Field Level Media
Aug 13, 2022
Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a two-run homer and laid down a bunt single that scored the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning as the visiting New York Yankees edged the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Saturday.
Kiner-Falefa's bunt scored Andrew Benintendi, who doubled with one out against John Schreiber (3-2) and moved to third on Jose Trevino's infield single.
Alex Verdugo and Reese McGuire had two hits apiece for Boston, which had two runners on in the ninth before Rafael Devers grounded into a forceout and Xander Bogaerts popped out to first to end the game.
Aroldis Chapman (1-3) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Scott Effross pitched the ninth for his second career save.
New York, which had lost three straight games and eight of its last nine, managed just three hits in the first eight innings on Saturday before securing the victory with three hits in the ninth.
Boston opened the scoring with two runs in the fourth against Frankie Montas. The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out and pushed a run across when Jarren Duran was hit by a pitch, scoring Alex Verdugo from third.
McGuire followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Eric Hosmer to score.
Montas allowed two runs on five hits and two walks, striking out four in five innings.
New York responded in the fifth against Kutter Crawford. Benintendi drew a leadoff walk and scored on Kiner-Falefa's one-out homer, his first of the season.
Crawford yielded two runs on two hits over six frames. He walked four and struck out five.
The game featured a pair of dazzling defensive plays, starting with Verdugo's running catch in right field to rob Gleyber Torres of extra bases in the fourth.
Benintendi, who played his first five seasons with the Red Sox, made a diving catch on Duran's liner in left field in the sixth inning.
The Red Sox ran themselves out of a potential rally with two outs and two runners on in the seventh when Aroldis Chapman picked off Bogaerts at second base.
--Field Level Media