BOSTON
Although it might feel like October is right around the corner, it’s still a few weeks away.
In the meantime, the Yankees have shown they can indeed win at Fenway Park.
With Luis Gil pitching six strong innings and Aaron Judge surpassing Joe DiMaggio on the franchise’s all-time home run list, the Yankees triumphed over the Red Sox, 4-1, on a pleasant night in Boston.
After suffering eight consecutive losses to the Red Sox earlier this season, including a sweep in June, the Yankees managed to secure back-to-back victories over their rivals. This win also gave them a narrow lead in the AL wildcard standings.
For six innings, Gil faced more challenges than the Red Sox lineup posed. Although he made history, he didn’t finish the game. After walking four batters and facing numerous deep counts, he needed 93 pitches to complete his outing.
The Red Sox nearly ruined the no-hitter in the seventh inning when Nate Eaton hit a home run on the first pitch with two outs, breaking through Fernando Cruz’s pitching.
However, Devin Williams managed to get through the heart of the eighth inning without allowing further damage, and David Bednar struck out two in the ninth for the save.
Amid this performance, Judge made headlines with his impressive home run in the first inning, pushing past DiMaggio with a monumental shot. His 362nd career home run soared 442 feet off Lucas Giolito. He now ranks fourth all-time for the Yankees, trailing Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, and Babe Ruth.
This latest home run—his fourth in four games—brought his seasonal total to 47.
The Yankees added another run in the third inning. After the Red Sox thought they had the third out, Judge drew two walks, and Ben Rice hit a fly ball to left field that appeared to end the inning. However, former Yankee Carlos Narvaez interfered, allowing Rice to reach safely.
Cody Bellinger stepped up next and hit a strong ground ball that helped extend the Yankees’ lead to 2-0.
The Yankees further increased their advantage in the seventh inning, thanks to the quickness of Jose Caballero. After a ground-rule double, Caballero stole third base, and Ryan McMahon then hit a ground ball that allowed him to score, making it 3-0.
The Red Sox intentionally walked Judge to face Rice, who responded by hitting a single to center that pushed the score to 4-0.
In the eighth inning, the Yankees had a chance to widen the gap but missed out on key opportunities. Pinch runner Jasson Domínguez was on base when Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a ground ball. Unfortunately, it hit Domínguez as he made his way to second base.
Chisholm successfully stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch but was ultimately thrown out at home plate attempting to score from shallow left field.
