RED SOX 5, YANKEES 2 Red-hot Leon helps run streak to 6

NEW YORK — Sandy Leon homered and drove in four runs, Eduardo Rodriguez again dominated the Yankees in his return from Triple A and the Red Sox won 5-2 on Saturday to win their season-high sixth straight.

Leon hit his second homer this season and the third of his career, a three-run shot off CC Sabathia, for a 5-1 lead. He has 13 RBIs in 20 games this season after getting eight in 75 games for his career before that.

Leon added an RBI single in the fourth. His hot hitting has been timely for the Red Sox, who have had catchers Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan on the disabled list this season. Leon went into the AllStar break batting .455 (25for-55), the highest first-half average ever in the majors with a minimum of 50 at-bats.

Rodriguez (2-3) held the Yankees to a run on four hits over seven innings after the lefthander was recalled Friday. Rodriguez improved to 4-1 with a 2.01 ERA career against the Red Sox’s archrival.

Rodriguez opened the season on the disabled list with a knee injury, then posted an 8.59 ERA in six starts before being demot- ed to Triple A. He threw 97 pitches Saturday, working quickly against a veteran-heavy lineup.

“His seven innings today is potentially a major shot in the arm for our rotation,” manager John Farrell said. “It was just good to see, the struggles that he’s gone through, to pitch like he did today.”

Sabathia (5-7) allowed five runs, four earned, in 5 ⁄ innings, 1

3 giving up five or more runs for the fifth straight start.

Brett Gardner ended a stretch of 180 homerless at-bats when he lined a solo shot into the Yankees’ bullpen in the third. It was his first home run since May 18.