NEW YORK — Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, Aaron Judge hit a tie-breaking single off Yankees enemy Joe Kelly and New York edged the rival Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Tuesday night for its 16th victory in 17 games.
In the opener of a three-game showdown between baseball’s top two teams, Luis Severino struck out 11 during a tight pitching duel with Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz. Judge cut down a runner at second base with a pinpoint throw from right field, and the steamrolling Yankees — on their best 17-game run in 65 years — won their seventh straight to tie Boston for first place in the AL East at 25-10.
It was the first time the storied rivals squared off with the two best records in the majors since June 2, 2002, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. And after their bench-clearing brawl at Fenway Park last month, touched off when Kelly drilled Tyler Austin with a pitch, a revved-up crowd of 45,773 showed up in the Bronx to see old foes go at it again.
There were no incidents this time.
Neil Walker got the decisive rally started in the seventh inning with a pinch-hit double off Heath Hembree (2-1), who walked the next two batters sandwiched around a balk. Kelly was greeted out of the bullpen with loud boos and a bases-loaded single by Judge that scored Walker, but left fielder Andrew Benintendi threw out Gleyber Torres at the plate.
David Robertson (3-1) gave up a tying triple to Mookie Betts in the seventh, but got three outs for the win. Aroldis Chapman worked a hitless ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.
Booed in the Bronx earlier this season, Stanton delivered in his first home game with the Yankees against Boston. The big slugger connected for leadoff homers in the second and fourth against Pomeranz, who shook off a cracked nail early in the game following a manicure on the mound from head athletic trainer Brad Pearson.
LONDON CALLING
Earlier in the day, Major League Baseball announced the Yankees and Red Sox will play two regular-season games against each other at the Olympic Stadium in London next season. Boston will be the home team for both of MLB’s first games in Europe on June 29-30, 2019.
WELCOME TO TOWN
David Fizdale, just hired as coach of the New York Knicks, threw out the ceremonial first pitch in pinstripes wearing a Yankees cap and No. 12 jersey.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: LHP David Price was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday night and sent back to Boston for medical tests after experiencing a tingling sensation in his pitching hand again. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Price felt tingling in his hand Sunday while throwing a bullpen that was cut short, the same symptoms that forced him out of an April 11 game against the Yankees at Fenway Park. … Boston reinstated utilityman Brock Holt from the 10-day disabled list and optioned infielder Tzu-Wei Lin to Triple-A Pawtucket. … Betts was back in the leadoff spot after leaving Sunday’s game at Texas with a bruised right shoulder.
Yankees: 1B Greg Bird, recovering from March 27 surgery to repair a broken spur on the outside of his right ankle, played in an extended spring training game in Florida for the second consecutive day. It shouldn’t be long before he’s sent to Class A Tampa or Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for a rehab assignment, manager Aaron Boone said. … OF Jacoby Ellsbury, sidelined all season by oblique, foot and hip injuries, is doing baseball activities in Florida and is “fairly healthy” besides feeling under the weather, Boone said.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (5-0, 2.14 ERA) was moved up a day to pitch Wednesday in place of Price. The 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner will be on regular rest because Boston was off Monday. Porcello threw seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in an April 12 win over the Yankees at Fenway Park.
Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (4-2, 4.39) is 8-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 15 career starts against Boston, including a win on April 11 when he allowed six runs in five innings. Tanaka is 2-0 with a 2.41 ERA in his last three outings and will be pitching on five days’ rest.
