Red Sox stun Yanks, Chapman to complete four-game sweep
BOSTON — Andrew Benintendi’s hit bounced a handful of times before finding its way into centre field for the winning run and a big four-game sweep over the rival New York Yankees.
The Boston Red Sox now find themselves in firm control of the American League East.
Benintendi’s RBI single with two outs in the 10th capped Boston’s rally from three runs down in the ninth against New York closer Aroldis Chapman, and the Red Sox completed a four-game sweep with a 5-4 victory Sunday night.
“Any 10 hopper that goes through for a hit feels pretty good,” the usually quiet Benintendi said, breaking into a grin. “Everybody knew how big the series was. We came in and did what we wanted to do. We kind of stole this one.”
Boston opened a 9 1/2-game lead atop the division over the Yankees, who lost their season-high fifth straight.
Mookie Betts hit his 26th homer for Boston (79-34), which has won eight of nine games and owns the majors’ best record.
The Yankees hadn’t been swept in a four-game series by the Red Sox when they entered a series 30 or more games over .500 since Hall-of-Famer Ted Williams’ rookie season in 1939, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“A tough way to obviously end a tough weekend, but we can’t let this define what’s been a great season,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Sandy Leon looped a two-out single off Jonathan Holder (1-3) in the 10th and advanced on a wild pitch.
Tony Renda pinch-ran before Benintendi’s single up the middle to the right of second base into centre field.
Matt Barnes (4-3) had worked a perfect inning in the top of the 10th.
“We lost these four games here, but what I can tell you is that we’re going to keep battling. We’re going to keep playing ball,” Chapman said through a translator. “There’s no looking back.”
It snapped his streak of converting 22 straight opportunities since his last blown save on May 4.
With New York leading 4-1 in the ninth, Chapman loaded the bases on walks before Martinez’s two-out, two-run single pulled Boston within one. Third baseman Miguel Andujar was then charged with an error when he bounced a throw to first on Xander Bogaerts’ grounder, with pinch-runner Jackie Bradley Jr. scoring the tying run.