The Red Sox (8-4) and Yankees (8-4) will conclude the four-game series with the traditional Patriots Day game on Monday. Frank Castillo (0-1, 5.00) will get the start for the Red Sox. Mike Mussina (1-0, 3.07) pitches for the Yankees. The Red Sox have won seven of their last nine.

Following Monday's game, the Red Sox hit the road for six straight games. They open a three-game series against Tampa Bay on Tuesday, then head to New York for another showdown with the Yankees. The three-game set begins Friday.

PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING: Prior to Sunday's game, Boston's pitching staff ranked No. 1 in the majors in ERA (1.97). Opponents were batting just .196 against Red Sox pitchers, who had 96 strikeouts and just 33 walks in 100 2/3 innings.

Hideo Nomo didn't get a decision, but he made his third straight strong start for the Sox. Nomo allowed three hits and three runs, two earned, in six innings of work. He struck out five and walked two. His ERA is 1.29.

BIZARRE HIT: Carl Everett's popup into short right field turned into a triple when Yankee second baseman Alfonso Soriano accidentally kicked the ball while chasing after it. Everett ended up tying the game at 3 on Manny Ramirez's double and the Red Sox went on to claim a 5-4 win.

Ramirez took third on Dante Bichette's single and scored the go-ahead run on Jason Varitek's single.

Everett had three of Boston's 15 hits on Sunday, raising his average to .310 (10-for-39). He's got four home runs and 10 RBI.

The Red Sox pounded 14 hits off of losing pitcher Andy Pettitte. Every Boston starter had at least one hit. Ramirez (.375) continues to lead Boston in hitting, but has just one home run.

TOUGH LOSS: Saturday's showdown between Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens lived up to the hype, but in the end, Yankee rookie Alfonso Soriano stole the show.

After manufacturing the tying run against Martinez with his speed, Soriano led off the top of the ninth inning with a home run over the "Green Monster" to lead the Yankees to a 3-2 victory.

Boston led 2-0 through seven innings and appeared to be on cruise control. Jorge Posada then doubled and Tino Martinez blooped a single to right to put runners on the corners. Soriano hit what looked like to be a double-play grounder to third, but beat the relay throw to first.

Soriano then stole second and third and scored the tying run when Martinez threw a wild-pitch.

Neither Martinez nor Clemens figured in the decision. Pete Schourek (0-1) was pitching when Soriano opened the ninth with his home run.

Mike Stanton (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings to notch the victory while Mariano Rivera, who on Friday suffered his first blown save since August 18, struck out two in a perfect ninth to record his third save of the season.

Clemens allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, walking four and striking out five.

Martinez yielded two runs and six hits in seven innings with two walks and nine strikeouts. After failing to support Martinez most of last season, the Red Sox have scored just six runs for him in three starts this year.

"He's a human being, he kept us in the game and we just could not score on the opposition," Red Sox manager Jimy Williams said. "We have played well in his games, but we just haven't scored. Maybe we are trying too hard."

SNAPPING OUT OF IT: Troy O'Leary was hitting just .154 (4-for-26) with one RBI in his first six games, but he had three hits and knocked in four runs during a win over Baltimore on Thursday.

Craig Grebeck picked up his first hit of the season, a two-run single in the fourth, to end an 0-for-14 skid.

"It's always a relief to get your first out of the way, whether it's your first at-bat or fifteenth," Grebeck said.

HE'S BACK: Annoyed by his demotion to Triple-A Pawtucket to start the season, infielder Lou Merloni was nonetheless back with the club in time for the April 6 home opener. Merloni was recalled from the minors when the Red Sox placed infielder Chris Stynes on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring.

In Stynes' absence, manager Jimy Williams was employing Jose Offerman as his starting second baseman. Offerman had been demoted to part-time status in a platoon with Brian Daubach at first base before the injury, but responded in a big way after being inserted into the starting lineup. In his first five games, he was batting .444 and scored five runs.

OUTFIELD SHUFFLE: Giving indication he may go with the hot hand in the outfield, Williams continued to employ Manny Ramirez (tender right hamstring) as his designated hitter, leaving Trot Nixon to play right field. That leaves Troy O'Leary in left as well as designated hitter platoon partners Dante Bichette and Scott Hatteberg on the bench for the time being.

O'Leary struggled in the early part of the season, going 0-for-16 and prompting Williams to temporarily displace him with Darren Lewis. On April 10, however, O'Leary was back in left field and recorded his first hit of the season, going 1-for-5.

DISCRIMINATORY ACT: Annoyed by the actions of a Baltimore hotel, Red Sox coach Tommy Harper said he would accept the hotel's apology after being harassed by an employee during the team's season-opening visit to Baltimore. Harper believes the employee targeted him because he is African-American.

"I'm 60 years old. I don't react to every slight,'' Harper said. ''I don't get out of bed every day thinking about the '60s. I just go forward every day treating people with respect, and I get respect in return.''