NEW YORK — David Price finally won at Yankee Stadium for the first time with the Boston Red Sox, backed by early homers from J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts in an 8-5 victory over New York on Sunday night.

Boston stopped a four-game losing streak and improved to 1-4 against the Yankees this season, preventing a three-game sweep in a series shortened by a rainout. Thunder and lightning crackled in the eighth inning as New York tried to rally in the rain against frazzled reliever Matt Barnes, who looked incredibly uncomfortable on the mound even after the grounds crew applied drying agent.

Barnes spiked pitches, kicked at the mud, walked consecutive batters and balked home a run. He gave up three runs before finally settling down and getting out of the inning.

Brandon Workman tossed a scoreless ninth for his second career save, both this year.

The third-place Red Sox moved within 8½ games of the AL East-leading Yankees, who have a 2½-game advantage over Tampa Bay. The next time baseball’s biggest rivals meet will be June 29-30 in London, with Boston the home team for the first two major league games in Europe.

The Yankees, who lost for only the fourth time in 19 games, don’t visit Fenway Park until July 25-28.

Boston, the defending World Series champion, hasn’t lost five straight since an eight-game slide in July 2015. Every other major league team has dropped at least five in a row during that period.

Price (3-2) permitted two runs and six hits with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, outpitching CC Sabathia in a matchup of AL Cy Young Award winners.

Since signing a $217 million, seven-year contract with the Red Sox before the 2016 season, Price had been 0-6 with a 9.79 ERA in six starts at Yankee Stadium. He is 3-7 in 12 regular-season starts against the Yankees since joining Boston – 0-4 with a 10.90 ERA in five starts last year, including the playoffs.

The left-hander is 15-15 versus New York overall.

Looking for his 250th win, a fired-up Sabathia (3-2) yielded three runs in six innings. The 38-year-old lefty struck out a season-high eight after missing a turn because of inflammation in his troublesome right knee.

New York was trailing 3-2 in the seventh when right fielder Clint Frazier let Eduardo Nunez’s sharp single get past him for an error, allowing Michael Chavis to score from first base. Pinch-hitter Brock Holt looped a soft RBI single over a drawn-in infield, and Andrew Benintendi’s single caromed off a diving Frazier and bounded away, permitting another run to score.

Bogaerts doubled in the eighth and scored on a single by Rafael Devers, sending fans streaming toward the exits. What was left from a crowd of 40,068 booed Frazier when he had trouble with Chavis’ pop-fly RBI triple.

Martinez hit a solo homer in the first inning and Nunez had an RBI single in the second. Bogaerts, on a tear at the plate, launched a leadoff shot in the fourth that reached the elevated bleachers in left field for his third home run in four games.

Price retired his first 10 batters before giving up four straight hits in the fourth, snapping a streak of more than 14 innings without allowing an earned run.

Luke Voit homered and the Yankees loaded the bases on three singles that led to Gio Urshela’s sacrifice fly, cutting it to 3-2. New York had runners at the corners with two outs when Gleyber Torres took off for second and stopped, producing a long rundown that ended when Aaron Hicks was tagged out between third and home.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: First baseman Mitch Moreland, out since May 26, was feeling better and was slated to hit off a tee, Manager Alex Cora said. Both sides of Boston’s first-base platoon, Moreland and Steve Pearce, are on the injured list because of low back strains. … Left-hander Brian Johnson (elbow inflammation) is scheduled for another minor league rehab outing Tuesday, Cora said. Johnson gave up two runs and four hits in two innings Thursday for Double-A Portland.

Copy the Story Link