After a rainout postponed Saturdays game, the Boston Red Sox would sweep a doubleheader over the New York Yankees on Sunday that would also finish off a three game series sweep at Fenway Park.
In game one- New York got off to an early 2-0 lead on a two-run first inning homerun by Gleyber Torres. That is all the scoring the Yankees would do however, as the Boston bullpen shut them down and eventually the offense would grab the lead on a sixth inning RBI double by Connor Wong to take a 6-2 win. An RBI groundout by Rafael Devers and an RBI single by Adam Duvall had tied it in the fifth, before Wong put them ahead for good. Alex Verdugo also added an RBI double and Justin Turner had an RBI single in that three run sixth. Caleb Ort was called up to make the spot start on the mound and went the first 2.1 innings giving up two runs on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. The bulk relievers Chris Murphy and Nick Pivetta were excellent out of the bullpen allowing no runs on just one hit with no walks and seven strikeouts over 5.2 innings. Chris Martin worked a perfect ninth inning, with Pivetta (4-4) picking up the victory. Verdugo, Duvall, Justin Turner, and Kike Hernandez had two hits each. Michael King (1-3) took the loss for the Yankees in relief of starter Clarke Schmidt. Jake Bauers had two hits.
In the nightcap- New York once again scored first in the opening inning, but again didn’t score after that. A catchers interference call against the Yankees Kyle Higashioka with Reese McGuire batting with the bases loaded in a tie game in the fourth would be the game winner as part of a 4-1 Boston win to complete the weekend sweep. Anthony Rizzo knocked in the New York run with an RBI groundout, before Hernandez tied it in the second for the Red Sox with an RBI double. With a 2-1 lead in the fifth, the hosts got some insurance when Triston Casas hit a groundrule two-run double down the right field line. Brayan Bello (4-4) was superb on the hill giving up one run on four hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in 7.0 innings to notch the w. Kenley Jansen slammed the door with a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his 15th save on the season. Verdugo had two hits as Boston improves to 37-35. Torres had two hits for New York, and Luis Severino (0-2) suffered the pitching defeat allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 5.0 innings. The Yankees fall to 39-33. The Red Sox begin a seven game road trip Monday night starting with a four game set in Minnesota against the Twins. Lefthander James Paxton (2-1, 3.09 ERA) toes the rubber in the opener Monday at 7:40 p.m., to be opposed by Twins right hander Pablo Lopez (3-3, 4.27). Boston has won five of the first six meetings over New York this season, and also are now 4-0 this year when wearing the alternate ‘City Connect’ jerseys and 19-4 all-time when donning that uniform.
Story by Chris Lessner/Highlight videos courtesy of the MLB website
