Justin Turner hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the host New York Yankees 6-5 on Sunday afternoon to send their longtime rival to an eighth straight loss for the first time since 1995.
Boston got its seventh straight win over the Yankees when Turner hit an 0-1 sinker from Clay Holmes (4-4) to the warning track in right field to easily score Pablo Reyes, who hit a leadoff single.
Before Turner’s hit, the Yankees appeared to take the lead in the eighth when Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored from first on rookie Anthony Volpe’s single.
The Red Sox challenged the play for obstruction and Kiner-Falefa’s run was overturned. The Yankees then were unsuccessful in challenging that catcher Connor Wong blocked the plate.
The Yankees are on their first eight-game skid since Aug. 19-26, 1995, when they went from 53-50 to 53-58 before finishing 26-7 to get the first wild-card spot.
Boston reliever Chris Martin (4-1) got the win and Kenley Jansen struck out two and stranded two in the ninth for his 29th save.
Turner drove in four runs and gave the Red Sox a 5-2 lead in the seventh with a three-run homer off Michael King one pitch after slugger Rafael Devers was intentionally walked.
Devers homered and had hits in his first three at-bats. He also scored Boston’s second run on a throwing error by shortstop Volpe in the sixth.
Kyle Higashioka and Gleyber Torres hit tying homers in the third and sixth off bulk reliever Nick Pivetta. Volpe hit a tying three-run homer off John Schreiber in the seventh before pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton faced left-hander Brennan Bernardino and flew out with two on to end the inning.
Six days after allowing eight runs in Atlanta, New York starter Clarke Schmidt allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.
After opener Josh Winckowski pitched the first, Pivetta allowed two runs and three hits in five innings.
–Field Level Media
