Max Fried’s return to the mound gave the Yankees a needed boost Saturday night, and the offense provided plenty of support as New York (77-59) defeated the Boston Red Sox (74-62), 9-2, in the second game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
Fried was not expected to work deep into the game in his first appearance since August 13, but the left-hander gave New York 3.2 innings on 63 pitches. He allowed three hits and one walk while striking out four, with his only run coming on Nick Sogard’s solo home run in the third inning.
The Yankees gave Fried an early cushion in the bottom half of the third. José Caballero singled, stole second and scored on Ben Rice’s run-scoring single. Luis GarcÃa Jr. followed with a run-producing fielder’s choice before Jazz Chisholm Jr. brought another run home with a sacrifice fly.
New York continued to add to its advantage later in the game. Spencer Jones delivered a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and the Yankees broke the game open with five runs in the eighth. They finished with 13 hits, all of them singles, while holding Boston to five hits.
Paul Blackburn also delivered in a key spot, entering with runners on first and second and nobody out in the sixth before striking out two consecutive batters to prevent the Red Sox from cutting into the lead.
New York and Boston have now split all 12 meetings this season, with Sunday’s finale carrying potential significance for a postseason tiebreaker.
The Yankees did receive concerning news when George Lombard Jr. left the game after appearing to injure his right knee on a checked swing in the second inning. He remained in the game long enough to record a single before exiting in the fourth. The Yankees said he would undergo imaging Saturday.
Sunday’s series finale is scheduled for 1:35 p.m., with Ranger Suárez starting for New York against Will Warren.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.