The races: Red Sox extend lead over Yankees, Angels continue wild ride
BOSTON— Jackie Bradley Jr. tripled in two runs and singled in another, and Rick Porcello pitched six innings of a combined three-hitter to help the AL East-leading Red Sox beat New York 5-1 on Sunday and extend their margin over the Yankees to five games.
The Red Sox won for the 14th time in 17 games, taking two out of three from New York for the second weekend in a row. The archrivals meet again in the first week of September for a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Porcello (8-14) allowed all three New York hits, striking out four and walking three to win his fourth straight start. Three relievers provided a perfect inning apiece.
Porcello has allowed two runs or fewer in all six career starts against the Yankees in Fenway Park. That’s the longest such stretch for a Red Sox pitcher since at least 1913, the ball club said.
Sonny Gray (7-8) allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings. He lost for the fourth time in five starts to fall to 1-6 in nine road starts this season.
Brett Gardner homered near the Pesky Pole for the Yankees, who had won five of their last six.
“It’s not what you want,” New York manager Joe Girardi.
“Obviously, we need to continue to play well so when they come to our place it means something. We probably had a chance to win four of the six and we end up winning two of the six — and that’s frustrating.”
Angels 5, Orioles 4: The Los Angeles Angels have done a wonderful job of turning around a season that just two weeks ago seemed unsalvageable.
Instead of basking in their accomplishment, they’re far more focused on what happens next.
Pinch-hitter Cameron Maybin singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, Kole Calhoun and Andrelton Simmons homered and Los Angeles beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 Sunday.
The Angels have won nine of 11 to gain a tie for the second AL wild card slot with Minnesota and move four games over .500 (64-60) for the first time since April 11.
“We can look back, but it’s not going to serve much of a purpose,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “We’ve been playing better baseball for the past couple of weeks. We need to keep going.”
The Angels took advantage of nine walks to win the deciding matchup of a three-game series in which they hit 11 home runs.
“We walked, what, nine guys today?” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
“That’s like turning the lineup over without earning it. You’re going to have a tough time winning those games, but we had a shot.”
The Orioles still have a shot at the playoffs, too, but they’re going to need an LA-like surge. Baltimore has dropped eight of 12 and hasn’t won two in a row since Aug. 5-7.