The New York Yankees widened their lead in the AL wild-card race and clinched the season series against the Boston Red Sox with a 16-1 victory on Sunday, according to the Associated Press. With the victory at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees secured the head-to-head tiebreaker should both teams finish the regular season with identical records.
Austin Wells Joins Rare Franchise List With Two Homers in Eighth
Austin Wells sparked a massive nine-run eighth inning for the Yankees by hitting two home runs in the same frame, according to the Associated Press. Wells opened the frame with a solo shot off Red Sox pitcher Jovani Moran and later connected against infielder Andruw Monasterio for a three-run home run. According to Associated Press reporting, Wells became just the sixth player in franchise history to hit two home runs in a single inning, joining a list that includes Gleyber Torres, who last achieved the feat on September 21, 2022, against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The relentless eighth-inning offense also featured a home run from Paul Goldschmidt and a three-run drive by Jose Caballero off Monasterio, pushing New York to its highest run total of the season. Caballero started the game at shortstop in place of rookie George Lombard Jr., who sat out due to right knee discomfort, as reported by the Associated Press.
Heliot Ramos and Will Warren Deliver as Yankees Extend Division Lead
Heliot Ramos added a three-run home run in the fifth inning, marking his first long ball since the Yankees acquired him from the San Francisco Giants at the August 3 trade deadline, according to the Associated Press. The fifth-inning outburst broke a scoreless tie, aided by an umpire review upholding a play where Boston center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela’s glove was ruled to be on the grass when catching a sinking liner off the bat of Jazz Chisholm Jr., resulting in a hit rather than an out. Goldschmidt drove in two runs with a single off Red Sox starter Ranger Suárez shortly after.
On the mound, Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren earned his ninth win of the season, improving to 9-6. Warren limited the Red Sox to one run on six hits over seven-plus innings, surrendering an RBI single to Nick Sogard in the eighth before exiting. Suárez suffered the loss for Boston, yielding season highs of six runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Upcoming Matchups for Yankees and Red Sox
With the weekend series concluded, the Red Sox travel to Fenway Park to open a three-series against the Seattle, with left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle taking the mound holding an 8-6 record and a 3.09 ERA, according to the Associated Press. Meanwhile, the Yankees head to Anaheim to open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels, with right-hander Elmer Rodríguez scheduled to start.
