“You can’t even imagine how much work went into just getting here,” he said. “I don’t think I have been that nervous in a ballgame ever in my career.”

Before the game, Damon, who spent the past four seasons with Boston, said, “I’m just really excited about taking the field” and he wasn’t nervous.

When he was retired in the first on an easy popup to right fielder Trot Nixon, the crowd roared when he reached second and turned back toward the visitors’ dugout. Damon was retired easily in his next three at-bats on a groundout to Wakefield, a popup to third and a groundout to second.

When he took the field in the bottom of the first, fans threw pieces of green paper on the warning track behind him. Most of it was fake money but some real bills were mixed in. Damon signed a four-year contract with New York worth $52 million, $12 million more than Boston offered over the same span.

The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the first when Youkilis led off with a walk, took second on a groundout and scored on a single by Ortiz.

Wakefield allowed just a hit and a walk through three innings before falling behind 3-1 in the fourth. The Yankees loaded the bases with no outs on a single by Derek Jeter and walks to Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez.

Hideki Matsui’s groundout to Youkilis drove in one run and Robinson Cano singled in two.

Boston tied it in the fourth when Alex Cora and Youkilis singled before Loretta bunted into a forceout at third. Ortiz loaded the bases with a single before Manny Ramirez singled in one run and Nixon tied it with an RBI groundout to first.

In the eighth, Cora walked and Youkilis was hit by a pitch before Loretta’s single to Damon broke the tie.

Notes: Mirabelli threw out Miguel Cairo trying to steal on a pitchout in the third. At San Diego, Mirabelli threw out two of six players attempting to steal. ... Small pitched his first game after being activated Sunday from the disabled list where he had been since the start of the season.

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