Mookie Betts prepares for an at bat at Fenway Park earlier this season. Photo courtesy of Sue Zeiba.
Andrew Bentinitendi hit a two out walkoff single in the bottom of the 10th inning Sunday night, to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 come from behind win over the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. The win gives Boston the four game weekend sweep, and now a 9.5 game lead over New York in the American League East.
David Price hadn’t allowed a run on only three hits over the first six innings, and Mookie Betts hit a solo homer that nearly cleared the seats above the monster in left in the bottom of the fifth off NY starter Masahiro Tanaka that had Boston up 1-0. Price allowed a hit and a walk to lead off the Yankees seventh, and was removed in favor of Heath Hembree. Shane Robinson worked a walk from Hembree to load the bases with no outs, and then Aaron Hicks hit a sharp grounder to Xander Bogaerts that was misplayed allowing two runs to score to make it 2-1 Yankees. Giancarlo Stanton added an RBI single, and Gleybur Torres added an RBI sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4-1.
Boston wasn’t done however, down still three runs in the bottom of the ninth against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman. The Sox got two on when Sandy Leon and Betts walked with one out. Benintendi struck out for out number two. Steve Pearce then walked to load the bases to bring JD Martinez to the plate as the winning run. Martinez lined a two run single to center to cut it to 4-3. Bogaerts then chopped one to third baseman Miguel Andujar, who skipped a throw to first that couldn’t be handled by first baseman Greg Bird allowing pinch runner Jackie Bradley Jr. to score to tie it 4-4 and send the game to extra innings. Andujar was charged with a throwing error on the play.
In the 10th, Sox reliever Matt Barnes set the Yankees down in order in the top half. In the bottom half, Sandy Leon hit a two out single off NY reliever Jonathan Holder, and moved to second on a wild pitch. New York then intentionally walked Betts. Beninitendi then grounded a 2-1 pitch into center field to score pinch runner Tony Renda to end it. Benintendi had three hits, while Betts and Eduardo Nunez had two each to lead the 79-34 Red Sox.
Price, who ends up with a no decision for Boston had a final stat line of 6.0 innings thrown, two runs, four hits, three walks, with five strikeouts. Hembree, Ryan Brasier, Tyler Thornburg, and Barnes combined to allow no runs on two hits in four innings. Barnes (4-3) got credit for the win. For NY, Tanaka went 4.2 innings and allowed one run on six hits with nine strikeouts, while Chapman had a blown save and Holder (1-3) took the loss in relief. The Yankees were 498-2 entering Sunday night when taking a three run lead or more into the ninth inning.
Boston now has a day off before beginning a three game series at Toronto Tuesday night at 7:07. Drew Pomeranz vs Marcus Stroman is the scheduled pitching matchup.
