NEW YORK - The Red Sox finally built themselves a late-inning lead that their bullpen wouldn't cough up.
The Sox scored two runs on the same sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to snap a tie, then got a three-run homer from Mookie Betts to subdue the New York Yankees 11-6 and clinch the American League East for the third straight season.
It marks the first time in franchise history that the Red Sox have finished in first in three consecutive seasons, and the victory came after the Sox had dropped the first two games of the series to their archrivals.
Eduardo Rodriguez needed 100 pitches to get into the fourth inning, and Heath Hembree, in relief, surrendered a grand slam to Giancarlo Stanton. But Steven Wright gave the Sox three nearly perfect innings, buying time for a comeback.
Betts finished 4-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored.
The Sox magic number to clinch home field throughout the playoffs is now two.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
10:07 Adding to the strangeness of this night, the Sox just scored two runs on a sacrifice fly - one in the traditional manner, and another when Aaron Hicks airmailed a throw into the seats behind third, allowing Benintendi to score all the way from second.
9:50 Jackie Bradley Jr. drives a ball into the second deck in right to tie the game. A real pitcher's duel tonight.
9:07 Heath Hembree's success with inherited runners didn't come into play there - a slider over the plate is lined into the right field seats by Giancarlo Stanton and a two-run lead has become a two-run deficit.
8:39 Rodriguez has been far from sharp with four walks so far, but credit where it's due: he pitched out of a tight jam (first-and-second, one out) by getting Miguel Andujar (flyout) and Sanchez (strikeout).
8:25 Brock Holt's blistering September - solo homer to right field, giving him three homers in his last eight games.
8:13 Another walk for Rodriguez, and this one proves costly as Gary Sanchez scores on a two-run HR by Luke Voit, who hits his third homer in the last two games against the Red Sox.
7:48 Not the most efficient of innings for Eduardo Rodriguez, who walks two of the first four hitters he faced. But he manages to keep Didi Gregorius in the ballpark with a long flyout to the warning track in right, stranding two.
7:29 *Only* 31 pitches thrown by Masahiro Tanaka in that half-inning, which took a mere 20 minutes to unfold.
7:19 J.D. Martinez singles past a drawn-in infield for his fourth hit in the last two nights and a MLB-leading 122 RBI.
7:14 Mookie Betts comes within a foot or so of home run No. 30, but settles for a leadoff double.
WHO: Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
WHEN: 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Yankee Stadium
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox will go for the clincher for a third straight night in the Bronx, having dropped the first two games of the series to the Yankees. Another two wins will tie the franchise mark for most wins in a single season. The Sox have struggled of late at the plate, with just seven runs scored in the last three games and just 17 scored in their last seven games. Moreover, they're just 6-for-49 with runners in scoring position of late...Andrew Benintendi is just 8-for-42 in the last week and a half...Mookie Betts was hitless in his return to the lineup Wednesday night and carries an 0-for-8 stretch into tonight...Meanwhile, catcher Sandy Leon snapped an 0-for-30 skid with an RBI single on Wednesday night. That marked his first hit in the month of September and his first RBI since Aug. 14...Eduardo Nunez, who's likely to be out of the lineup in the series finale, has a six-game hitting streak...LHP Eduardo Rodriguez has lost just once in his last six starts. In that stretch, he's allowed no or one run in every start but one. Rodriguez will be making his third start against the Yankees this season (0-1, 4.09), but has traditionally pitched well here, with a career ERA of 3.00 in the new Yankee Stadium...Greg Bird is 4-for-12 with two homers against Rodriguez...Masahiro Tanaka is 8-4 with a 4.08 ERA in 17 career starts against the Red Sox. This season, he's 1-0 with a 6.60 in three starts against them...Among Red Sox hitters, Benintendi is 7-for-21 (.333) and J.D. Martinez is 7-for-16 with three homers...Aaron Judge hasn't made much of an impact in two games back from the DL, going 1-for-8...3B Miguel Andujar is 12-for-37 and homered against the Sox Wednesday night.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (12-4, 5.53) vs. RHP Masahiro Tanaka (12-5, 3.47)
TV/RADIO: NESN, MLB/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts DH
Benintendi LF
Martinez RF
Bogaerts SS
Holt 2B
Devers 3B
Swihart 1B
Bradley CF
Vazquez C
YANKEES
McCutchen LF
Judge RF
Hicks CF
Stanton DH
Gregorius SS
Andujar 3B
Sanchez C
Voit 1B
Torres 2B
NEWS AND NOTES:
- Mookie Betts found himself in the DL role for the second straight night, but Alex Cora said he expects Betts to return to outfield play in Cleveland this weekend.
- Eduardo Nunez (hamstring) will not play until the Red Sox return home Monday. The Sox want to make sure that the tight hamstring he felt in the ninth inning doesn't become something more serious. "It doesn't make sense to push him this weekend,'' said Cora.
- Matt Barnes (hip) is "a full go now; he's available to pitch. But we're not going to put him in a high-leverage situation right away,'' Cora said.