Alex Rodriguez scores one of the Yankees' five first-inning runs Friday night. (AP)

The prospect of facing the Yankees for three more games at Fenway Park this weekend can’t be appetizing for Red Sox pitchers.

The Yanks pounded Sox pitching once again, this time en route to a 10-8 win in the teams’ series opener, Friday night. With the offensive output, New York has now totaled 31 runs in its three games at Fenway this season.

The loss moves the Red Sox to a season-high 8 1/2 games out of first-place in the American League East.

While there was no 9-0 lead blown this time — as was the case during the Yankees’ visit on April 21 — but it offered an enormous amount of frustration for the Sox, just the same. The hosts had come back from a 5-0 first-inning deficit to take a 7-6 lead. But the Yankees were able to explode for a four-run seventh inning, keyed by Mark Teixeira’s two-run triple and Raul Ibanez’ RBI double against Sox reliever Vicente Padilla.

It was a game that would be remembered by many for a 42-minute first inning, which saw both teams send nine hitters to the plate and ended with the score tied at 5-5. It was the first time since Aug. 29, 2005 that two major leagues each scored at least five runs in the first.

It was also the first time since 1950 the Red Sox and opponent have each batted around in first inning at Fenway. It was also the 177th time since ’50 that the Sox batted around in first, but only second time they didn’t have the lead after third out (’57 against Cleveland).

WHAT WENT WRONG

- Josh Beckett experienced perhaps his worst inning since 2006 in the first, allowing five runs on four hits with one walk and one hit batsman. During the frame he threw 33 pitches, only 15 of which were for strikes. Beckett rebounded to not allow a run over his final three innings, but still saw his ERA balloon to 4.43 with a five-inning, six-run outing.

- After the Red Sox tied it up at 5-5 in the first, Beckett gave the Yankees the lead back when Curtis Granderson tripled and was driven in by an Alex Rodriguez ground out.

- The Red Sox had chances to go up by a run in both the second and fourth innings, getting runners to third with one out, but couldn’t capitalize.

- After giving up two runs over a third of an inning, Padilla has now allowed seven runs over 2/3 innings against the Yankees this season.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

- After the five-run first by the Yankees, Daniel Nava responded by launching a double off the top of the left field wall. After a wild-pitch moved him to third, the left fielder came home with the Red Sox’ first run on Ryan Kalish’s sacrifice fly.

- The Nava run was just the tip of the iceberg for the Red Sox in the first inning, with Adrian Gonzalez extending his hit streak to 16 games with an RBI double, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia tying the contest with his 17th homer of the season – a three-run blast.

- Just like in the first, the Red Sox battled back to tie the game after the Yankees had taken a lead. This time it came courtesy a wall-ball single by David Ortiz int eh second inning, scoring Nava.

- With runners on second and third, one out and the game tied in the fifth inning, Sox second baseman Nick Punto took a grounder from Eric Chavez and threw a strike home to get Alex Rodriguez at the plate. The play was even more impressive considering Punto was playing on the back edge of the infield.

- The Red Sox were able to take their first lead when Mauro Gomez singled home Gonzalez from second with one out in the fifth. It was Gomez’ first career RBI.

- Cody Ross hit his 14th homer of the season, a solo shot in the seventh inning. The ball landed halfway across the parking garage in back of the left field wall.