Alex Verdugo went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs to lead the visiting New York Yankees past the Boston Red Sox 8-1 on Friday.
The Yankees became the first team in the majors to reach the 50-win plateau this year.
Verdugo, in his first game against his former team, contributed to all three of the Yankees’ multi-run innings. He hit a two-run homer in the first, added an RBI double in a two-run fifth and contributed a run-scoring single in a three-run ninth.
Anthony Rizzo went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Jose Trevino homered and Luis Gil (9-1) pitched five innings of one-run ball for New York. Gil yielded four hits and four walks while striking out six.
The Red Sox were limited to five hits and went scoreless against four New York relievers. Enmanuel Valdez had the team’s lone RBI.
Boston’s Brayan Bello (6-4) allowed five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He gave up six hits and three walks and struck out five.
Making his first appearance in Boston since being traded to New York in December, Verdugo cranked the first Bello pitch he saw into the center field seats for a two-run homer in the first.
Bello looked to escape damage after inducing a Gleyber Torres double play in New York’s fourth, but Giancarlo Stanton scored to make it 3-0 as the Boston pitcher couldn’t catch first baseman Dominic Smith’s flip while covering on an Oswaldo Cabrera grounder.
Rafael Devers and Masataka Yoshida drew consecutive walks to start the Boston half of the fourth, and Valdez hit a run-scoring double off the wall in center. Gil stranded a runner on third by striking out the next two batters.
The Yankees chased Bello in the fifth. Anthony Volpe hit a leadoff single and stole second and third before Aaron Judge walked. Verdugo continued his big night with a run-scoring double off the Green Monster in left.
After Cam Booser replaced Bello, Rizzo’s ground-ball single into right increased the New York lead to 5-1.
Trevino hit a towering one-out homer in the ninth. The inning continued with a Judge RBI double off the Monster and Verdugo’s run-scoring single to right, both with two outs.
–Field Level Media
