Red Sox shut out the NY Yankees

Red Sox base runner Trot Nixon, right, slides past Yankee's catcher Jorge Posada, scoring the eighth run for Boston in the eighth inning in New York, Saturday. PHOTO: REUTERS

Kevin Millar and Nomar Garciaparra homered off Roger Clemens as Boston battered the New York Yankees for the second straight day, breezing 11-0 behind Tim Wakefield for its fifth straight win Saturday.

With chants of "Let's go, Red Sox!" reverberating through the crowd of 55,237, Boston cut the Yankees' lead in the AL East to 1 1/2 games, their slimmest margin since July 29. It was the most-lopsided shutout loss for New York at Yankee Stadium since Milwaukee won 12-0 on April 27, 1984.

A day after Yankees owner George Steinbrenner besieged his players and staff during a 9-3 loss, the Boss was not seen as the Red Sox romped to a 7-0 edge.

Todd Walker added a late three-run homer, giving him four RBIs.

Boston Clemens with six runs in the fourth inning, sending the Rocket to his earliest exit -- not related to an injury -- since June 6, 1999, against the New York Mets.

While Clemens (13-9) fell to 2-3 vs. the Red Sox this year in his final regular-season appearance against them, Wakefield (10-6) bamboozled the Yankees with his knuckleball. Wakefield shut out New York on four hits for seven innings, and won for the first time in six starts. He retired the first 11 batters as Boston piled up a big lead and escaped mild threats the next two innings.

The Red Sox, who trailed the Yankees by 7 1/2 games on Aug. 20, matched a season high with their fifth straight road win and sent New York to its fourth loss in five games.

The Yankees and Red Sox play their last game against each other Sunday. David Wells, winless in his last seven starts, pitches against Boston's Jeff Suppan.

Clemens down the first five batters before Millar hit his 23rd homer. Trot Nixon was up next, and Clemens began walking off the mound when he thought he had an inning-ending strikeout -- only to find out Nixon had checked his swing.

Things get much better for Clemens. Walker opened the fourth with a single and Garciaparra followed with his 24th homer.

For the results of other Major League Baseball games, please check the Scoreboard on p19.