Yankees ‘Showed Fight’ Despite Being Swept By Red Sox, Credit Boston Hitters

It was a tough weekend for the New York Yankees, being swept by the Boston Red Sox in a three-game set while being outscored 22-9.

The series was lopsided with the Red Sox dominating every facet, until the finale on Sunday when the Yankees battled back and tied the game on three different occasions before ultimately falling 6-5.

Shortstop Anthony Volpe had a big hand in the Yankees pulling even in the seventh inning with a three-run bomb to right center field.

“We showed fight, we went down, and we fought back,” Volpe said, as seen on YES Network’s postgame coverage. “We had good (at-bats). All 27 outs we played well so we’re just going to carry that after the day off into the next series.”

Volpe thought he was the hero for the second time in the game in the eighth inning when he momentarily knocked in his fourth RBI of the game.

The 22-year-old rookie launched a single to left field sending Isiah Kiner-Falefa home from first with Rob Refsnyder charging for the ball. The Red Sox outfielder lost his footing and slipped on the grass before hitting cutoff man Trevor Story, who got the ball to catcher Connor Wong, who applied the tag. The play was originally called a run for New York before being overturned in Boston’s favor.

“At this point, every loss is tough,” Volpe said. “We’re battling, and we’re trying to play better, and we want to capitalize. Like I said, every loss at this point is tough.”

The Red Sox have defeated the Yankees in eight out of nine games this season with only a four-game series left at Fenway Park in September. While New York may not have expected to be outscored 54-24 by Boston, they recognize the talent in the other clubhouse.

“They’re really good, a really good club,” Volpe said. “They attack on the pitching side, and then they got a lot of good hitters.”

Clarke Schmidt pitched 5 2/3 solid innings for New York, giving up two runs on four hits, including a first-inning solo home run to Rafael Devers.

“You gotta give credit to Devers,” Schmidt said, as seen on YES Network’s postgame coverage. “He’s a special player and obviously seeing the ball really well right now. So, other than a few (at-bats) with Devers, I think for the most part it was a really good today.”

The Yankees are 60-64 on the season and at risk of not finishing above .500 for the first time in 30 years. They have lost eight consecutive games for the first time since 1995, are currently in last place in the American League East, and are nine games out of a playoff spot with 38 games remaining in the season. Regardless, they are not ready to quit on the season just yet.

“I feel like these stretches, these losses are deflating,” Volpe said. “But I feel it’s because we know what we’re capable of a lot more. And everybody believes that we can do it so we’re just gonna keep stacking the days, and we’re going to turn around, and I think everybody knows it. … Regardless of if anyone’s been through it before, or whatever, I feel like everybody’s pretty pissed.”

The Red Sox have a six-game lead on the Yankees but are also in the thick of the AL wild-card race sitting three games behind the Seattle Mariners.

Boston heads out to Houston for a four-game series with the Astros starting Monday, while New York hosts the Washington Nationals for three games beginning on Tuesday.