By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com NEW YORK -- Javier Vazquez was in the process of turning around an awful start to his season the last time the Red Sox paid a visit to the Bronx, but they could have mistaken him for the old version on Friday at Yankee Stadium. Vazquez was rapped for six runs (three earned), serving up home runs to David Ortiz and Ryan Kalish before departing in the sixth inning as the Yankees were defeated by the Red Sox, 6-3. The right-hander has been one of the Yankees' more reliable starting pitchers for months, buoyed by a one-out relief appearance on May 17 against the Red Sox after being skipped in the rotation, but signs of that seemed scarce as he finally was issued his first start of the year against Boston. Vazquez served up a full-count homer to Ortiz in the first inning, his 24th, and got into more trouble in a three-run third inning that included a bases-loaded walk to Jacoby Ellsbury and a two-run Marco Scutaro double, though the runs were unearned because of a Francisco Cervelli dropped popup. After striking out in his first two at-bats, Kalish completed the damage against Vazquez in the sixth with his first Major League home run, a two-run shot to right field in front of a crowd of 49,555, the largest paid attendance at Yankee Stadium this season. Vazquez walked four and struck out five. The Yankees got to Boston starter Clay Buchholz for three runs in 7 1/3 innings, taking a quick lead in the first inning on Mark Teixeira's two-run home run to right-center field, Teixeira's 24th of the season. It marked the fourth consecutive game -- and the fifth time in New York's last seven contests -- that the Yankees have slugged a two-run homer. The Bombers have also scored in the first inning in nine of their last 11 home games. Buchholz settled in and held the Yankees in check until the fifth inning, when Derek Jeter was hit in the left arm by a pitch, moved up on a Nick Swisher single and scored on Alex Rodriguez's RBI single to left field.
