Loaisiga leaves bases loaded in 7th inning to lead Yankees over Red Sox
NEW YORK — Jonathan Loaisiga broke a bat and induced a possible doubleplay grounder, yet the Yankees reliever somehow still faced the bases full of Red Sox with no outs.
“He didn’t flinch,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Loaisiga stranded the bases loaded in Boston’s final at-bat for a gutsy twoinning save after New York capitalized on a wild outing by Red Sox relievers, and the Yankees held on for a 5-3 win Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader.
The right-hander pitched a perfect sixth before Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh on three singles — two of them soft, well-placed grounders. Pinch-hitter Travis Shaw lined out to left in his first at-bat since being claimed off waivers Sunday, but the ball wasn’t deep enough for a sacrifice fly.
The 26-year-old Loaisiga then struck out Kike Hernandez and Hunter Renfroe — the latter on a caught foul tip — and let out a vicious yell following his fifth save.
Loaisiga and Chad Green have become Boone’s top choices to close out games with Aroldis Chapman sidelined by left elbow inflammation and veteran Zack Britton in a rut. Boone
pushed the Loaisiga through 34 pitches to keep Green and other arms fresh for the late game.
“You could just see his confidence out there, like, ‘I got this,’ ” Boone said. “He was able to execute and wiggle out of it.”
The Yankees have played a majors-most 67 games decided by two runs or fewer. Their .657 winning percentage (44-23) in those games is best in the big leagues.
They have won four straight and 11 of 14 to pull within a game of Boston for an AL wild-card spot. The Red Sox snapped out of a 3-11 slump over the weekend with a three-game sweep of last-place Baltimore, but they’re still four games back of AL Eastleading Tampa Bay after leading the division for much of the season.
Red Sox relievers Garrett Whitlock (4-2) and Josh Taylor combined to walk the bases loaded with one out in the fifth inning before Luke Voit floated a two-run single to shallow center. Second baseman Hernandez sprinted back for the ball but came up inches short of making a sliding basket catch, allowing New York to go ahead 4-3.
Pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton followed with an RBI single as New York sent nine to the plate in the inning. Boston’s relievers walked six over two innings, loading the bases three times but limiting the Yankees to three runs.
Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez and starter Jordan Montgomery returned from the COVID-19 injured list. Montgomery allowed three runs in 42⁄3 innings in his first appearance since Aug. 1. Sanchez was 0 for 3.
Albert Abreu (2-0) got the final out of the fifth and the win.
Vazquez led off the fifth with a tiebreaking homer against Montgomery that reached the second deck in left field. It was his fifth homer of the season and first since June 27, a span of 34 games played.
Bronx-born Yankee Andrew Velazquez got his first RBIs in pinstripes with a two-run single off starter Tanner Houck in the second that put New York ahead 2-0. Boston tied it on Xander Bogaerts’ two-run single in the third.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: INF Christian Arroyo (left hamstring strain) was set to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester. … OF Danny Santana (left groin strain) could start a rehab assignment this week. … RHP Ryan Brasier, who was hit in the head by a line drive while rehabbing from a left calf strain, will throw Wednesday and Thursday for Worcester. … RHP Matt Andriese was designated for assignment.
Yankees: RHP Luis Severino will be shut down from throwing this week while he awaits a second opinion for his tight right shoulder. … INF/OF Miguel Andujar (left wrist strain) was scheduled to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre.