BOSTON -- Jacoby Ellsbury wasted little time reminding the Red Sox how he used to help them win. He did it for the Yankees and Masahiro Tanaka on Tuesday night. The boos had barely subsided when Ellsbury tripled leading off the game, his first as an opponent at Fenway Park. Then in the bottom of the first he stole a hit from Boston leadoff hitter Grady Sizemore with a sliding catch in left-centre field as his cap flew off. New York won 9-3 and Ellsbury, who spent seven seasons with the Red Sox before signing a $153 million, seven-year contract with the Yankees, was a major contributor. "You want to go out there and put on a good performance," said Ellsbury, who received a mixed reception. "It was nice to get a triple right off the bat, just allow us to score right from the get-go." The two-run double in the fifth also was pretty satisfying. It gave the Yankees a 7-2 lead one inning after David Ortiz and Mike Napoli hit back-to-back homers for the Red Sox. That was a "big hit," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "They had climbed a little bit closer to get it to 4-2. I thought he played extremely well." Tanaka (3-0) allowed two runs on seven hits in 7 1-3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. His 35 strikeouts in his first four major league starts set a team record and hes walked just two batters in 29 1-3 innings. But this was his first game at Fenway. "I understand its a stadium rich in tradition," Tanaka said through a translator. "Going up on the mound, I did feel that." Jon Lester (2-3) struggled after four outstanding outings, allowing seven runs in 4 2-3 innings. "They put some good swings on him," Boston manager John Farrell said. "Then when they mishit some balls, they found some holes." There were more boos than cheers for Ellsbury from the crowd that contained a sizeable amount of Yankees fans when he stepped in as the first batter. With an 0-2 count, he drove the ball about five feet from the top of the centre field wall. It was ruled a triple after a spectator reached out and interfered with it. Ellsbury scored on a single by Derek Jeter, starting the Yankees toward their seventh win in nine games. Jeter took second on a passed ball and took third when catcher A.J. Pierzynski threw into centre field. Carlos Beltran singled in Jeter, making it 2-0 before an out was recorded. After the bottom of the first, a video tribute of Ellsburys highlights was shown on the centre field screen. He smiled and waved from the visiting dugout. "For them to just take a moment to have some cheers, it was nice," said Ellsbury, a big part of Bostons World Series title last year. The Yankees added two runs in the third on consecutive doubles by Alfonso Soriano, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann. The Red Sox cut the lead in half on the homers by Ortiz, his fourth of the season, and Napoli, his fifth, ending Tanakas scoreless streak at 16 1-3 innings. Lester nearly escaped a jam in the fifth before an error by first baseman Napoli led to four unearned runs and an 8-2 Yankees lead. "Weve given some extra outs," Farrell said. "At this level, when you do that, youre asking for trouble." Teixeira walked and took second on a McCanns single. Lester struck out the next two batters then got Brian Roberts to hit a liner to Napoli. But the ball went off his glove and into right field, allowing Teixeira to score. Ellsbury then doubled in two runs. That was all for Lester as Chris Capuano came in and gave up Jeters RBI single. The Yankees made it 9-2 in the eighth on Beltrans fifth homer. It came off Edward Mujica, his teammate last season when the St. Louis Cardinals went to the World Series but lost in six games to Boston. Xander Bogaerts, who wears the No. 2 Ellsbury had with Boston, doubled in a run for the Red Sox in the ninth. On Wednesday night, Ellsbury can show one asset, his base stealing, that he didnt display Tuesday. "With a triple and a double and the situation in the game, I really didnt have an opportunity," he said, "but well see." NOTES: The Yankees activated RHP David Robertson from the disabled list and sent LHP Cesar Cabral to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... Yankees team doctor Christopher Ahmad has recommended Tommy John surgery for RHP Ivan Nova. There was no word on whether Nova had decided to have the operation. ... Jeter has hit in 11 straight games and reached base in all 15 games hes played. ... Ortiz needs one more game to tie Harold Baines for the most as a designated hitter with 1,643. ... Shabazz Napier of the NCAA champion Connecticut mens basketball team threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Teammates stood behind him as he threw to catcher David Ross. Napier is a Boston native. ... Michael Pineda (2-1) pitches for