Boston ? The Boston Bombers answered every threat by their struggling rivals from The Bronx.

Now, baseball’s best hitting team must do it again and again.

Bill Mueller, David Ortiz and Nomar Garciaparra homered as the Red Sox rallied from two deficits to beat New York, 10-5, Friday night and cut the Yankees’ AL East lead to 31/2 games in the opener of a three-game series.

To Mueller, who leads the AL with a .330 batting average, the opponent meant little.

“It’s not a matter of who you’re playing, it’s a matter of how hard we’ve worked,” said Mueller, who went 3-for-5 with four RBIs. “We can’t control what other people are doing.”

Besides, as New York’s Derek Jeter pointed out, “we’re in first place. I’m sure Boston would like to be in first place.”

Boston, which leads the majors with a .292 batting average, roughed up Jose Contreras and responded immediately to New York’s two big innings.

The Red Sox scored three runs in the bottom of the first after the Yankees got two in the top half. In the fourth, Boston scored four to go ahead 7-5 after New York scored three.

“That was huge on our offensive part, and we were able to keep going,” Boston’s Jason Varitek said.

The Red Sox had 14 hits, their ninth straight game with at least 10, and did it without Manny Ramirez, their leading home-run hitter who was sidelined with a high fever. He has played in 131 of Boston’s 134 games.

Boston's Bill Mueller, second from right, celebrates his two-run home run with Trot Nixon, second from left, and Jason Varitek (33) as New York catcher Jorge Posada looks away in the fourth inning. The Red Sox won, 10-5, Friday in Boston.

All that offense made a winner of Derek Lowe (14-6), who lasted six innings. Pedro Martinez (10-3) pitches for Boston against Andy Pettitte (16-7) in a marquee matchup today.

Tigers 8, White Sox 4

Detroit — Bobby Higginson hit a three-run homer, and Nate Robinson earned his first major-league win as Detroit avoided its 100th loss of the season with a victory over Chicago. Detroit is 34-99 and must sweep the three-game series to avoid joining the 1962 New York Mets as the only teams in the modern era to lose 100 before September.

Twins 8, Rangers 5

Arlington, Texas — Doug Mientkiewicz had four hits, Shannon Stewart drove in two runs, and Minnesota rallied past Texas. Matthew LeCroy homered for the Twins, who moved within a half-game of first place in the AL Central.

Blue Jays 7, Indians 3

Cleveland — Kelvim Escobar pitched eight strong innings, and Mike Bordick and Josh Phelps each hit a two-run homer as Toronto defeated Cleveland.

Mariners 3, Orioles 2

Seattle — John Olerud’s two-run single capped a three-run rally in the ninth inning and gave Seattle a victory over Baltimore. The Mariners won for only the second time in 10 games.

A’s 5, Devil Rays 2

Oakland, Calif. — Tim Hudson allowed six hits over eight innings, and Eric Chavez drove in three runs as Oakland matched a season high with its seventh straight victory. Mark Ellis scored two runs and drove in another as the A’s maintained their two-game lead in the AL West over the Seattle Mariners.