BOSTON – Russell Martin is healthy again and now he’s hurting the Boston Red Sox.
The Yankees’ new catcher hit two homers and drove in four runs from the ninth spot in a power-packed lineup Saturday as New York won, 9-4.
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He chose New York over Boston and Toronto when he signed as a free agent in December after an injury-plagued season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In eight games he’s hitting .321 with three homers and eight RBI.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, lost again after finally getting their first win of the season Friday night.
“I’m healthy,” Martin said. “I’ve been healthy since the beginning of the season, so it definitely is a good feeling. I feel like it’s been a while.”
His 2010 season ended Aug. 3 when he broke his right hip and tore a labrum against San Diego while tagging up from third. He hit just .248 with five homers and 26 RBI in 97 games after being chosen as an NL All-Star in 2007 and 2008.
He saw nothing special about playing in Fenway Park, where he could have ended up as the starting catcher.
“I’ve got the Yankee uniform on and that’s really who I play for right now and that’s all I really care about,” he said. “The Red Sox, I think they were a little iffy with the injuries that I had and they weren’t too sure.”
Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano also went deep for the Yankees, who already have 18 homers through eight games. The Red Sox have allowed 19 in their eight games.
David Robertson (1-0) pitched 12/3 perfect innings after starter Ivan Nova was lifted with one out in the fifth with the Yankees leading, 7-4. Clay Buchholz (0-2) allowed five runs on eight hits in 32/3 innings as Boston’s starters continued to struggle.
The Red Sox cut their deficit to 5-4 with three runs in the fourth before Granderson hit a two-run homer in the fifth. Cano and Martin added solo shots in the sixth and seventh.
Cano fell a triple short of hitting for the cycle when he grounded out in the eighth inning, but went 3 for 4 and raised his batting average at Fenway Park to .465 (20 for 43).
“I know I do really good here,” he said, “but I think it’s luck.”
The Red Sox began a 10-game homestand Friday with a 9-6 win over the Yankees after going 0-6 on the road, their worst start to a season since 0-8 in 1945.
They reverted to form Saturday.
The Yankees went ahead 2-0 in the second on an error by shortstop Jed Lowrie, a double by Cano, a run-scoring groundout by Nick Swisher and an RBI double by Eric Chavez, his first hit with New York.
Boston got within 2-1 in the third when Dustin Pedroia doubled, took third on a groundout and scored when Kevin Youkilis grounded to shortstop Derek Jeter. But New York increased that lead to 5-1 before Buchholz retired a batter in the third.
“They’re just a team that’s going to make you throw strikes and work the counts,” Buchholz said. “I got deep into a couple of counts with a couple of guys and I had to throw strikes. I didn’t want to walk everybody. They put the bat on the ball in a couple of situations.”
Granderson walked, Chavez doubled and Martin, who signed a $4 million, one-year contract, hit a three-run homer.
“I saw him as a very productive player,” Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said. “I wasn’t saying he was going to hit 30 homers and 120 RBI, but I thought he’d be a productive player in our lineup because he could do so many things.”
Buchholz left after Jeter and Alex Rodriguez singled later in the third.
In eight games, Boston’s starters are 1-5 with a 7.41 ERA, allowing 12 homers in 41 innings.
“We’re walking some people and there’s a lot of deep counts,” Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said. “We’re getting some early exits (from starters) and we’re asking a lot of our bullpen, especially early in the season.”
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