Yanks rip four homers to rout Bosox in opener
The Yankees and Red Sox split their first six games against each other this season and entered Friday just a game apart in the AL East standings, looking very much like teams that will take the divisional race to the wire.
But in Friday’s series opener at the Stadium, the Yankees did their best to put their superiority on display.
From a standout performance by CC Sabathia, to clutch hits by the rookie tandem of Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar — plus two homers from struggling first baseman Greg Bird — the Yankees dominated from start to finish in an 8-1 win.
The victory got the Yankees back into a tie atop the division, although they lead in winning percentage. It’s the latest in the season they have had the best record in the majors since July 27, 2012.
Aaron Boone called Sabathia’s seven-inning, one-run performance perhaps the lefty’s best outing of the season and the offense scored its most runs since June 2.
“Really, for the last month, we haven’t had a lot of games where we run away,” Boone said. “It was nice and CC set the tone. … We’re a confident group. We know we can play with anyone, but we also understand there’s work to be done. I think everyone in that clubhouse feels like we’re capable of that kind of performance [every night].”
A sellout crowd of 47,120 — the biggest of the season — helped on a hot night. The Yankees took advantage by hitting four homers.
“That’s what’s gonna take us deep into the year: when the bottom half of the lineup is producing runs and getting on base,’’ Judge said of an offense that had runs scored by seven different players on the night. “We know what the top half of the lineup can do. It’s a scary thing.”
That production took some of the pressure off Sabathia, who was pitching with two extra days’ rest after the Yankees had Luis Cessa start in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
After Sabathia pitched around Steve Pearce’s leadoff double in the second, Torres put the Yankees in position to take the lead in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff triple off the wall in center.
Andujar followed by dropping a single into shallow center to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.
Torres and Andujar proved to be a good combination again in the top of the fourth, when they turned a nifty double play on Xander Bogaerts’ grounder to third.
The Yankees took control with a four-run fourth thanks to a sacrifice fly by Torres, a two-run shot by Andujar, followed by Bird’s first homer of the game.
The Red Sox got a run back in the fifth with consecutive two-out doubles by Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi.
Just when it seemed Boston might get back into the game, with Sabathia facing J.D. Martinez for the third time of the game after retiring the designated hitter twice, Sabathia fell behind 3-0.
But he recovered to get Martinez to pop to right to finish the inning with no more damage.
Judge belted a two-run shot — his 21st of the year — off Justin Haley to make it 7-1. Bird’s second homer came in the eighth. He had hit just three home runs all season prior to Friday.
By then, the young Yankees had already put the game out of reach. They have continued to impress Judge.
“Every day,’’ Judge said of Andujar and Torres. “Not only what they’re doing on the field, but how they are in the clubhouse. They come here to work, they come here to learn and you like to see young guys like that.” Unless you’re with the Red Sox. “What do I like about him?” Boston manager Alex Cora said of Andujar. “I don’t like him too much today. … He’s a very talented kid. I know a lot of people were talking about him in the offseason, especially when they were talking about Gerrit Cole and all that, that he was somebody that Pittsburgh wanted. I can tell why they wanted to keep him, he’s a good player.”