Red Sox Wrap: Xander Bogaerts’ Extra-Inning Heroics Help Sweep Yankees

The Boston Red Sox completed the sweep of the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night with a 6-5 extra-inning verdict in the final game of the three-game set.

It was Xander Bogaerts who came up clutch with a game-winning, two-run single in the 10th inning. It was the seventh hit of the night for the Red Sox as they mustered just six during the first nine innings. Boston did, however, benefit from home runs from Alex Verdugo and Marwin González.

The Boston bullpen put together a strong middle-inning performance in relief of starter Garrett Richards. Darwinzon Hernandez, Adam Ottavino and Josh Taylor combined to go the three innings while allowing just one hit. Matt Barnes, however, would allow the Yankees to tie the game in the ninth and Phillips Valdez labored through the 10th before getting the save.

The Red Sox improved to 36-23 while the Yankees fell to 31-29.

Here’s how it went down:

GAME IN A WORD
Sweep.

The Red Sox will leave New York with brooms in hand, and it was a thrilling one which earned them the sweep.

ON THE BUMP
— Richards didn’t have his best stuff early on, but ultimately got out of a few jams to keep Boston in the game.

Richards went five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks. He struck out six while throwing 66 of his 95 pitches for strikes.

Richards labored through it, though. He got out of a jam in the first as he struck out the final two batters with runners on second and third; he struck out the final batter of the third with runners on first and second; and he induced an inning-ending ground ball to Rafael Devers with runners on at first and third. Richards retired the side in the second and the fifth innings.

— Hernandez came on in the sixth inning and didn’t allow a hit with one strikeout.

— Ottavino took the mound in the seventh and didn’t allow a hit or a walk. Eight of his 15 pitches were thrown for strikes.

— Taylor allowed the first hit since the fifth inning when he came on for the eighth. Taylor, however, struck out two batters with 15 of his 19 pitches going for strikes.

— Barnes came on for the ninth but couldn’t pull out the save. Gleyber Torres ripped a RBI double to left field to score Aaron Judge, who reached on a one-out walk. It tied the game 4-all and sent it to extras.

— Phillips Valdez came on with a two-run lead and a runner on second in the 10th. The right-hander hit the first batter he faced, but induced a double play as the Yankees then had a runner on third with two outs.

Valdez allowed one run to score before inducing a game-ending ground ball to Marwin González.

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IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Verdugo got the scoring started with a solo home run in the first inning. Verdugo’s blast, which was his eighth of the season and measured 446 feet, gave Boston a 1-0 lead before the Red Sox recorded two outs.

— Marwin González tied the game 3-all in the seventh. González unleashed one 347 feet to left field, scoring Hunter Refroe who started the frame with a lead-off walk.

— Christian Arroyo led off the eighth with a blooper that was ruled a double and he later scored on a sacrifice fly by Bogaerts. It gave Boston a 4-3 lead, the Red Sox first lead since the Verdugo homer.

— Boston had runners on first and second with nobody out in the 10th inning before a sacrifice bunt from Arroyo advanced them to second and third with out one. Bogaerts then stepped in in the clutch with a two-out, two-run single to left-center. It gave Boston a 6-4 lead in the 10th.

— The Red Sox were retired in order during the second and fifth innings.

— Bogaerts was the only Red Sox batter to record multiple hits.

TWEET OF THE GAME
The home run cart got some national TV time Sunday night.

UP NEXT
The Red Sox will host the Miami Marlins at Fenway Park on Monday with first pitch set for 5:10 p.m. ET.