After spotting the Yankees a 4-0 lead in the top of the second, the Red Sox came roaring back offensively and outscored their rivals by a margin of 15-3 the rest of the way, securing a 15-7 blowout win in the first of the four-game series.
Steve Pearce belted three homers off three different pitchers and knocked in six runs while Andrew Benintendi added three RBI and Mookie Betts had four hits and reached base six times to pace the outburst.
The win gave the Red Sox a 6.5 game lead in the A.L. East, their biggest margin of the season over the second place team in the division.
Brian Johnson, who gave up two homers in the first two innings, stayed around long enough to pick up first win since the season series of the year, racking up a career-high 11 strikeouts in the process.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS
9:55 Two incredible plays in the same inning from Ian Kinsler -- he leaps to grab a liner off the bat of Aaron Hicks, then ranges far behind the second base bag, and with momentum carrying him toward left field, throws across his body to nab Gleyber Torres. No way either Holt or Nunez make those plays.
9:44 And yet another homer for Pearce, giving him three tonight, the first three-homer game of his career.
9:36: Brandon Workman in to start the sixth for Johnson, who allowed four earned with 11 strikeouts (104 pitches/65 strikes), and goes 1-2-3 to quicken the pace a little bit.
9:09 In addition to the eight runs scored, the Red Sox are putting a dent in the Yankees' pitching plans for the rest of the series. Luis Cessa had been a candidate to start Saturday in place of J.A. Happ, but he's coming in now, in the fourth inning, to save the bullpen for the rest of the night.
8:51 It's Steve Pearce Night here at the ballpark -- two homers, four RBI so far. And while he's known for his work against lefties, the bigger blow (a three-run homer over everything in left) was hit off RHP Jonathan Holder
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8:48 Poor execution by the Yankees there. They had Jackie Bradley Jr., leading far off third, dead-to-rights on a comebacker, but the throw was wide of the plate and Bradley was able to slide in safely.
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8:43 There's been talk of this being a playoff preview, which is true in this sense: one starter is done after three innings and the other probably won't get through the fifth.
8:22 Poor baserunning there by J.D. Martinez, who strayed too far off second on a routine grounder to Gregorius and gets tagged out trying to get back into the bag.
8:16 Steve Pearce has traditionally hit Sabathia well -- another example there, as he took a slider over the heart of the plate and hit into the Monster Seats for a solo homer. Career vs Sabathia: .324 (12-for-37) with three homers and five RBI
8:12 Six strikeouts for Johnson represents a season high for him
8:03 Andrew Benintendi hits a pitch on the screws, but flies out to the warning track in left, stranding three. Red Sox are 0-for-5 with men in scoring position through two innings.
8:00 Sabathia clearly not happy with home plate umpire Dan Bellino's strike zone -- and he might have reason to be. At least two of those balls to Betts in the bases-loaded walks were on the black and easily could have been strikes.
7:38 To be effective, Johnson has to pitch to the corners of the strike zone. He doesn't have a plus-fastball and can't afford to be around the middle of the plate. Twice, he's left pitches up tonight and twice he's paid for them with home runs.
7:28 Stolen base for Betts, who's now 21-for-24 in steal attempts this season.
7:14 Yankees strike in a big way with a three-run homer from Didi Gregorius. Brian Johnson fell behind and left a pitch out over the plate for the Yankees shortstop, who drove it into the bullpen for a three-run homer. Gregorius has been streaky this season -- red-hot for the first month or so, then slumping for a while. If he heats up here, it could be bas news for the Sox.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Yankees
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox enter this series with the best record in either league and lead the Yankees by 5.5 games in the standings -- four in the loss column. They've won four-of-five and 19 of their 24. They're also playing to a .717 winning percentage, with 14 wins in their last 17 homes. This is the 10th meeting of the year between the teams, with the Yankees holding a 5-4 edge to date. In the three series played so far, the home team has won 2-of-3 each time. New York comes in with just a 6-5 record after the All-Star break, but still have the second-best record in the game.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Brian Johnson (1-3, 3.45) vs. CC Sabathia (6-4, 3.53)
TV/RADIO: NESN/MLB; WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Pearce 1B
Martinez DH
Kinsler 2B
Nunez 3B
Swihart C
Holt SS
Bradley CF
YANKEES
Hicks CF
Stanton RF
Gregorius SS
Torres 2B
Andujar 3B
Bird 1B
Voit DH
Romine C
Gardner LF
NEWS AND NOTES
- SS Xander Bogaerts was out of the lineup after being struck in the right hand Tuesday night. Bogaerts has what Alex Cora termed "soreness'' in the area, but is considerable available to pinch-hit Thursday and is expected back in the lineup Friday. "We'll stay away from him (Thursday) if possible,'' said Cora. "Anytime you get hit in the hand, especially att 99 (mph), it's very dangerous. But he'll be OK. It's good to have two days off, too, to help him out, not only for his hand but for his body. He's been playing a lot so we'll take it. I look at it as a positive. He doesn't play tonight, he comes back tomorrow and he re-sets.'' Bogaerts had a similar injury impact his second-half of last season, so Cora noted: "I'll take my time,'' he said. "Whenever he's ready, he'll come back. I'm not going to rush him to get bac in the lineup.''
- LHP Chris Sale will throw Friday, with the idea of having him pitch Wednesday in Toronto, the second game of the Red Sox' series against the Blue Jays. Sale was placed on the DL Tuesday with inflammation of the left shoulder, but said at the time he expected to only miss a start.
- LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (ankle) will throw a bullpen session Sunday. "We're not getting ahead of ourselves,'' said Cora. "We're going through every step. But he looks great.''
- RHP Steven Wright (knee) has not been cleared to return to throw off a mound is limited to throwing off flat ground. "Good days, bad days,'' summarized Cora.