BOSTON (AP) – In a game that mirrored the season, the New York Yankees bounced back.

Alex Rodriguez capped a six-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking single off Jonathan Papelbon, and the Yankees overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Boston Red Sox 8-7 Friday night.

Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano started the comeback with home runs off Hideki Okajima, Derek Jeter hit an RBI single against Papelbon and Bobby Abreu tied it with a two-run double.

“Every win now is a big win,” Jeter said.

By winning a 4-hour, 43-minute marathon – two minutes shy of the record for a nine-inning game set by the Yankees and Red Sox on Aug. 18 last year – New York closed within 4 games of AL East-leading Boston. The Yankees remained 31/2 games ahead of Detroit in the wild-card race.

Boston has led the division for the last 150 days. By winning the opener of a three-game series, the Yankees cut the gap to its smallest size since after games of Aug. 19 and kept alive their slim chances for overtaking their longtime rival.

Johnny Damon went 4-for-6 against his former team – his first four-hit game since June 17 last year. Brian Bruney (3-1) pitched 1 1-3 innings in relief of Andy Pettitte for the win, and Mariano Rivera pitched a one-hit ninth for his 27th save in 30 chances.

Papelbon (1-3) blew a save for the third time in 38 opportunities.

Okajima entered with a 7-2 lead and a 1.76 ERA but allowed Giambi’s 14th homer and Cano’s 17th. Melky Cabrera walked, Damon doubled him to third, Papelbon relieved.

Papelbon, who hadn’t allowed a run in 16 2-3 innings, gave up an RBI single to Jeter on his first pitch, threw a called streak to Abreu, then gave up Abreu’s double. That hit was the first by a lefty off Papelbon in 35 at bats.

Rodriguez, who was 0-for-4 and struck out in his previous two at bats, then ripped an 0-1 pitch to center field.

“It came apart in a hurry,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Boston had struck first in the second inning on Jacoby Ellsbury’s single.

and made it 2-0 when J.D. Drew’s grounder went threw first baseman Giambi’s legs for a run-scoring error in the third.

Hideki Matsui’s RBI triple cut it to 2-1 in the fourth, but Boston scored three runs in the bottom half on Dustin Pedroia’s two-run single and Mike Lowell’s RBI single.

Damon singled in a run in the sixth, but the Red Sox scored twice in the bottom half on RBI singles by Kevin Youkilis and Drew.

Notes: Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to all 12 games he’s played since being recalled Sept. 1 from Triple-A Pawtucket. … Boston RHP Matt Clement threw a simulated game before the regular game. He has been sidelined all season following shoulder surgery last Sept. 26. … Timlin tied Mike Jackson for 11th place on the career list with 1,005 appearances. … The Yankees have hit consecutive homers six times in an inning this season. … Jeter’s run in the eighth gave him 1,367, moving him into fifth place past Bernie Williams in team history.

AP-ES-09-15-07 0021EDT