JD Martinez takes a pitch back on July 14 against Toronto. Martinez homered on Saturday as the Red Sox won their third straight game against the New York Yankees. Photo by Chris Lessner (click to enlarge)
The 2019 Boston Red Sox may finally be at a turning point of their season. Boston slapped another 15 hits, and added seven more extra base hits as they beat the New York Yankees for a third straight game 9-5 at Fenway Park Saturday evening.
New York (66-38) took their first lead of the series when Gio Urshela hit a solo homer off Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez in the top of the second inning. The Sox came right back though when Andrew Benintendi hooked a solo homer around Peskys Pole in right field in the bottom of the second to tie it 1-1. The Yanks took their final lead of the day when Urshela singled in a run in the top of the fourth. JD Martinez took one out out of the park to left center in the bottom of the fourth to give the Sox the lead for good. It was the 22nd of the year for Martinez, and the two run homer gave the hosts a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Michael Chavis singled in a run later in the inning to make it 4-2.
Edwin Encarnacion got New York back within a run with an RBI double off the monster in left in the top of the fifth. Xander Bogaerts increased it back to a two run lead though with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth. Brock Holt hit a sacrifice fly for an RBI, Jackie Bradley Jr. hit an RBI triple, and Mookie Betts drove Bradley Jr. in with a sacrifice fly all in the sixth to make it 8-3 Boston. Sam Travis made it 9-3 with an RBI single in the seventh. Kyle Higashioka capped off the scoring as he hit a two run single for the Yankees in the eighth.
Rodriguez (13-4) picked up yet another win on the mound allowing three runs on seven hits, with three walks and five strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Matt Barnes didn’t allow any runs on one hit with four strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Nathan Eovaldi struggled again out of the pen allowing two runs on three hits in 1.0 inning. Brandon Workman pitched a perfect ninth inning as the Sox improve to 59-47 and have won five of their last six games. Rafael Devers, Benintendi, and Travis all had three hits a piece. Urshela had four hits for New York, while Encarnacion and Luke Voit added two a piece. CC Sabathia (5-6) allowed five runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings to take the loss. Chad Green was hammered in relief after taking over for Sabathia allowing four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. Boston has scored 38 runs and had 52 total hits, along with 32 extra base hits in winning the first three games of the series. The Sox with the win also moved into the second Wild Card spot in the American League standings.
The Red Sox will go for the four game sweep on Sunday night at 7:05 p.m. Chris Sale will start for Boston, while New York tries to end their slide by sending Domingo German to the mound.
