The New York Yankees still have a double-digit lead in the AL East and a chance to coast into the postseason.
What they do once they get there will depend on their permeable bullpen elucidating out a cogent way to close out a game.
Staked with a 2-1 lead from Aaron Judge’s 46th homer and 100th RBI that left Fenway park, Clay Holmes, the All-Star reliever toed the rubber in the bottom of the ninth, walked back-to-back batters and then gave up a game-tying single to J.D. Martinez on Friday night. Tommy Pham delivered the walk-off hit in the 10th, and the fans erupted, as the the last-place Red Sox(56-58) stunned the envious first-place Yankees 3-2.
New York pitchers retired 12 straight Boston batters, and were masterful for eight innings. Domingo Germán was stellar, going six innings of one runs ball, on five hits and two walks, striking out four, before scoreless frames from Scott Efross and Aroldis Chapman kept the lead in tact before Clay’s implosion. Holmes was 4-0 with an 0.47 ERA and 16 saves in 17 tries on July 7; since then, he is 1-3 with four blown saves while giving up 11 earned runs in 11 innings. Wanda Peralta temporarily rescued his team, when he inherited runners at the corners with one out in the ninth, but cleaned up Holmes mess with a strikeout of Eric Hosmer, and an induced lineout off the bat of Christian Arryo caught by Isaiah-Kiner-Falefa and sent the contest to extras.
Judge, reached base for the fourth time when he was walked to lead off the 10th. But against Garrett Whitlock, an Anthony Rizzo(RBI double earlier) line-out and strikeouts from the capricious duo in Josh Donaldson and Gleyber Torres, ended the threat. Boston pitchers stiffed the Bombers bats and limited the damage, as Nathan Evoldi went six innings, allowed eight hits and two walks, and two runs, striking out three in six innings. Matt Barnes and Ryan Braiser followed before closer Garret Whitlock worked the last two frames, as Red Sox manager Alex Cora had confidence his lineup would submerge the struggling Holmes and they did.
In the bottom half of the 10th, automatic runner Christian Arroyo took third on a groundout and then stayed there on pinch-hitter Reese McGuire’s bunt single against Loui Trivino. Pham, a trade deadline acquisition, punched one down the third-base line past the diving Donaldson, and the celebration was on.
Cora insisted that he Red Sox, who are in seventh place and four games out in the race for three wild-card spots, still have a chance to make the playoffs, and the fans seem to believe it based on their reactions Friday night.
I used AP to help me with the structure of this article
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