there in that inning," Sizemore said. "Weve kind of str

NEW YORK -- Grady Sizemores big hit against an old friend ensured Jon Lester finally had something to show for an impressive effort. Sizemore hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning off CC Sabathia and the Boston Red Sox gave Lester enough run support for his first win of the year, 4-2 over the New York Yankees on Friday night. "Good to have a rally there in that inning," Sizemore said. "Weve kind of struggled with Jon on the mound. Its nice to pick him up and get some runs for him." It wasnt all positive news for Boston in its first win this season over the rival Yankees. Closer Koji Uehara was held out of the game because he had some right shoulder stiffness when throwing during pregame warmups. Manager John Farrell used Edward Mujica in the ninth instead of the 39-year Uehara as a precaution. "We felt it was best to stay away from him," Farrell said. "Itll be a day-to-day thing." Jonny Gomes led off the sixth with another long ball off Sabathia, and the four-run inning was more runs than Boston had scored for Lester in his first two starts combined (one). Despite a 2.51 ERA coming in, Lester was at risk of falling to 0-3 for the first time in his big league career. The left-hander was lifted with two outs in the seventh after Kelly Johnson singled to pull the Yankees within two runs, his first hit in 15 career at-bats against Lester (1-2). Junichi Tazawa relieved with runners at the corners and retired Derek Jeter on a flyout. Jeter hit leadoff for the Yankees for first time since breaking his left ankle in the 2012 AL championship series opener. He beat out an infield single in four at-bats. Lester allowed Alfonso Sorianos homer starting the second and six hits overall. He walked two and struck out six in improving to 12-5 in 27 starts against New York. "I dont feel like I threw the ball as well the first two, but sometimes you need games like this to appreciate the ones where you glide through," Lester said. "This was a little bit of a grinder." Tazawa pitched 1 1-3 innings of one-hit relief, and Mujica was perfect in the ninth for his first save with Boston. "Im ready to go whatever the situation," said Mujica, who had 37 saves for St. Louis and made the NL All-Star team last year before losing his closers job in September. Sabathia (1-2) pitched without the controversy that surrounded teammate Michael Pineda in a series-opening 4-1 win Thursday but also without the success. Pineda gave up one run and four hits in six-plus innings but was caught on camera with a brown substance on his hand. Joe Torre, Major League Baseballs executive vice-president for baseball operations, said in a statement Friday that Pineda will not be suspended. Looking as if he was setting aside talk of being an ace on the decline, Sabathia was dominant for five innings. He allowed just David Ross third-inning double until Gomes led off the sixth with his first homer of the year, on an 89 mph four-seam fastball. Four batters later, Sizemore crushed an 80 mph slider into right field for a 4-1 lead. The duo were teammates in Cleveland before Sabathia was traded to Milwaukee during the 2008 season. "You go out and compete, even against friends," Sabathia said. "Tonight he got the best of me." Sabathias fastball velocity has declined from 94.1 mph in 2009, his first season in New York, to 89.7 mph this year entering Friday. Last year he gave up 45 of his major league-leading 122 runs on a career-high 28 homers allowed. Hes already yielded five this season. Sabathia allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out nine and walking two. Hes given up at least four runs in each of his three starts and has a 6.63 ERA. ""I was a little bit better," Sabathia said. "I havent really been able to put a whole game together." NOTES: Former Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury and Matt Thornton were given their World Series rings in a meeting with Boston GM Ben Cherington and Farrell before the game. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said 1B Mark Teixeira (right hamstring) should be off the disabled list before May 1 but SS Brendan Ryan (back) is doubtful for the beginning of next month. ... Red Sox OF Shane Victorino took BP and did some light running. Farrell says hell have an idea about a rehab assignment for Victorino after the White Sox series early next week. ... Next up: Bostons John Lackey (2-0) faces New Yorks Hiroki Kuroda (1-1). Charles Scarff Jersey . Nothing pretty. But this is 1/4 World Cup. Usually plays out this way. Ray Lewis Jersey .C. -- Unable to get much lift off his sore right ankle, Bobcats centre Al Jefferson figured it was time to make an adjustment. http://www.cheapravensjerseysauthentic.c...cker-jersey.com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers made it official Tuesday and signed pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a four-year contract. Iman Lewis-Marshall Jersey . The Cubs made the moves before Thursdays game against Arizona. They promoted left-hander Zac Rosscup and right-hander Neil Ramirez from Triple-A Iowa and optioned righty Blake Parker to their top minor league team. Maurice Canady Jersey .J. -- Patrick Sharp is on one of those streaks.BARCELONA, Spain -- There are three reasons why Barcelona is favoured to keep its Spanish league title. They are as concise as they are convincing: Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar. Known for its passing, Barcelona can now field three of soccers most confounding and creative dribblers in the same starting 11 after Neymar joined the champions this off-season for $76 million, the eighth most expensive transfer in history. Looks perfect on paper. So what could go wrong? The soft-spoken Iniesta has always been happy to relinquish the leading role to Messi. But will Neymar, the bright and shining star of Brazil, be able to do likewise after being idolized as the next coming of Pele at Santos? The 21-year-old Neymar insisted repeatedly the day of his introduction that he had "come to add my part so that Lionel Messi continues to be the best player in the world." Weeks later, after his first game in Barcelonas burgundy and blue, he repeated his mantra of being happy in a secondary role. "(Messi) is a marvelous person. We talk every day. There wont be any problems," Neymar said. "The atmosphere on the team is better than I even hoped for. I knew that they were good, but when I arrived here I realized they were much better than I had thought." "Im fulfilling a dream of my childhood by playing beside Messi, Xavi (Hernandez), Iniesta, (Carles) Puyol," he added. "Im trying to adapt as quickly as I can." Yet Neymar, who Pele said could surpass the almighty Messi one day, will have to learn Barcelonas style, which until now has let only Messi and Iniesta freelance one-on-one against backpedaling defenders. And if Neymar does stay true to his word, Messi will still need to share enough of the ball -- and shots -- with Neymar to let him reach his full potential. Messi is the engine of the Barcelona juggernaut that won 14 of 19 possible titles under Pep Guardiola from 2008-12 and then tied a Spanish-league record of 100 points en route to the title last season under Tito Vilanova.dddddddddddd Messi turned 26 in June and already is Barcelonas all-time goal scorer. Last season, he scored 46 goals in the league and was well on pace to break his own record of 50 goals from the previous campaign when he injured his right hamstring. The four-time world player of the year has outlasted a list of strike partners including Samuel Etoo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and now David Villa, with whom he openly argued on the field before the Spain striker was sold this summer to Atletico Madrid. Neymar, however, is different. For the first time since Messi became its centerpiece, Barcelona has brought in a player who could represent its future in a distant post-Messi era. For that reason, the two standouts will need to understand one another. Otherwise, it could be a real problem for Barcelona after it invested major money in bringing the two together with Iniesta, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas. The task of making sure the two stars -- one firmly established as among the best in history, the other striving to join him -- get along will ultimately fall to new coach Gerardo Martino. The Argentine replaced Vilanova after Guardiolas former assistant unexpectedly stepped down in late July to focus on treatment for his recurrent throat cancer. "I cant imagine (Messi and Neymar) not being able to play together," Martino said at his presentation. "And if they cant play together it wont be their fault but rather a defect of th