After a come-from-behind win in 10 innings to even the series, the New York Yankees will look to upend their home-standing archrival Boston Red Sox for a second straight game when the weekend set concludes on Sunday night.
The Yankees banged out 16 hits and scored the final five runs to take an 11-8 victory on Saturday. Aaron Judge’s 4-for-4, three-RBI performance with a home run led the way in a game that was tied five times.
“When you come to Fenway Park, this is the atmosphere you look for,” Judge said. “You love being in these games. You love being in these moments.”
The Yankees could have a newcomer to the Red Sox rivalry on Sunday after acquiring the versatile Jazz Chisholm Jr. from Miami, though manager Aaron Boone was unsure whenever he would be able to join the team to play.
“Very talented, athletic, speed, power,” Boone said of Chisholm, a potential leadoff hitter for New York. “Seems like versatility, he can play a lot of different places. I’ve only seen him from afar, but, obviously, a very talented young player.”
Scheduled Sunday starter Carlos Rodon (10-7, 4.42 ERA) of New York had gone winless in six straight outings before dominating Tampa Bay over seven innings of two-hit, one-run ball with a season-high 10 strikeouts on Monday.
Prior to his last outing, Rodon had not won since June 10 at Kansas City.
“I think we featured a little more fastball. We moved around a little bit more, and the more I do it, the more comfortable I get,” Rodon said after Monday’s win of his effective adjustment. “It’s just going out there and doing it. … It worked out.”
Sunday will mark Rodon’s eighth career start against the Red Sox. The left-hander is 2-4 with a 4.05 ERA in the head-to-head series after taking the June 15 loss at Boston, allowing five runs on seven hits despite striking out seven in five innings.
The Red Sox have gone just 2-6 since the All-Star break, allowing 8.4 runs per game in that span.
“It’s kind of like Opening Day, right?” manager Alex Cora said earlier this week. “You start off 1-4 or whatever, it’s a big deal.”
Kenley Jansen and the bullpen blew a late lead on Saturday while down to a final strike. Tyler O’Neill went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, including a pair of go-ahead homers for his third multi-homer effort in six games.
Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck (8-6, 2.71), who is scheduled to start Sunday, did not factor into the decision of a July 5 win at Yankee Stadium, allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks over 3 1/3 innings. It was his first start against New York this season after making three in 2023.
Since last opposing the Yankees, the 28-year-old first-time All-Star has gone six innings in back-to-back outings. He shut out Oakland and allowed just two hits in a 7-0 victory on July 11. Houck was charged with four runs on 10 hits — but stranding the go-ahead runners on the corners to keep the game tied — in Monday’s no-decision and eventual 12-inning loss at Colorado.
“The third inning got to me a little bit (allowing four runs),” Houck said of his last outing. “But, ultimately, I bounced back and was able to pitch later into the game, getting through the six, holding boys off until they could tie it up a little bit later. But all in all, stuff was just kind of flat.”
Houck is 3-2 with a 2.11 ERA in 13 career appearances (eight starts) against the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
