Bullpen ‘Heller’ good on this day

BOSTON — Ben Heller had pitched just one-third of an inning for the Yankees this season before he was called upon in the 15th inning on Saturday night.

“I told [Chad] Green I’d been stretching on and off for about four hours at one point,” Heller said after tossing two scoreless innings in the Yankees’ 4-1, 16-inning win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. “You do what you’ve got to do.”

Heller was perhaps the most surprising of a sevenman relief corps which pitched nine shutout frames in the win, as the Yankees avoided a second straight heartbreaking defeat to their rivals.

“They did a tremendous job tonight in a long, grueling game,” manager Joe Girardi said after Tyler Clippard, Dellin Betances, Chasen Shreve, Adam Warren, Jonathan Holder, Aroldis Chapman and Heller shut down Boston following seven strong innings from Luis Severino.

Clippard began the effort with a scoreless eighth after Girardi said his role would be lessened because of his recent struggles and the recent success of both Warren and Green.

Betances cruised through the ninth before Shreve allowed a pair of singles to start the 10th. But Warren bailed him out by retiring the next three batters.

Holder then entered and pitched three scoreless — just as he did in the Yankees’ 18-inning win over the Cubs in Chicago on May 7.

Girardi went to Chapman after that, knowing he likely would have his closer for just an inning then would have to turn the game over to Heller. It all worked. “We saw a huge improvement in Heller. His ability to slow things down and throw good changeups,” Girardi said.

“I had a lot of adrenaline flowing,” Holder said. “In a game like that, battling back and forth, it’s fun to come out on top.”