The New York Yankees struck first in The Rivalry, taking an 8-3 victory in the first game of the series at Fenway Park. The Bombers came out firing right out of the gate, and took a 7-0 advantage by the third inning thanks to a run-scoring double by Aaron Judge, an RBI groundout by Giancarlo Stanton, and a single by Gleyber Torres in the first inning; and a three-run shot by Stanton and another RBI single, this time by Kyle Higashioka, in the third.
Torres added a solo blast later in the game. Gerrit Cole was dominant for five innings but allowed a three-run homer by Rafael Devers in the sixth. Still, it was a quality start just when the Yankees needed their ace the most.
The Yankees are trending up
Stanton, who said that the win was “a good first punch to the series,” was the star of the night once again. The Bombers pulled within a game of the Red Sox for the first Wild Card spot and have a two-game advantage over the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners for the second.
“The feeling in the clubhouse is good, of course, but we’re right back at it tomorrow (today) with more work to do,” Stanton told MLB.com. “We’re in a great opportunity to erase that whole roller coaster we’ve been on and start a new one. That’s what we’ve got to do.”
The Yankees have won four games in a row and snapped a seven-game winning streak by the Sox.
“They’re all important,” Boone said, about the wins. “It’s one, though. We’ve got to shower this one off. We’ve got another big one tomorrow. We know it’ll be a challenge, but we look forward to it.”
With a win today, the Yankees would tie the Red Sox at the top of the American League Wild Card standings, with another game between the two teams on Sunday.