Austin Wells hit two home runs during a nine-run eighth inning, Heliot Ramos launched a three-run homer in the fifth, and the New York Yankees strengthened their position in the American League wild-card race with a 16-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
The win also clinched the Yankees’ season series against Boston and secured the head-to-head tiebreaker if the teams finish with identical records.
Yankees break open scoreless game
Wells opened the eighth inning with a home run against Jovani Moran before connecting on a 49.8 mph slider from infielder Andruw Monasterio for a three-run shot. It marked the seventh time in Yankees history that a player homered twice in one inning, making Wells the sixth Yankee to accomplish the feat.
Wells became the first Yankees player to hit two home runs in one inning since Gleyber Torres did so against Pittsburgh on Sept. 21, 2022. Paul Goldschmidt also homered in the eighth, while Jose Caballero, starting at shortstop for rookie George Lombard Jr. because of right knee discomfort, hit a three-run homer off Monasterio’s 49 mph slider.
New York took control of the scoreless game with a five-run fifth inning. Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela’s glove was ruled to be on the grass when he caught Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s sinking liner, trapping the ball and turning the play into a hit. Boston challenged the ruling, but it was upheld.
Goldschmidt followed two batters later with a two-run single against Ranger Suarez.
Ramos delivers key hit for New York
Ramos hit his first home run since the Yankees acquired him from San Francisco at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. It was also the outfielder’s first home run overall since July 20 and his first multihit game with New York.
Ramos entered Sunday 7-for-59 in his first 20 games with the Yankees. His biggest hit since joining the club helped New York improve to 78-59, move four games ahead of Boston at 74-63 and win seven of the teams’ 13 meetings.
Yankees starter Will Warren improved to 9-6 after allowing Nick Sogard’s RBI single in the eighth inning among six hits over seven-plus innings.
New York has won 10 of its past 14 games and scored a season-high 16 runs. The Yankees also collected 18 hits, their second-highest total of the season.
Suarez allowed season highs of six runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings, while Monasterio surrendered five runs.
Up next
Red Sox: Left-hander Payton Tolle (8-6, 3.09 ERA) starts a three-game series against Seattle on Monday at Fenway Park.
Yankees: Right-hander Elmer Rodríguez (0-2, 4.70 ERA) opens a three-game series against the Angels in Anaheim on Monday.
Source: www.espn.com
