Red Sox walk-off in extras after Yankees rack up replays, ejections
BOSTON (TNS) — The Red Sox won a low-scoring affair over the Yankees in dramatic fashion on Friday night, claiming a 2-1 victory after Carlos Narváez played the part of hero.
The catcher, a former Yankee, came up clutch in the 10th inning, launching a walk-off single off Tim Hill and The Green Monster.
The late drive followed a top of the 10th that saw Anthony Volpe, the Yankees’ automatic runner, gunned down at third on a stolen base attempt following a replay review. Another replay followed, as the Yankees unsuccessfully challenged a foul call on a DJ LeMahieu ball down the first base line. The lack of an overturned call enraged Aaron Boone, who earned himself an ejection.
LeMahieu then grounded out to end the inning and got himself ejected as the Yankees only sent two batters to the plate in the 10th.
The late action came after a mostly dominant outing from Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, who allowed just four hits and one earned run across 8.1 scoreless innings. Unfortunately for Crochet, the one run came on a 443-foot, solo home run from Aaron Judge in the ninth inning.
The game-tying shot, Judge’s 26th homer of the year, cleared the National Car Rental sign that hangs above The Green Monster and easily escaped the confines of Fenway Park. According to MLB’s Sarah Langs, the 99.6-mph fastball Judge took deep was the fastest pitch he’s homered off in his career.
As Judge rounded the bases, Crochet could only shake his head in disappointment as the dinger put a damper on his otherwise flawless outing.
Judge, baseball’s best hitter, had previously gone 0-for-6 with six strikeouts against Crochet this season, including three punchies on Friday. Crochet, who allowed five earned runs in the Bronx on June 7, totaled seven strikeouts in Friday’s game while limiting himself to one walk over 107 pitches.
The Yankees had another opportunity to score off Crochet in the fifth inning, as they had first and third with nobody out following a throwing error, a Jasson Domínguez steal and a DJ LeMahieu single. However, Crochet struck out Austin Wells and Oswald Peraza before Paul Goldschmidt bounced out to end the threat.
Meanwhile, Ryan Yarbrough rebounded against the Red Sox.
He had a rough night his last time out, also on June 7, surrendering eight earned runs against the Sox in his first poor start since entering the Yankees’ rotation. On Friday, however, the lefty held Boston to just one earned run over 4.2 innings.
The run came on a Ceddanne Rafaela RBI single in the second inning. Yarbrough also totaled four hits, three walks and three strikeouts over 78 pitches as he matched up with Crochet for the second time in a week.
With the first-place Yankees having now lost their last three games against the fourth-place Red Sox, they’ll turn to Carlos Rodón on Saturday. He’s also looking for a bounce-back, as he gave up five earned runs when he faced Boston on June 8.
Meanwhile, Hunter Dobbins will take the ball for the Red Sox. The rookie has spent much of the past week under scrutiny, as tales from his father’s playing days inspired him to say he’d rather retire than ever play for the Yankees. It was only after that declaration that the New York Post reported that Dobbins’ dad, Lance, was never drafted by the Yankees – nor was he a friend of Andy Pettitte’s – as the son had claimed.
Dobbins, who allowed three earned runs over five innings against the Yankees on June 8, reasoned that he had no reason to fact-check his dad growing.