Johnny Demon’s 2-run home run in the 7th inning was the difference as the Yanks beat the Sox 5-3 Tuesday night in the Bronx. The win for the Yanks brought the lead down in the AL East to 7 games. Andy Pettitte was good for 7 innings and Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect 9th inning for the save.

The Yanks got on the scoreboard first as Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka got himself into some early trouble. Demon led off with a single and went to second base on Derek Jeter nubber down the line that Dice-K picked up and got DJ on a close play at first. Bobby Abreu worked a walk and then Dice-K loaded up the bases for fellow countryman Hideki Matsui when he plunked Alex Rodriguez in the back with some heat. Matsui brought in a run when he hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Demon and retired AROD at second. Hip-hip Jorge Posada brought in the second run when he crushed a double. Dice-K got Robinson Cano to fly out to end the inning with the Sox losing 2-0.

Manny Ramirez got the Sox back in the game as he led off the 2nd inning with an opposite field home run, cutting the lead to 2-1. Pettitte then got the next two Sox batters out before walking Jason Varitek. He did get out of the inning without the walk hurting him as Coco Crisp struck out swinging.

The Sox tied it up in the 3rd inning as Julio Lugo hit a Pettitte offering into the gap in center for a triple. Dustin Pedroia couldn’t get the job done as he grounded back to the mound for the first out. Youk then worked a walk. Big Papi tied the game with a sacrifice fly to Demon in left to tie the game at 2.

Dice-K had settled down as he only allowed a walk to AROD in the 4th. In the 5th though, he was touched for a run with two outs. Derek Jeter broke an 0 for 13 skid as he cranked a home run into the seats putting the Yanks back on top 3-2. Bobby Abreu grounded out to end the inning.

Pettitte had been pitching pretty well after the third. He allowed singles in the 4th, 5th and 6th but nothing came to fruition for the Sox. Pettitte had come back out in the 7th and gave up a lead-off homer to Varitek tying the game back at 3. Pettitte settled back in and set down the Sox after that.

With Dice-K’s pitch count at 94, Terry Francona elected to bring him back out for the 7th. This would prove to be the fatal mistake as Dice-K got into trouble again. Andy Phillips led off with a single to start the inning and was pinch-run for by Wilson Betemit. Shockingly, Melky Cabrera laid down a bunt and he was able to sacrifice Betemit to second. Dice-K then left a fastball over the plate that Demon barely put over the wall in right for a 2-run homer and a 5-3 Yanks lead. The fence is 314 feet and the ball went 315 feet. Dice-K then walked Jeter and that ended his night. Javier Lopez came into face the lefty Bobby Abreu. Lopez did his job as he got Abreu to ground into a fielder’s choice. That would be the only batter Lopez faced as Francona went to the bullpen again, this time for Manny Delcarmen. Delcarmen came in and got AROD to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Yanks phenom Joba Chamberlain came in the 8th and maybe had a little bit of nerves as his 3-2 slider to Youk went about 57 feet. Chamberlain then got Big Papi to fly out. Eric Hinske came into pinch-hit for Bobby Kielty and looked helpless as Chamberlain was throwing gas. He got Hinske to strikeout on a nasty-ass slider. Mike Lowell was able to manage a single but Chamberlain got J.D. Drew to strikeout on another 3-2 slider. Chamberlain hit 99 mph on the gun at points during the inning. He’s the real deal folks.

Mariano worked a perfect 9th inning as he struck out Coco, Varitek and got Lugo to line out to Cano at second for his 21st save of the season.

Tomorrow’s game features a matchup of Josh Beckett vs his idol, Roger Clemens. Gametime is 7:05 PM.

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Last Friday, the girls at Inside Track reported that Tom “F’in” Brady and ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan had named their baby Jonathan Brady. Well today, Moynahan’s rep announced the baby’s name.

Not only is the name not Jonathan but there’s no mention of Brady as Moynahan has decided to name their son John Edward Thomas Moynahan. Obviously she’s a just a tad upset with Brady for him not being there during the pregnancy. But Tom had a good excuse. He was on vacation or hanging out with Victoria’s Secret model Gisele Bündchen.

And it got me to thinking, John Edward Thomas Moynahan. JETM. Take away the M and it’s JET. TFB plays for the PATS. Don’t ask me where I am going with that because I don’t have a clue.

I really wonder if TFB had any say in this matter. Anywho, congratulations again to TFB and Moynahan.

Unless you’re watching professional baseball or one of the several NCAA sanctioned summer wooden bat leagues, like the New England Collegiate Baseball League, chances are when you watch a baseball game from tee-ball through college the players are using metal bats.

Back in March the New York City Council voted 40-6 to ban metal bats for city high school games. It’s a law that supporters say will make the game safer for the city’s high school athletes.

In May the bill’s opponents filed a lawsuit fighting the ban.

A lawsuit against New York City was filed by USA Baseball, a Raleigh, N.C.-based national governing body for several baseball associations, and The National High School Baseball Coaches Association, based in Tempe, Ariz., along with four sporting goods companies and several fathers of ballplayers.

In April New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed the bat ban but it was overwhelmingly overturned by the city council.

Today a judge ruled that it was constitutional for the city to ban the metal bats. U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl said the new law fits the purpose of legislative bodies like the City Council to protect the public health and safety.

The ban was instituted because of claims that today’s metal bats make the ball travel farther and faster thus increasing the chance of injuries to players.

Opponents, including Little League Baseball and sporting goods makers, say there is no scientific evidence proving metal bats pose more of a risk than wooden bats. An American Legion Baseball study in 2005 found no substantial scientific proof that wooden bats are safer than metal bats.