Yankees

Ben Rice Powers Yankees Past Red Sox 9-2 After Ugly Game 1 Loss

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Ben Rice Powers Yankees Past Red Sox 9-2 After Ugly Game 1 Loss

AI Overview

The Yankees answered a 6-0 Game 1 loss by defeating the Red Sox 9-2 Saturday night at Yankee Stadium, splitting the doubleheader and moving three games ahead of Boston for the AL’s top Wild Card spot. Ben Rice went 2-for-5 with 3 RBIs, while New York collected 13 hits without a home run. Max Fried returned from a left-elbow bone bruise, and rookie George Lombard Jr. left with right knee discomfort.

NEW YORK — The Yankees needed a response Saturday night, and after getting embarrassed earlier in the day, they finally gave one.

New York bounced back from a lifeless 6-0 loss in the first game of the doubleheader by pounding the Boston Red Sox 9-2 in the nightcap at Yankee Stadium, splitting the twin bill and creating a little breathing room in the American League Wild Card race.

The Yankees improved to 77-59 and moved 3 games ahead of Boston for the AL’s top Wild Card spot. They also evened the season series against the Red Sox at 6 games apiece.

Considering how ugly Game 1 looked, this was exactly the kind of turnaround they needed.

Ben Rice Delivers When Yankees Need It

Ben Rice was right in the middle of the offense, finishing 2-for-5 with 3 RBIs.

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on Nick Sogard’s solo homer off Max Fried, but the Yankees answered immediately.

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Jose Caballero opened the bottom of the third with a single and stole second. Trent Grisham walked, and Rice followed with a game-tying single to right-center. A throwing error helped Grisham advance to third, setting up Luis García’s RBI groundout and a Jazz Chisholm Jr. sacrifice fly.

Just like that, a 1-0 deficit became a 3-1 Yankees lead.

That inning was important because this offense didn’t spend the night waiting for somebody to hit a 3-run homer. They moved runners, stole bases, put balls in play and kept pressure on Boston.

Max Fried Returns

Max Fried made his first start since August 13 after returning from his second injured-list stint because of a bone bruise in his left elbow.

The Yankees understandably didn’t push him.

Fried threw 63 pitches over 3 2/3 innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 4 and walking 1. The only real damage was Sogard’s homer.

It wasn’t about Fried throwing 7 innings Saturday. It was about getting him back on a major-league mound, seeing how the elbow responded and getting him moving toward being fully stretched out again.

If this team plans on playing deep into October, a healthy Fried is going to be a major part of it.

Yankees Blow It Open Late

Spencer Jones pushed the lead to 4-1 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, scoring García, before Boston pulled within 4-2 in the eighth on Willson Contreras’ RBI triple.

Then the Yankees buried them.

Cody Bellinger and García opened the bottom of the eighth with consecutive singles. Amed Rosario drove in Bellinger, Spencer Jones loaded the bases with an infield single, and Austin Wells followed with a 2-run single.

Caballero kept the inning alive with another hit before Rice finished the damage with a 2-run single to center.

5 runs. 7 hits. No home runs required.

That is probably the most encouraging part of the night.

García finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Rosario went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Caballero had 2 hits and stole his 31st base. Wells drove in 2.

The Yankees finished with 13 hits and scored 9 runs for the fifth time since the All-Star break.

Lombard Injury Is the One Concern

The win did come with some bad news.

Rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. left after the third inning because of right knee discomfort. Lombard apparently tweaked the knee on a check swing in the second, remained in the game long enough to take another at-bat, then was removed.

He had already singled before leaving, and with the rookie establishing himself as an important part of this roster, the Yankees will be hoping this is nothing serious.

Caballero moved from third base to shortstop, while Rosario took over at third.

Now Win the Series

Splitting the doubleheader was necessary. Now the Yankees have a chance to do something better Sunday: take the series.

Will Warren gets the ball in the finale against Boston left-hander Ranger Suárez.

After scoring 9 runs Saturday night, the Yankees need to carry that same approach into Sunday instead of falling back into the offensive disappearing act we saw in Game 1.

They responded. Good.

Now finish the job.

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