Masataka Yoshida hit a tying two-run homer with two outs in the ninth off Clay Holmes, and Ceddanne Rafaela hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the 10th as the visiting Boston Red Sox earned their fifth straight win by rallying for a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees.
Yoshida fell behind 0-2 in the count against Holmes, who blew his fifth save in 24 opportunities. Yoshida pushed the count full and then capped an eight-pitch at-bat by hitting a sinker well over the right field wall.
After Yoshida’s third homer, the Red Sox went ahead two pitches into the 10th when Rafaela connected on a 1-0 fastball by Tommy Kahnle (0-1) and hit his 10th homer this season to center field.
The Red Sox won their second straight extra-inning game and beat the Yankees for the third straight time. Boston also improved to 13-4 in its past 17 contests.
Justin Slaten (5-2) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and Kenley Jansen stranded two in the 10th for his 17th save in 18 chances.
The Yankees jumped out to a 3-1 lead after scoring all their runs in the fourth off Boston’s Tanner Houck and Bailey Horn.
Juan Soto scored the first run on a throwing error by second baseman Emmanuel Valdez, and Anthony Volpe chased Houck by drawing a bases-loaded walk. The Yankees added their third run on a groundout by Trent Grisham.
The Yankees lost their fourth straight and fell to 4-14 in their past 18 games since an 8-1 win at Fenway Park on June 14.
Already missing Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) and Anthony Rizzo (forearm), the Yankees lost Gleyber Torres to right groin tightness when the second baseman was injured on an infield single in the fourth.
New York’s Nestor Cortes allowed one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out Rafael Devers three times, notched eight strikeouts overall and issued one walk.
Romy Gonzalez had two of Boston’s three hits off Cortes and slugged his first homer with the Red Sox in the fifth.
Houck struggled after the 37-minute rain delay and allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out one, walked four and is winless in his past four starts.
–Field Level Media