NEW YORK _ Few Yankees teams in recent memory have been more in need of an early-season pick-me-up.
James Paxton provided it Tuesday night.
The left-hander allowed only two hits and struck out 12 in eight innings in the Yankees' 8-0 victory over the skidding Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
Paxton's effort, along with an 11-hit attack, was a welcome development for the Yankees (7-9) who earlier in the day added a 12th player to the injured list, this time Greg Bird.
Paxton had raised eyebrows during the weekend by openly discussing the pressure he felt adjusting to the spotlight of pitching in New York, as well as the pitch-tipping he believed contributed to getting rocked in Houston last Wednesday.
Paxton, who in many ways was Brian Cashman's prized offseason acquisition, entered the night 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in his first three starts, including the one in Houston when he allowed five runs and eight hits in four innings. He got into trouble exactly once _ the fourth, when the Red Sox put runners at second and third with none out _ but escaped and wasn't threatened again.
Paxton was backed by an offense that erupted against Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale, who came in with his own difficulties _ 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA.
Though Sale, 6-4 with a 1.61 ERA in 17 previous career games (14 starts) vs. the Yankees, showed some areas of improvement, it was another overall tough night for him and the Red Sox (6-12). Sale allowed four runs and seven hits, including Clint Frazier's homer, over five innings.
Frazier was one of three Yankees to homer, with Mike Tauchman and Gleyber Torres also going deep. Frazier's blast, his fourth, to lead off the fourth, made it 3-0 and Tauchman, whose RBI double in the fourth made it 4-0, hit his first career homer in the sixth, a three-run shot off Erasmo Ramirez that made it 7-0.
"We're capable of winning games despite being depleted right now and that expectation doesn't change," Aaron Boone said before the game. "Yeah, it's a little bit harder but we're still capable of going out there and winning ballgames."
The Yankees struck first. After Paxton made it nine-up, nine-down in the top of the third, Brett Gardner led off the bottom half by smoking a double into the corner in right for a double. Austin Romine's long fly out to center allowed Gardner to get to third. Tauchman struck out but DJ LeMahieu took a 1-and-2, 97-mph fastball and punched it the other way to right, the RBI single making it 1-0. Aaron Judge, who came in tied for third in the AL in walks, walked to put two aboard for Luke Voit, who stung a fastball to center to make it 2-0.
