Ortiz went off his glove and into right field as A-Rod scored. When Giambi foiled the shift with a bunt single toward third, the Yankees had runners on first and second and no outs.

Embree fanned Bernie Williams on an 0-2 pitch, and catcher Jason Varitek turned it into a double play when he caught Matsui trying to steal third. Embree left Giambi at second by getting Tino Martinez on a grounder to the right side.

A 6-0 lead Johnson was handed in the third inning was reduced to 6-4 in the fifth when the Red Sox scored twice on Ramirez’ ground-rule double and Kevin Millar’s RBI single. Both hits were delivered with two outs.

The damage would have been more had Williams not gone into the triangle in center field to grab Ortiz’s 419-foot fly ball with Edgar Renteria on second and one out.

The six-run third was highlighted by two balls crushed by Gary Sheffield and Rodriguez after Clement retired the first two batters.

Sheffield responded to Clement throwing a 2-1 pitch behind him by ripping a double off the Green Monster. A-Rod then drove the next pitch into the seats above the wall for a 2-0 lead.

Consecutive walks to Matsui and Giambi were followed by Williams’ RBI single, a walk to Martinez, a run-scoring double by Flaherty, and Derek Jeter’s RBI single off reliever Gonzalez.

The Red Sox cut the Yankees’ lead to 6-1 in the third when Bellhorn, the No. 9 hitter, lofted a 1-1 pitch into the seats above the Green Monster for his seventh homer.

Ramirez’ leadoff homer to right-center that landed above the Red Sox bullpen cut the lead to 6-2.