Yankees plaster Lester, Red Sox

NEW YORK -- The Red Sox have spent most of September desperately looking for someone capable of helping to pull the team out of its downward spiral. After Saturday's 9-1 loss to the Yankees, the team is still engaged in that search.

Ordinarily, the Sox would have been elated to feature Jon Lester on the mound in hopes of correcting course. Yet the team's Opening Day starter turned in one of the worst outings of his career, getting hammered for eight runs on eight hits in just 2 2/3 innings. It was the most runs permitted by Lester this year, and tied for the second biggest yield of his career.

Lester cruised through a 10-pitch scoreless first inning, but saw his outing unravel quickly in the second. After a one-out single and walk, Lester elicited a grounder into the hole between third and short from Andruw Jones. Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro gloved the ball and may have had a play at third base, but third baseman Mike Aviles failed to cover the bag, resulting in an infield single that loaded the bases.

Rookie sensation Jesus Montero followed by ripping a run-scoring single to left. Russell Martin followed with a soft liner to left that kicked off the glove of sliding left fielder Carl Crawford for two more runs, and then Derek Jeter jumped on a first-pitch fastball and blasted it for a homer to right-center to make it 6-0. Montero would later add a homer as part of a career-high 4 RBI day.

Meanwhile, the Sox lineup could do little against the Yankees hurlers. Starter Freddy Garcia pitched six shutout innings and allowed just six hits.

The loss dropped the Sox to 5-17 in September.

For more details from the loss, visit Closing Time. For complete Red Sox coverage, visit weei.com/redsox.