(Sports Network) - Baseball's best rivalry continues in the Bronx as the New York Yankees play host to the Boston Red Sox.

On Friday, Mike Lowell's three-run homer in the fifth inning broke up a tie game, and the Red Sox held on for a 6-4 win in the rain-soaked Independence Day matchup. Lowell added a sacrifice fly for the Red Sox, who have rebounded from a five- game skid and a three-game sweep in Tampa to take the first two of this four-game set.

Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-5 and scored for Boston, which pounded out 12 hits to the Yankees' six.

Josh Beckett (8-5) allowed three runs -- all in the first inning -- on four hits and four strikeouts and two walks to get the win.

Darrell Rasner (4-7) continued to struggle for the Yankees. Staked to an early 3-0 lead, Rasner was ripped for six runs on 10 hits in five innings to lose for the seventh time in eight starts.

Alex Rodriguez had a two-run double for the Yankees, who fell for the fifth time in six games. New York lost left fielder Johnny Damon in the third inning to a left shoulder contusion, suffered on a bizarre play that almost resulted in a home run for Boston's Kevin Youkilis.

Damon is expected to miss the remainder of this series.

On the mound for the Red Sox this afternoon will be Justin Masterson, and impressive righty poised to make his ninth appearance of the season. He is currently 4-2 with a 3.75 ERA and has allowed only 34 hits in 48 innings. Unfortunately, he has surrendered 26 walks.

Masterson has never faced the Yankees.

Set to oppose Masterson will be Mike Mussina, who continues to be one of the bright spots for an otherwise disappointing Yankee team. The veteran hurler is 10-6 with a 3.87 ERA, and while he has given up 103 hits in 95 1/3 innings of action, his 15 walks are proof of outstanding control.

Mussina has been roughed up badly by Boston this season, as he is 0-2 with a 9.35 ERA. On a positive note, he is 19-17 lifetime against the Red Sox with a 3.80 ERA.

Boston owns a 5-2 advantage over New York in this year's season series, with the teams having split a two-game set at Yankee Stadium in mid-April. The Yankees won six of nine tests with the Red Sox as the host last year.