Sweep! Stunned Yankees take 10-inning, walk-off loss from Red Sox | Rapid reaction

The Yankees lost in the most brutal way imaginable — a walk-off, 10-inning defeat at the hands of the Red Sox, who swept them in four games at Fenway Park.

BOSTON — Sweep, Caroline.

The Yankees miserable Boston trip ended in the most unthinkably brutal way — a blown-lead … extra-innings … walk-off 5-4 loss to the Red Sox early Monday morning.

Jonathan Holder reprised his role as Yankees goat, giving up the deciding run when Andrew Benintendi singled to center, scoring pinch runner and ex-Yankees farmhand Tony Renda from second base.

Holder’s first collapse came when he blew a four-run Yankees lead, retiring none of the seven batters he faced, in Thursday’s loss.

The defeat meant a four-game sweep at the hands of their bitter rivals in a series that — they hoped — would show they could stand with the American League East leaders.

Instead, it was clear: They’re worlds apart. 

What it means

The loss continued the Yankees’ horrid stretch, extending their losing streak to five — their longest drought of the season.

The Yankees are 9 1/2 games back of Boston in the division.

They will face the Red Sox six more times this season — a three-game set at home before finishing the season with another three games at Fenway.

The win came after the Yankees lost three straight to the Red Sox, each game seeming to display just how much better the Red Sox are.

The initial meltdown

Closer Aroldis Chapman melted down, dumping the Yankees into extra innings.

Given a three-run lead, Chapman completely fell apart, his control nonexistant. He walked the bases loaded and, with two outs, star J.D. Martinez made him pay. Martinez ripped a single up the middle to bring in two runs and cut the Yankees’ lead to 4-3.

It got so much worse.

Immediately after, Miguel Andujar committed his second error of the night, short-hopping first baseman Greg Bird after backhanding a groundball. Xander Bogaerts was safe. The game was tied. Chapman struck out Mitch Moreland to stop the bleeding.

It was Chapman’s second dumpster fire performance in five appearances since the All-Star break.

When they were winning

The Yankees’ four-run seventh set them apart. It was the first lead they’d had since blowing a 4-zip advantage Thursday night.

It was a wild sequence.

Brett Gardner (single) and Austin Romine (walk) started the inning and got Price pulled for reliever Heath Hembree.

Simply hoping to contribute to a 1-all tie, Shane Robinson tried notching his second sacrifice bunt. But he missed twice and got Hembree to a full count. Hembree continually went inside to Robinson, thwarting the bunt, and at one point Robinson — and the rest of the Yankees dugout — took a long glare at Hembree. Robinson walked to load the bases.

Then Aaron Hicks came through, tapping a two-strike pitch up the middle. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts watched it bounce off his glove and into shallow center. The Yankees took the lead, 2-1. 

In the next at-bat, Giancarlo Stanton ripped an RBI groundball single through the left side to make it 3-1 Yankees. Later, Gleyber Torres would lift a sacrifice fly for the three-run cushion.

The Yankees had a shot at breaking it open early. Luke Voit, starting over Greg Bird at first base with lefty Price pitching, however, grounded back to the pitcher with the bases loaded. 

Tanaka time

Tanaka went 4 2/3 innings, giving up just the Betts homer.

Tanaka’s head immediately dropped when Betts made contact with the 2-0 cutter the right-hander left up and out over the plate. It soared so high and far that Yankees outfielders hardly moved. It disappeared behind the Green Monster and the 0-0 tie was snapped.

Tanaka stayed in to strike out Andrew Benintendi, but Boone pulled him after Miguel Andujar’s error with the mighty J.D. Martinez due up. Andujar misplayed a Steve Pearce groundball, backing up rather than attacking it. The hop proved too high and awkward for Andujar, who stabbed at it and missed. The ball rolled into the left field corner and Martinez went to second base. David Robertson got out of the jam unscathed.

Tanaka threw 97 pitches, striking out nine, tying a season high. He whiffed at least two in every inning but the second. He also walked one and surrendered six hits.

He dueled with Price through four scoreless innings — neither of them pitching particularly well, though. Price entered the night with 24.92 ERA in two starts vs. the Yankees this year. He lasted six innings, striking out five while walking three and surrendering two hits.

Next

Yankees righty Lance Lynn (7-8, 4.89 ERA) vs. White Sox righty Dylan Covey (4-7, 5.57 ERA) at 8:10 p.m. Monday in Chicago.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.