Aaron Judge clubbed his major-league-leading 53rd home run of the season as the host New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Sunday afternoon in the finale of a four-game set.
Judge’s two-run blast came during a three-run third for New York (87-63), which took three games in the series. Gleyber Torres opened the frame with a solo shot before Juan Soto singled and Judge cleared the center field wall (445 feet) to put the Yankees up 4-0.
Boston (75-75) quickly cut its deficit in half.
Rafael Devers singled with one out in the top of the fourth, setting the table for Tyler O’Neill’s two-run homer. It was O’Neill’s 31st long ball of the season.
That would be all the Red Sox would muster against New York starter Carlos Rodon (15-9), who allowed the two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Rodon walked two and struck out five.
Giancarlo Stanton gave the Yankees some insurance with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Kutter Crawford (8-15) got the start for Boston and gave up four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and fanned seven.
Crawford was let down by the Red Sox lineup, which went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
Boston’s inability to come through with runners on was on full display in the top of the ninth. With Wilyer Abreu on first and Trevor Story on second with one out, New York manager Aaron Boone turned to right-hander Tommy Kahnle.
Kahnle needed just four pitches to get Jarren Duran to ground into a game-ending double play, giving Kahnle his first save of the season.
In all, five Yankees relievers combined to blank the Red Sox over 3 2/3 innings.
Connor Wong went 3-for-4 with two doubles as Boston fell for the fourth time in six games.
Torres finished with two hits, two runs and an RBI for New York, which improved to 8-6 this month.
–Field Level Media
