BOSTON -- Alfonso Soriano walked into a pack of reporters at Fenway Park with his familiar smile, fresh off another big night at the plate. His historic four-game clip had the rest of the Yankees feeling good, too. Soriano has put up eye-popping numbers lately, providing the power his teammates were missing to help New York tighten the playoff race. In a four-game span through Friday nights win at Boston, the 37-year-old Soriano went 13 for 18 with five homers and a record-tying 18 RBIs, becoming the sixth player to drive in that many during a stretch of four games. The huge hits are even more than the Yankees hoped for when they got the good-natured Soriano in a late July trade with the Chicago Cubs, bringing him back to the organization where he began his major league career in 1999. "Its fun to watch the way hes adjusted right away," Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano said. "He was in the National League for six years and to come back to the American League and swing the bat the way he is, is unbelievable, especially right when we need him." Soriano became the first player with 18 RBIs in four games since Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa in August 2002. Before that, it was Yankees Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio in 1939. Soriano had two singles in four at-bats Saturday but was held without an RBI during a 6-1 loss to the rival Red Sox. He is 15 for 22 (.682) in his last five games with five homers and nine runs scored. The Yankees acquired Soriano to boost a struggling lineup that was riddled with injuries and looked nothing like last years team that led the majors with 245 homers. At the time of the deal, they were next-to-last in the AL with 88 home runs. With one four-game outburst, however, he had them thinking about what they could accomplish the rest of the way. The Yankees are chasing a wild-card spot. With the Cubs, Soriano was on a team that had one of the worst records in the NL. "I was having fun," he said Saturday, sitting at his locker about two hours before the game. "But to come back to the Yankees, its more fun. Its back home and makes me feel more comfortable and happy." The season didnt start well for Soriano. He didnt get his 18th RBI until the 47th game, managing just two in 26 April games. Soriano, who has 397 career home runs, hit .254 with 17 homers and 51 RBIs for the Cubs this year. The seven-time All-Star is batting .329 with eight homers and 26 RBIs for the Yankees. In a 10-3 victory Friday night, he hit a three-run homer and drove in four. It was New Yorks fifth win in six games. "Theyre having fun with him. They probably dont want to see him come out of it, either," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Theyre laughing with him and having fun. Hes got a chance to do some damage. Thats the way the guys been his whole career -- from Day One when we saw him. Hes got a lot of power and that still hasnt changed." Missing injured sluggers Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez for most of the year, the Bronx Bombers limped through much of the season. That is, until Soriano arrived and gave them more power behind Cano. "Of course its a big difference," Cano said. "Now, the last thing the pitcher wants is to face a guy like that. Now you see better pitches. You know the guy behind you is really hot and he can do damage at any time." Soriano is just enjoying the ride as much as his teammates. "Theyre happy to see me do what Im doing," he said. And amazed at what hes done. "Its like hes playing slow-pitch softball," Rodriguez said. Atlee Hammaker Jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Logan Webb Jersey . 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DENVER -- Instead of 300 yards receiving from Julio Jones, the Atlanta Falcons got 3 1/2 sacks from Vic Beasley Jr.Maybe this defense really can play.Already an offensive juggernaut, the Falcons turned up the defensive pressure and made life miserable for rookie Paxton Lynch in a 23-16 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.Beasley led the punishment of Lynch, who was making his first start as he filled in for a banged-up Trevor Siemian . Lynch was sacked six times and looked every bit like the rookie he is for the Broncos (4-1).It may be the start of something good for a maligned Falcons defense.This is like a machine and you have to have all the parts of the engine working together, defensive end Dwight Freeney said. When you have that, you can have the success like were having.The road wont get any easier for the Falcons (4-1) as they stay out west to go against Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks next weekend.For Denver, its quickly back to the drawing board in a short week. The team travels to San Diego on Thursday. Siemian and his sprained left shoulder could be back in time for that game.We didnt want to expose (Siemian) today, explained Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, who was taken to the hospital following the game as a precaution with flu-like symptoms. They came into our place, played with a lot of poise and made a lot of big plays.But none of them came from Jones. He had 300 yards receiving in a win over Carolina last weekend, but was held to two catches for 29 yards.They took me away and they were like, `All right, youre not going to beat us today, Jones said. Everybody else is going to step up. Weve got a lot of weapons.Like tailback Tevin Coleman, who had four catches for 132 yards and a TD. Or Devonta Freeman, whose 1-yard TD on fourth down during the opening drive set the tone for the rest of the game. Matt Ryan later converted a fourth-and-1 with a QB sneak that set up a field goal before halftime.Thats our mindset, to attack offensively, Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. We just wanted to keep attacking.A few takeaways from the game:BRONCOS QBss: Lynch struggled in his first NFL start, and the Broncos only have three days to get Siemian healthy.dddddddddddd.Siemian sat out with a sore left shoulder, though Kubiak said he had been very close to being able to play against Atlanta. Instead, Lynch went 23 for 35 for 223 yards and took six sacks. It was a near opposite of his relief appearance last week against the Bucs , when he threw for 170 yards and a score to help the Broncos pull away from Tampa Bay.If my number gets called again, Im going to make sure Im ready to go out there and play, Lynch said. But if my number isnt called, Ill make sure Im ready to play if I have to go in the game.BY AIR OR LAND: Jones took a backseat to Atlantas tandem of tailbacks. Freeman rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries and caught three passes for 35 yards. Coleman caught four passes for 132 yards and a touchdown and added 31 yards on six carries.I thought the running backs really stole the show today, being a factor both in the run game and the pass game, Quinn said.FAST START, THEN WHAT?: The good start is nothing new for the Falcons. But now what?Atlanta won its first five games last season, but only won three games the rest of the way. This year, the Falcons are 4-1 through five games and Quinn is convinced the season wont play out like 2015.We are mentally tougher than what we were, Quinn said.RESHUFFLED LINE: With right tackle Ty Sambrailo struggling to keep Beasley contained, the Broncos juggled around their line. They shifted Michael Schofield from guard to tackle and inserted Darrion Weems at guard. Sambrailo watched from the bench.NEAR PICKS: Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. both had interceptions in their hands, but couldnt hang on.Those are plays we expect to make all the time, Harris said. We just didnt make them today.---AP National Writer Eddie Pells and AP Football Writer Arnie Stapleton contributed.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '