The New York Yankees’ struggles against the Boston Red Sox continued Friday night, as Brayan Bello stifled their lineup in a 1-0 loss at Yankee Stadium. The defeat marked the Yankees’ seventh straight against their rivals and pushed them a half-game behind Boston for the American League’s top wild-card spot.
Max Fried delivered his strongest outing in nearly two months, tossing six scoreless innings after entering with a 6.80 ERA over his previous eight starts. The left-hander worked out of trouble in the third and again in the fifth, both times escaping by retiring rookie Roman Anthony.
Bello, however, stole the show. The right-hander limited New York to just three singles and a walk across seven innings, inducing two double plays while facing only two batters over the minimum. The Yankees’ best chance came in the sixth when Austin Wells singled to lead off, but he was doubled off moments later on Trent Grisham’s liner, continuing the team’s baserunning woes.
The Red Sox finally broke through in the seventh off reliever Mark Leiter Jr., when pinch-hitter Nathaniel Lowe doubled and Connor Wong followed with an RBI double. Garrett Whitlock handled the eighth before former Yankee Aroldis Chapman closed the door in the ninth, handing New York its latest frustrating loss in the rivalry.
Box Score | AL Wild Card Standings
The Yankees look to get back in the win column on Saturday when Will Warren faces Boston’s ace Garrett Crochet at 1:05 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].