Boston, MA (Betting Express) - Edgar Renteria went 2-for-4 with three RBI and smacked a tie-breaking double in the bottom of the eighth inning as Boston downed the New York Yankees, 8-5, in a heated rubber match of a three-game series at Fenway Park.

Jason Varitek also had three RBI and two hits, including a two-run triple in the eighth in which Yankees' rightfielder Gary Sheffield became involved in an altercation with a fan, adding another controversial chapter in the bitter rivalry between the clubs.

Renteria, Varitek and Jay Payton all homered off New York ace Randy Johnson to help Boston avenge a 5-2 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday.

(Johnson) didn't give up many hits," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "But unfortunately those hits were home runs."

Hideki Matsui finished 3-for-4 and knocked in three runs for the Yankees, who stranded 12 baserunners and fell for the fourth time in five games. Sheffield added three hits and an RBI in the loss.

Renteria laced a 2-1 pitch from Tom Gordon off the Green Monster in left to send home Johnny Damon with the go-ahead run in the eighth. Two batters later, David Ortiz was intentionally walked prior to Kevin Millar's flyout which sent Varitek to the plate with two away.

The Boston catcher lined Gordon's offering into the right field corner and a fan appeared to brush Sheffield while waving his right arm over the wall. Just before his relay throw, Sheffield shoved the spectator and then confronted him after the play, in which both Renteria and Ortiz scored for an 8-5 lead.

"I don't know if he punched me or not but it felt like it," Sheffield explained. "I just felt something hit me in the mouth. I was trying to get his hand out of my face and continue with the play. I threw the ball in and was getting ready to react and then held my composure."

Earlier in the game, Red Sox manager Terry Francona and hitting coach Ron Jackson were both ejected by home plate umpire Greg Gibson for arguing balls and strikes on two separate occasions in the fourth inning.

Gordon (0-1) allowed three runs and three hits in just two-thirds of an inning in relief of Johnson, who struck out nine over seven innings but yielded five runs.

Keith Foulke (1-1) threw two scoreless innings to earn the win and pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth by getting pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra to foul out to Varitek for the final out.

Payton gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the second when he hammered a Johnson fastball over the wall in straightaway center. The shot scored Millar, who had singled two batters earlier.

New York cut its deficit in half in the third when Derek Jeter led off with a double and crossed the plate on Matsui's two-base hit off the towering left- field wall. However, Renteria followed a walk to Damon in the bottom of the frame with his first home run as a member of the Red Sox to up the hosts' advantage to 4-1.

"We've known all along that Edgar is a great player," said Francona. "Tonight he had a big impact on the game. That's going to happen a lot."

Boston starter Bronson Arroyo would fail to hold the lead in the fourth, as the Yankees tagged the righthander for four runs. Arroyo issued three walks during the inning, including a free pass to Sheffield with the bases loaded to pull New York within 4-2. Matsui then tied the score with a single that sent home Tony Womack and Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez followed with an RBI base hit to put the Yankees ahead.

Boston drew even in the bottom of the fourth when Varitek launched his third home run of the season and 100th of his career, a long blast over the Monster with one out.

Arroyo surrendered five runs on nine hits and walked four over 5 2/3 innings.