Fenway Park has been a house of horrors for New York Yankees pitchers this weekend.
Having allowed a combined 29 runs over two games entering Saturday, the Yankees gave up nine more as the Boston Red Sox beat New York for the third straight time, a 9-5 victory in the penultimate contest of the four-game set.
Three-run innings for the Sox in the fourth and sixth effectively put the game out of reach, with Boston at one point scoring in four straight innings. Eduardo Rodriguez, meanwhile, did more than enough to give his team a chance to win.
The Red Sox climb to 59-47 with the win, while the Yankees fall to 66-38 with the loss.
Here’s how it went down:
GAME IN A WORD
More.
More good offense and more good pitching for the Sox.
ON THE BUMP
— Eduardo Rodriguez earned his 13th victory of the season, giving up three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and a trio of walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Rodriguez surrendered the first run of the game in the second inning, leaving a 3-1 changeup over the heart of the plate to Gio Urshela, who knocked a solo shot into right-center.
The southpaw finished the rest of the second without issue before pitching a one-hit, scoreless third. But with the game tied at one in the fourth, Rodriguez allowed a leadoff double to Luke Voit, who came home two batters later on an Urshela single to make it 2-1 New York.
An inning later, with Boston back ahead 4-2, Rodriguez issued a one-out walk to Aaron Hicks, who scored two batters later on a two-out double from Edwin Encarnacion, trimming Boston’s lead down to one.
The 26-year-old returned for the sixth, allowing runners to reach first and second with two outs before getting pulled.
— Matt Barnes replaced Rodriguez and struck out Kyle Higashioka to end the inning and strand both runners.
Barnes returned for the seventh and allowed a double in a scoreless frame, striking out three.
— Nathan Eovaldi took over in the eighth and got into a little trouble.
The right-hander gave up a one-out single and double before striking out Mike Tauchman. He then got into a 12-pitch battle with Higashioka, who won the duel by lining a single into left on that 12th pitch to bring in both runners, cutting Boston’s lead to 9-5. With Higashioka on first, Eovaldi struck out Aaron Hicks to end the inning without further damage.
— Brandon Workman tossed a clean ninth to close the door, striking out two.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Down 1-0 after one and a half innings, Andrew Benintendi pulled the Red Sox level in the bottom of the second.
With no one on and two down, Benintendi roped a ball that appeared to hit off the wall in right near Pesky’s Pole and trickle back into play, good for a double. But after a review from the umpires, it was determined Benintendi actually had hit a homer, his ninth round-tripper of the season.
— The Sox broke the game open a bit in the fourth.
Down 2-1 entering the frame, Rafael Devers got things going for the Sox with a leadoff single, coming home two batters later on a J.D. Martinez homer into the Green Monster seats, putting the Sox up 3-2.
Christian Vazquez followed that up with a single, moving to third on a two-out base knock to left by Sam Travis. The next hitter, Michael Chavis, also singled to left, plating Vazquez for Boston’s fourth run.
— Boston didn’t stop in the fifth, with Devers and Xander Bogaerts hitting back-to-back two-baggers to add a run.
— Then in the sixth, the Sox scored three more.
Benintendi smacked a leadoff double, moving to third on a Travis single in the next at-bat. Brock Holt, pinch hitting for Chavis, brought in Benintendi with a sacrifice fly, then Travis, who had stolen second, moved home on a Jackie Bradley Jr. triple off the Monster, extending Boston’s advantage to 7-3. Mookie Betts scored Bradley with a sac fly of his own for the Sox’s eighth run.
— The Red Sox made it four straight innings with a run, scoring one in the seventh to go ahead 9-3.
Benintendi hit a two-out double, then came home when a Travis pop up to shallow right-center barely fell in.
— Devers, Benintendi and Travis had three hits apiece.
— Chavis had a pair of hits.
— Bogaerts, Martinez, Vazquez and Bradley each had one hit.
— Betts and Holt both went hitless, but did have sac flies.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Someone has been listening to Kacey Musgraves.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will look to complete a sweep of the Yankees in the four-game set Sunday night. Chris Sale is set to get the ball for the Red Sox and will be opposed by Domingo German. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.
