After two disappointing losses to the New York Yankees in the past two nights, the Red Sox weren’t leaving the Bronx empty-handed.
The magic number to clinch the American League East going into the series was one, and in two games the Boston Red Sox were unable to take their chance and clinch the division. It took the final game of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium for the Red Sox to get the job done.
Eduardo Rodriguez started for the Red Sox and had an outing to forget. He threw three 2/3 innings allowing five earned runs on four hits and seven walks while only striking out four, which put Boston in a tough spot to clinch the division.
However, the Red Sox’ offense prevailed, with MVP-candidate Mookie Betts leading Boston to a massive 11-6 victory over the Yankees. The Red Sox got an early 1-0 lead in the first, as J.D. Martinez drove in Betts with an RBI-single, and a Betts two-RBI double gave the Sox a 3-0 lead in the second. Luke Voit cut the lead back with a two-run homer to center making it a 3-2 ballgame. Brock Holt got one back for the Red Sox with a solo homer, but a Giancarlo Stanton grand slam put the Yankees ahead 6-4.
Betts scored on a Martinez double play in the fifth to make it a one-run game in the fifth. The Boston offense took the lead back in the top of the seventh as Jackie Bradley Jr. blasted a solo shot to right field to tie the game. A Xander Bogaerts sac-fly to center scored Tzu-Wei Lin while Andrew Benintendi scored on an Aaron Hicks throwing error from center. In the eighth inning, Betts capped off an incredible night with a three-run homer to left field giving the Red Sox an 11-6 lead and clinching the AL East for Boston for the third year in a row.
After one of the best seasons the Red Sox have had in years, it was only time before they clinched the AL East, and it couldn’t have been in a better place.
The Red Sox now head to Cleveland for a three-game series to end their road trip and play a potential playoff matchup.
