After losing the first two games of the series in New York, the Red Sox finally got to celebrate their third straight American League East Division Championship with an 11-6 win over the New York Yankees in the Bronx Thursday night.
JD Martinez got the offense going in the first when he would single home Mookie Betts to give the Sox a 1-0 lead
Betts would add two more with a two run single in the second to give the Sox a 3-0 lead
Luke Voit would launch a 2-run homer to get the Yankees within 3-2 in the second.
Brock Holt would answer back with a shot of his own putting the Sox up 4-2 in the third, sending one deep into the second deck in right.
Eduardo Rodriguez would struggle throughout the game. In the fourth inning he would walk the bases loaded paving the way for reliever Heath Hembree to enter the game, who would give up a grand slam to Giancarlo Stanton to give the Yanks a 6-4 lead.
The Sox were determined though, as they would get a run back in the 5th on a JD Martinez RBI double play groundout to make it 6-5.
Jackie Bradley Jr. would tie the game at 6-6 on a solo shot that would shift the momentum back towards the Sox in the seventh. It was on a sac fly by Xander Boegarts in the same inning that gave Boston back the lead, followed by a throwing error that allowed pinch runner Tzu-Wein Lin to score from third to give the Sox an 8-6 lead and one they would not look back on.
Betts capitalized and capped off the game in the 8th with a three-run shot off Aroldis Chapman that would lead the Sox to a party in the Bronx as they would clinch the division. Betts had four hits and five RBI to lead the Boston offense, while Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers had a pair of hits each.
Steven Wright (3-1) would get the win in relief, allowing no runs on just one hit in 3.0 innings, while Chad Green (8-3) was tagged with the loss in relief for the Yanks. Rodriquez allowed five runs, four hits, with seven walks, and four strikeouts in 3.2 innings in the start for Boston.
Up next is the final road series of the regular season for the Sox as they head to Cleveland to take on the A.L. Central Division champion Indians. Chris Sale takes to the hill for Boston in the opener Friday night at 7:10. He is expected to throw 65 pitches in his outing according to manager Alex Cora. He will be opposed by Cleveland righty Trevor Bauer.
