Base Ball : Yankeens Beat Boston, Yankeens Acquired Chad Gaudin

Jorge Posada painted No. 15 on his catcher's mask to pay tribute to Thurman Munson and delivered a performance that would have delighted the former New York Yankees captain.

The Yankees beat Boston for the first time in nine games this season, with Posada and Melky Cabrera hitting three-run homers in a 13-6 victory Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

"We are playing a lot better than we started playing at the beginning," Posada said. "We are pitching better and we're doing a lot of things well on the mound and at the plate. Hopefully we can carry on and do what we did today."

Posada had three hits and three RBIs, saluting Munson with the type of all-around game that the former Yankees catcher was known for before he died in a plane crash on Aug. 2, 1979. Posada said he had never put Munson's number on his mask before.

"Thurman was special to me," he said. "Just wanted to tell everybody that I was thinking about him today."

New York ended a nine-game skid against Boston dating to last season. It was the Yankees' longest drought in one of baseball's most heated rivalries since they lost 17 straight from Oct. 3, 1911, to July 1, 1912.

The Yankees acquired pitcher Chad Gaudin from the San Diego Padres for a player to be determined or cash considerations. Gaudin was 4-10 with a 5.13 ERA for the Padres.

The Red Sox put outfielder Rocco Baldelli on the disabled list because of a bruised left ankle and recalled
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outfielder Josh Reddick from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Guillermo Mota were fined for their run-in this week but were not suspended.

Mota hit Fielder in the ninth inning of a 17-4 win Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, presumably as payback for Milwaukee's Chris Smith grazing Manny Ramirez with a pitch two innings earlier.

Afterward, Fielder charged across a hallway toward the Dodgers' clubhouse but was restrained by teammates and security.

The Arizona Diamondbacks placed outfielder Justin Upton on the disabled list because of a right oblique strain.