After Eduardo Rodriguez set the Yankees down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, Red Sox leadoff hitter Kike Hernandez smacked the first pitch he saw from Gerrit Cole over the monster. That sparked a nine-run performance from Boston’s offense Sunday afternoon, routing to a 9-2 win.
Just moments after Hernandez’s solo shot, Rafael Devers blasted a three-run big fly into the bullpen, 451 feet, to make it 4-0. In the third, the Red Sox added two more with a solo shot from J.D. Martinez, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Christian Vazquez in order to make it 6-0.
Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez tossed five scoreless frames, before summoning a two-run homer off the bat of Aaron Judge in the sixth. The left-hander finished his day allowing five hits, no walks, while fanning eight Yankee batters. According to Baseball Savant, the lefty hurled 96 pitches (56 strikes), 37 fastballs, 23 changeups, 19 cutters, 11 sinkers, and six sliders, as his season record moves to 6-4 on the year.
Darwinzon Hernandez came on for the seventh inning, before giving up both a single and a walk, and being replaced by former Yankees minor-leaguer Garrett Whitlock with just one out. Whitlock would load the bases by walking Gary Sanchez, but would set D.J. Lemahieu down looking, before Aaron Judge popped out to retire the side.
Boston added two more runs in the final third of the ballgame. Rafael Devers knocked in Xander Bogaerts with an RBI single in the seventh, and Christian Vazquez scorched a solo shot over the moster before Kike Hernandez added another, with an RBI double.
Yacksel Rios threw a shutdown ninth inning to secure the victory, making the Red Sox 6-0 versus the Yankees this season, and 47-31 overall in 2021.
Game Notes:
- Danny Santana recorded his first multi-hit game with the Red Sox, going 2-for-4. He entered today’s action 8-for-12 in his career off Gerrit Cole, and went 1-for-2 today off the right-hander.
- Rafael Devers went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer.
(Photo of Rafael Devers/Associated Press)