BOSTON — Mookie Betts hit a two-run homer and Jackie Bradley Jr. went over the bullpen wall to steal one from Aaron Judge, helping David Price shut down the New York Yankees 3-0 on Sunday night and giving the Red Sox a split of their day-night doubleheader.
A day after the teams played 16 innings over 5 hours, 50 minutes, they spent another long day at Fenway Park and ended the four-game series almost the way they started: with the Red Sox 3 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. Tampa Bay is now in second place, three games back.
It was 3-0 in the eighth inning when Judge, the winner of the All-Star Home Run Derby, came up with a runner on first and launched a high fly ball into the Fenway triangle, just in front of the 420-foot marker. Bradley stalked it toward the wall that juts out from right-center, leaped and reached over the wall to pull the ball in.
The sold-out crowd gave a huge cheer, and another after Matt Holliday struck out to end the inning. The Red Sox gathered at the edge of the dugout steps to congratulate Bradley – with Price pushing his way through to thank him.
Betts had three hits in the night game. Price (5-2) pitched eight innings, allowing seven hits and striking out eight.
One night after giving up a tying homer in the ninth, Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
Masahiro Tanaka (7-9) gave up three runs on eight hits in 7 2/3 innings, striking out nine.
Betts homered over the billboard above the Green Monster, his 17th of the year, with one out in the third inning to end Boston’s scoreless streak at 24 innings. He made it 3-0 when he singled to lead off the sixth, took second on an error by second baseman Starlin Castro, went to third on a groundout and scored on Dustin Pedroia’s second hit of the game.
UP NEXT
YANKEES: New York opens a three-game series against Minnesota. Adalberto Mejia (4-4) starts for the Twins, against a New York starter to be announced.
RED SOX: Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (4-2) starts against Toronto’s Marcus Stroman (9-5) on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.
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