BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After another win over the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox were unclear about why they are dominating their longest rival.
The Red Sox hope to field more inquiries about getting another victory over the Yankees on Sunday night when the American League East foes conclude a four-game set in New York.
The Red Sox will seek a series sweep.
Boston is 8-1 in the season series, and after starting with a 9-6 loss on June 6, the Red Sox have outscored the Yankees 48-22. Three of Boston’s major-league-leading 20 games with at least 10 runs have come against the Yankees, including Saturday’s 12-1 rout.
Trevor Story had three of Boston’s 17 hits with a two-run double and a solo homer in the opening five innings Saturday. Story got his third hit during a seven-run ninth inning and is batting .351 (13-for-37) with two homers and 11 RBIs in the season series.
Carlos Narvaez had three hits, including a two-run homer, as Boston scored its most runs against the Yankees in New York since a 13-9 victory on Sept. 7, 2013. Narvaez is hitting .284 (78-for-275) in its past eight games against the Yankees.
“Just playing good baseball,” Story said. “I don’t know if there’s a certain thing you can pinpoint. Obviously tensions are high, the rivalry and all that, but we’re just playing good baseball I think at the right time.”
Boston’s eight-game winning streak over the Yankees is the longest since from Sept. 20, 2020, to July 16, 2021. The Red Sox last won nine straight over the Yankees Sept. 28, 2008, to June 11, 2009.
The Yankees are trying to avoid getting swept in a four-game series by the Red Sox for the first time since Aug. 2-5, 2018, in Fenway Park.
“We’re definitely angry, especially against your rivals,” New York captain Aaron Judge said Saturday. “We don’t like the showing we’ve had here at home. We just got to step up. That’s it. Everybody in this room has got to play a little bit better, pick up a notch and go out there and take care of business tomorrow.”
Giancarlo Stanton homered, but the Yankees struck out 13 times, and their bottom four hitters of Trent Grisham, Anthony Volpe, Jose Caballero and Austin Wells were a combined 0-for-13.
“It’s not ideal,” Stanton said. “Unacceptable, we all know that. We’ve just got to get (it) tomorrow.”
New York enters Sunday’s game 1 1/2 games behind the Red Sox for the top spot in the AL wild-card race after winning five straight games before this series. The Yankees are hitting .193 (50-for-259) with 76 strikeouts during their skid against Boston.
After getting seven stellar innings apiece from Brayan Bello on Friday and Garrett Crochet on Saturday, Boston right-hander Dustin May (7-9, 4.59 ERA) will make his fourth start since being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will make his first career start against the Yankees.
May is 1-2 with a 2.87 ERA since the trade and last pitched in Monday’s 6-3 home loss to the Baltimore Orioles when he allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings while matching his season high with 100 pitches.
Carlos Rodon (13-7, 3.24 ERA), who is 3-0 in his past five starts, will start for New York. on Sunday. In Tuesday’s 13-3 win at Tampa Bay, Rodon allowed two runs on five hits in six innings.
Rodon is 4-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 11 career starts against the Red Sox. Since joining the Yankees as a free agent after the 2022 season, the left-hander is 3-3 with a 5.12 ERA in six starts against the Red Sox and allowed eight earned runs in a pair of losses to them in June.
–Field Level Media