Gardner drives in 3 runs for Yankees
BOSTON — Brett Gardner drove in three runs then watched the Yankees’ bullpen shut down another opponent.
Dellin Betances struck out the last four batters for his first save and New York beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Saturday for its 12th win in 15 games.
“The bullpen this year is as good as I’ve ever seen,” Gardner said. “If we can have a lead after five, six innings, you feel really, really good about your chances.”
Gardner’s two-run single in the fifth gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead and starter Nathan Eovaldi (2-0) held it before leaving with two outs and a runner on first in the seventh. Chris Martin allowed a run-scoring double to Mookie Betts then got the third out. Justin Wilson fanned Pablo Sandoval in the eighth before Betances took over.
Neither of New York’s top two relievers has allowed an earned run this year, Betances in 13 outings and closer Andrew Miller, who got his ninth save in a 3-2 win over Boston on Friday night, in 11. They’ve combined for 46 strikeouts in 27 innings.
“They’re aggressive,” manager Joe Girardi said of his relievers. “They know that they’re power arms and they have good stuff.”
The Yankees have bounced back after a 3-6 start and lead the AL East. The Red Sox are 5-9 in their last 14 games.
One day after tying Willie Mays for fourth place with 660 career homers, Alex Rodriguez singled in four atbats, a sharp hit to left field in the eighth after grounding out three times against Wade Miley (1-3).
Gardner doubled home a run in the third before his fifth-inning single. Chris Young hit his sixth homer of the year, a solo shot in the ninth.
Eovaldi allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings. He left after his only walk, to Blake Swihart. Betts then hit his RBI double.
Swihart got a hit in his first major league game. He was called up from Triple-A after catcher Ryan Hanigan broke a finger.
The Red Sox tied it in the fourth on Dustin Pedroia’s fifth homer.
Chase Headley led off the Yankees fifth with a double and stayed at second when Gregorio Petit’s fly to center bounced in front of Betts. After a sacrifice by Gregorius and a groundout by Jacoby Ellsbury, Gardner singled.
Yanks won’t pay bonus to A-Rod
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says the team doesn’t plan to pay a $6 million bonus to Rodriguez for his 660th home run.
Cashman spoke Saturday before the Yankees played at Boston. “We have the right, but not the obligation to do something, and that’s it,” Cashman said.
“So there is no dispute, from our perspective,” he told reporters.
The Yankees and Rodriguez have a marketing agreement that calls for $6 million each for up to five achievements, payable within15 days of designation by the team. The accomplishments were contemplated to be homers as he moved up the lifetime list.
Rodriguez missed last season because of a drug suspension and the Yankees didn’t market his pursuit of Mays’ mark.
No payment likely would trigger a grievance on Rodriguez’s behalf by the players’ union. Without a settlement, the case would be heard by an arbitrator.