BSJ Game Report: Red Sox 8, Yankees 3 - Masataka Yoshida and offense back strong Bryan Bello start

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 8-3 win over the Yankees, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Masataka Yoshida leads offensive breakout: Yoshida hit a three-run homer in the first inning to boost the Sox offense to a 4-0 lead after Alex Verdugo, Rafael Devers and Justin Turner led the game off with hits off Yankees opener Jhony Brito before Bryan Bello took the mound. The Red Sox recorded nine hits and seven runs in 2.1 innings, Yoshida contributing again in the second with an RBI single that scored Devers after he and Turner drove in Pablo Reyes and Verdugo. Boston went on a 1-14 slump against relievers Ian Hamilton and Keynan Middleton, underscoring growing offensive concerns this month, but a late Devers insurance RBI and a strong Bryan Bello start rendered the early lead more than enough to win.  

Bryan Bello returns to dominance: Bello, who allowed four runs and nine hits in 4.2 innings that prevented a Boston sweep of Detroit last time out, returned to a successful environment at Yankee Stadium pitching 6.0 one-run innings around six hits and a walk. He struck out two in the first and second innings before Anthony Volpe doubled and later scored in the third. Four ground outs helped him escape three baserunners in the fourth and fifth, then he forced Glyber Torres into a double play in the sixth with his 98th pitch. Bello earned his ninth win, tied for 11th in the American League. 

“He’s good against everybody,” Alex Cora said. “I think we get caught up sometimes on (him giving up) three runs in six innings. The lefties are hitting him and all that but it’s part of the progression. He’s still learning and he’s good. Today, he did a good job finding the strike zone after we got the lead and gave us six strong innings to put us in a good spot.”

THREE UP

Masataka Yoshida: Yoshida finished 2-4 with 4 RBI, continuing his turnaround from a slump defined by ground balls, like his later in the game that got New York out of the fourth inning. His first-inning home run alone built a nearly insurmountable lead, and called back to how he used his lower body to hit line-drive home runs earlier in the season. Yoshida improved to 4-8 since his two days off in Washington, .302 for the season and 15-52 (.288) in August, with 13 home runs and 60 RBI this year.

Bryan Bello: Threw 61% of his pitches for strikes, downing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton with changeups deep in counts set up following his 95-mile-per-hour fastballs and sinkers. Torres struck out against his slider in a 12-pitch second inning, the sinker drew three ground outs in the third and two outs to begin the fourth in three pitches helped him navigate two hits later in the inning. Seven Yankees reached on Bello, but only one scored following the only extra-base hit he allowed all night as he improved to a 1.89 ERA in three starts in the Bronx and a 1.45 ERA in five total. Bello's ERA at night lowered to 2.63. 

“I felt a little bit relaxed with that lead, seven runs after two innings...I feel really comfortable with that mound," Bello said. "The mound is nice, although the ballpark is small in a couple places, so I don’t want anybody to hit it that way. I feel like that’s the reason why I pitch so well here." 

Justin Turner: Looking more like the Sox' offensive MVP with each passing start, hitting 3-5 following his off day with 2 RBI in the DH spot while playing through his heel injury. Turner is hitting 10-31 (.323) in August since stepping awkwardly on a base on July 31, though in only eight appearances across 16 Sox games this month. He drove home Verdugo following his leadoff double in the first to push Boston ahead 1-0. In the second, he scored Verdugo again up 5-0 and recorded the only hit on Hamilton in the fourth across the Yankee reliever's 3.2 innings of work. Turner improved to .292 against right-handed pitching and posts a .915 OPS against lefties. His health could swing this team's playoff fortune. 

THREE DOWN

Jarren Duran: Was 0-4 against Yankees righties and lost a leadoff spot he once dominated in those matchups to Verdugo, who finished 3-5 with a pair of doubles. Duran last led off on Aug. 9 against Kansas City. He's hitting 8-45 (.178) this month and landed on the bench against left-handed starters in the Washington series. Although his pinch hit double in the ninth inning on Thursday nearly helped the Sox overcome a 7-10 deficit, his aggressive dive for and miss on Isiah Kiner-Falefa's line drive in the ninth inning put two runners on in scoring position against Brennan Bernardino, forcing Chris Martin into the game up five with one out. 

Adam Duvall: Sat on Friday hitting .186 this month and 1-10 in the Washington series. With Verdugo's turnaround game, renewed leadoff potential and Yoshida's nearly everyday status while Story and Turner trade DH appearances, it's likely one of Duvall or Duran sit many nights later this month. Duvall has only hit two home runs and two doubles this month, fewer extra-base hits than Duran over that stretch.  

Garrett Whitlock: Allowed four runs on Wednesday in the eighth inning after Pablo Reyes tied the game 2-2 in the top half of the frame. Two Nationals homered off him in that frame, and Judge followed with a two-run hit over the short porch in right field to give the Yankees some hope down 7-3 in the eighth inning. Whitlock allowed seven runs to score in three appearances since returning from an elbow injury, is posting a 5.72 ERA this season and his role remains unclear in a bullpen solidified in the back end, a starting rotation now filled and a middle relief are where Josh Wincowski and Chris Murphy succeeded prior to their own slip-ups in Thursday's loss. Five strikeouts, high velocity on Friday and his past success should keep him in play for long relief. 

NOTABLE 

The Red Sox trail the Blue Jays, losers on Friday, by 2.5 games in the Wild Card standings, and now sit 3.0 games behind the Mariners, who moved into the AL's final playoff spot with a win against Houston. 

Red Sox High-A Greenville shortstop Mikey Romero fell injured in his game on Thursday with a back injury and is out indefinitely, joining Double-A shortstop Marcelo Mayer (shoulder), who's been out since Aug. 2, among injured Boston prospects. 

UP NEXT 

Saturday at New York at 1:05 p.m., RHP Gerritt Cole (10-3, 2.76 ERA) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (5-6, 3.80 ERA)