Yankees rally but see winning streak end vs. Red Sox

The Yankees erased a fur-run deficit, but a J.D. Martinez solo home run gave the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 win.

NEW YORK — The Yankees had another improbable rally in them. This time, it went for naught.

After the Yankees scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game, J.D. Martinez dealt the decisive blow when he hit a solo home run into the first row of the short porch in right field in the top of the eighth. That was the difference in a 5-4 win for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

The loss snapped the Yankees’ eight-game winning streak and their 11-game home winning streak.

Yankee right fielder Aaron Judge had a chance at robbing Martinez’s home run, which came off reliever Dellin Betances. The ball went just over Judge’s outstretched glove as fans — legally — reached for it in the seats.

The deflating shot erased the Yankees’ tying seventh-inning rally, when the Red Sox bullpen opened the door for a comeback. Singles by Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torries, plus a walk to pinch hitter Neil Walker loaded the bases with one out.

Andujar, Torres impress Walker

Brett Gardner walked to force home a run, and Judge followed with a RBI single to make it a 4-2 game. With the bases still loaded, Didi Gregorius grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Walker from third. Gardner then scored from third on a wild pitch with Giancarlo Stanton at the plate. Stanton grounded out to first to end the inning.

Martinez’s home run was the lone hit the Red Sox recorded after a 55-minute rain delay in the top of the fifth inning. The Red Sox led 4-0 when play was paused at 8:47 p.m.

Just minutes before the delay, Red Sox designated hitter Hanley Ramirez launched his second home run in as many days. His solo shot into the Boston bullpen in left-center field came off Yankees starter CC Sabathia, who gave up four earned runs on nine hits over four-plus innings. He had five strikeouts and no walks.

Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts opened the scoring in the first inning when he led off the game with a double before scoring on an RBI groundout by Ramirez two batters later.

Betts singled to lead off the top of the third inning and moved to third on an Andrew Benintendi double. Betts scored on a Ramirez single, and Benintendi then scored on a Xander Bogaerts single.

The Yankees wasted a chance to get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. After loading the bases with one out, first baseman Tyler Austin struck out looking, and Andujar flew out to the warning track in right-center field to end the threat.

What it means

Boston’s win pushed the Red Sox back into a first-place tie with the Yankees in the AL East. Both will enter the Friday at 26-11, which is the best record in baseball.

The two teams are both 3-3 against each other this season after the Yankees took two of the three games in the Bronx. The Red Sox won two out of three in the teams’ first series of the season in April at Fenway Park.

The rivals don’t play again until they open a three-game set on June 29 at Yankee Stadium.

Next up

Friday: Oakland Athletics vs. Yankees – TBA vs. RHP Sonny Gray (2-2, 6.00). 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Saturday: Athletics vs. Yankees – RHP Andrew Triggs (3-1, 4.41) vs. RHP Domingo German (0-1, 2.66). 1:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Sunday: Athletics vs. Yankees – LHP Brett Anderson (0-1, 8.68) vs. RHP Luis Severino (5-1, 2.21). 1:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.