BOSTON — For the second straight game, a Boston Red Sox right-hander rolled through the Yankees’ lineup as Boston beat New York 4-1 on Saturday at Fenway Park.
Nathan Eovaldi pitched eight shutout innings, allowing three hits. That followed Rick Porcello’s compete-game mastery Friday night.
Mitch Moreland and J.D. Martinez homered for the Red Sox.
Boston (78-34) extended its American League East lead to 8½ games over New York (68-41).
Eovaldi made his second straight scoreless appearance since being acquired from Tampa Bay for Jalen Beeks. He pitched seven scoreless innings against Minnesota (four hits) on July 29. On Saturday, he struck out four and walked one. His fastball averaged 97 mph and he hit 100 in the eighth inning.
“Fastball command and the cutter were there,” he said. “Slider was working as well. Mixed in a few curveballs.”
New York starter Chance Adams, in his major league debut, allowed three runs on three hits over five innings.
In the first, Andrew Benintendi – who homered off Adams two years ago while playing for the Portland Sea Dogs – hit a broken-bat single to center with one out.
Moreland came up and on Adams’ 10th major league pitch, reached for a low curveball and delivered it beyond the Red Sox bullpen for a 2-0 lead.
Moreland started in place of Steve Pearce, who hit four homers over the previous two games.
Adams settled down and retired nine straight batters, but then threw an inside fastball to Martinez and he turned on it, sending it over the Green Monster for his 33rd home run of the season and a 3-0 lead.
Eovaldi, 28, worked with precision. He needed only 93 pitches, throwing 64 strikes.
“His stuff is some of the best in the big leagues,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said. “Fact that he can use his stuff at the edges of the strike zone is impressive.”
Boston added a run in the seventh on three two-out hits, capped by Sandy Leon’s RBI double down the left-field line – a play initially ruled a foul ball but reversed after a nearly three-minute review.
Craig Kimbrel pitched an eventful ninth. After two strikeouts and getting two strikes on Giancarlo Stanton, he gave up back-to-back doubles (Stanton and Didi Gregorius) and walked two to load the bases with a 4-1 lead. He then got Greg Bird to fly out.
NOTES: Former Portland Sea Dogs infielder Tony Renda was called up to Boston to fill in for Ian Kinsler (on the disabled list with a hamstring strain). Renda, 27, was signed by Boston in late April after he was released by the Diamondbacks in spring training. Renda was assigned to Portland and hit .371 in 26 games while missing time with a broken hand. Called up to Pawtucket on July 12, Renda was hitting .333 when he got the call to Boston. Renda, who played 32 games for the Reds in 2016, did not play Saturday.
Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: @ClearTheBases
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