Josh Donaldson celebrates in front of Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki after hitting a grand slam in the third inning Thursday night, sparking the Yankees to a 6-5 win at Fenway Park. Mary Schwalm/Associated Press
BOSTON — Josh Donaldson hit a grand slam, Aaron Hicks homered on the very next pitch and the New York Yankees held on to beat Boston 6-5 on Thursday night despite a pair of home runs from Red Sox All-Star candidate Rafael Devers.
Entering the game with a 14-game lead over the Red Sox and Rays in the AL East, the Yankees staked Gerrit Cole (8-2) to a 5-0 lead in the third inning. But he gave up Devers’ two-run shot in the bottom half and a three-run shot in the fifth to make a final push to be added to the AL All-Star Game roster at third base.
Cole was charged with five runs on five hits and three walks while striking out seven in six innings.
Hicks also tripled in the fifth and scored to give New York a 6-2 lead before Devers’ second homer brought Boston within one run and sparked the heartiest “Yankees suck!” chant of the night.
Three relievers shut the Red Sox down from there, with Clay Holmes pitching the ninth for his 16th save.
Red Sox starter Josh Winckowski (3-3) gave up six runs on six hits and five walks in five innings.
The Yankees loaded the bases in the third inning of a scoreless game when No. 9 hitter Joey Gallo led off with a walk, Gleyber Torres singled and stole second, and then with two outs, the Red Sox pitched around Giancarlo Stanton to face Donaldson with the bases loaded.
He lined a 429-foot homer to center for his sixth career grand slam, then Hicks sent the next pitch 385 feet to right.
In the fifth, Hicks lined one over Jackie Bradley Jr.’s head and off the wall, away from the Red Sox right fielder. He scored to make it 6-2 when first baseman Franchy Cordero misplayed an infield popup into a double (that was changed to an error and back to a double).
VOTE RAFFY
Devers has six homers in 23 career at-bats against Cole. It was his 12th career multihomer game.
Devers is campaigning to be the first Red Sox third baseman to make back-to-back All-Star Games since Wade Boggs played in seven straight from 1986-92. In voting that ends at 2 p.m. Friday, Devers led Cleveland’s José Ramírez 59% to 41%.
HALF-STAFF
The U.S. flag in center field and behind home plate flew at half staff in memory of the victims of the Fourth of July shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, that killed seven and wounded dozens of others.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Outfielder Aaron Judge got a day off because of lower body tightness.
Red Sox: Placed right-hander Tyler Danish on the 15-day injured list because of a right forearm strain. To fill his spot on the roster, the club selected right-hander Michael Feliz from Triple-A Worcester.
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