New York in Wednesday nights second game of the three-game series against John Lackey (2-2). ETwaun Moore Pelicans Jersey . -- Even as Chris Paul remained evasive about his future, he did what team leaders are expected to do. Jahlil Okafor Jersey . -- Rory McIlroy birdied his last two holes Thursday for a 7-under 63 to take the lead after one round of the Honda Classic. http://www.shoppelicansonline.com/Authen...elicans-Jersey/. on the 15-day disabled Monday list because of a strained right hamstring. ETwaun Moore Jersey . Messis 75th-minute goal answered some of the criticism the clubs all-time leading scorer had received for his lacklustre performances in the teams recent losses in the league, Champions League and Copa del Rey final. Custom New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys . Louis Blues just continue to roll -- especially against the Nashville Predators.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians didnt want to talk about Julius Thomas chop block anymore and apparently neither did the Denver Broncos Pro Bowl tight end.A person with knowledge of the penalty said Thomas was fined $8,286 for his chop block on Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell last weekend. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the fine hadnt been announced yet by the NFL. ESPN first reported the fine, the first of Thomas four-year career.Arians, who had called the chop block Sunday the worst play hed seen in 37 years of coaching and refused to believe it wasnt intentional, told reporters in Tempe, Arizona, he had no reaction to the fine.No, Im tired of all that, Arians said.Thomas, who expressed remorse Monday for hurting Campbell and said it was a matter of miscommunication, not malice, wasnt in the locker room during the medias 45-minute window Wednesday.On Monday, Arians called for Thomas to be suspended for as long as Campbell is out. Campbell is expected to miss up to three weeks with a strained right MCL.The league, however, fined Thomas the same amount it penalized Peyton Manning in August for his taunting foul of Texans defensive back D.J. Swearinger following the swaggering safetys hard hit on Wes Welker.Campbell had this to say about Thomas fine: Its a max fine for an illegal block for a first-time offender. It makes sense that the NFL did something and hopefully he wont do it no more.With Campbell rushing off the right edge in a three-man front early in the second half Sunday, Manning motioned for Thomas to come out of the two-tight end backfield and line up next to left tackle Ryan Clady.At the snap, Thomas dived at Campbells knees thinking he was cut-blocking him. But it was flagged as a chop block because Clady stood in a pass block stance and didnt back away from the line of scrimmage.Never before have I been blocked like that, Campbell said. IIt (stinks).dddddddddddd I dont think it was a great football play but its over and done with. Id like to move past it and get back to playing good football again.Thomas leads the NFL with seven TD catches and has an NFL-high 19 touchdown receptions since 2013, but blocking isnt his forte. He only began playing the position as a senior at Portland State in 2010 after hed exhausted his eligibility on the hardwood, where he was a power forward.Its frustrating to get hurt in a situation that could have been avoided, but you cant do anything about it now, Campbell said.Thomas has been lambasted in the Cardinals locker room and across the airwaves over the chop block. Among the most critical comments were those of Arizona linebacker Larry Foote. On Monday, he said: That looked like Karate Kid. Sweep the legs, Johnny. It was ugly. Thats a black eye to football a€” period. Even their own players knew it. Yeah, they said something, even the linemen. Hopefully it isnt coming from the sidelines. I dont want to play that game. But that should be dealt with. It dont get no uglier than that.Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton came to Thomas defence Wednesday.If you look at it from a defensive lineman point of view, how (Campbell) was lined up, he should have initiated contact with Julius, Knighton said. He should have been more aware, I think, because he was lined up on Julius. So, it wasnt like Julius came in and hit him. He just went forward. I dont know how they teach it there, but here when were in that technique, we play tight end.Knighton blamed all the fuss on how bad the play looked and Campbells status as a star and reputation as one of the classier players in the league.So is Julius, Knighton said. But its football. Were past it. Julius isnt that type of player. If they want to dwell on it, they can. But were not.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___AP Sports Writer Bob Baum contributed. ' ' '