The Boston Red Sox offense came up short in their rally, losing their second consecutive game to the New York Yankees, 5-4, on Friday at Yankee Stadium.
The Red Sox fell to 72-78, while the Yankees improved to 92-58.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
History will have to wait for yet another day.
With the Red Sox entering Friday's contest with only 13 games left in the regular season, and the Yankees clinching their playoff berth on Thursday, all eyes remained on Aaron Judge's slugging chase at history.
However, Major League Baseball's current leader in home runs this season came up short again, finishing 1-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts.
The Red Sox offense, on the other hand, didn't go down without a fight, battling back from a three-run deficit entering the sixth inning -- playing a major role in an abrupt ejection of both starting pitcher Gerrit Cole and Yankees manager Aaron Boone to end the inning.
On a night where hits were a rarity -- combined 11 total recorded between the Red Sox and Yankees -- the most valuable swing of the night came from Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, who contributed an RBI single in the eighth inning, ultimately serving as the game-winner.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- Trevino provided the game-decider in the bottom of the eighth inning against southpaw Red Sox reliever Matt Strahm. The 29-year-old veteran's clutch at-bat was his only hit of the night (1-for-4).
-- Tommy Pham broke open the game in the first inning, homering for the 17th time this season. The 34-year-old veteran went 1-for-4 at the plate.
-- Alex Verdugo spoiled Cole's outing with his three-run, game-tying home run, the 10th of his campaign. The 26-year-old finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs.
WAGER WATCH
DraftKings Sportsbook set the odds of Verdugo going deep at +800 heading into Friday's matchup in New York. Verdugo made quick work adding to his home run total this season, crushing a game-tying blast in the sixth inning against Cole. By punching that ticket, a $100 bet would have amounted to a $900 total payout.
ON DECK AT NESN
After two games off the NESN airwaves, the Red Sox return to NESN for the third game of four-game set against the Yankees on Saturday. First pitch from Yankee Stadium is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, along with an hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.
