Rivalry renewed: Red Sox stop slide in Bronx, beat Yanks 5-2

NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Michael King, Marwin González added a two-run double and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 5-2 Friday night in the first of the rivals’ 19 meetings this season.

Former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi (7-2) won his third straight start, taking a shutout in the sixth before tiring, and the Red Sox stopped their 11-game losing streak in the Bronx with their first win at Yankee Stadium since June 2, 2019.

After going their first 57 games without facing the Red Sox, the Yankees started a stretch of 14 games against Boston in their next 43. New York and Boston had not met for the first time this late in a full season since 1996, when their first game was July 1.

A season-high sellout crowd of 18,040, boosted by an easing of coronavirus restrictions, booed as the Yankees grounded into a pair of double plays that raised their major league-leading total to 54. New York lost for the eighth time in 11 games.

Gary Sánchez was jeered for a four-strikeout night that dropped his batting average to .198. He contributed to an 0 for 15 by the bottom four in New York’s batting order that included Rougned Odor (.182), Clint Frazier (.179) and Brett Gardner (.192).

Yankees hitters struck out 15 times, their sixth time over eight games in double digits and 29th time this season. Even the public-address system gave up early, starting Frank Sinatra's rendition of “New York, New York” prematurely when Sánchez fouled off a 1-2 pitch with two outs in the ninth. Sánchez fouled three more pitches, then struck out.

Xander Bogaerts scored twice for second-place Boston and had four hits in five at-bats after an 0-for-24 slide.

Eovaldi allowed two runs — one earned — and eight hits in six innings.

Hirokazu Sawamura struck...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Rivalry-renewed-Red-Sox-stop-slide-in-Bronx-16226439.php