Final: Red Sox 3, Yankees 0

Michael Wacha made a triumphant return to the mound with seven shutout innings and Rafael Devers cracked a two-run homer to give the Red Sox a 3-0 win and a victory in their weekend series with the Yankees.

Wacha allowed just two hits and one walk while fanning a season-high nine, making his first start since the end of June.

The Sox got another run on a double by Tommy Pham and two groundouts.

WHO: Red Sox (56-59) vs. New York Yankees (72-42)
WHEN: 7:08 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: 1-1
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: NY 7-6
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.69) vs. RHP Jameson Taillon (11-2, 3.95)
TV/RADIO: ESPN; WEEI-FM

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Pham LF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Verdugo RF
Martinez RF
Hosmer 1B
Arroyo 2B
Duran CF
Plawecki C

YANKEES

Benintendi LF
Judge RF
Donaldson 3B
Rizzo 1b
Torres 2B
Andujar DH
Kiner-Falefa SS
Higashioka C
Locatro CF

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WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won 2 of their last 3 games following a 4-game losing streak...They are 7-9 in their last 16 games, after going 5-15 in their previous 20. ...Tonight concludes the Sox’ 6-game homestand vs. ATL (0-2), BAL (1-0), and NYY (1-1). The Red Sox are 5-10 in 15 games over their last 2 homestands...Overall, they are 28-30 at Fenway Park. The Red Sox will be off tomorrow before beginning a 6-game road trip at PIT (3 G) and BAL (3 G) on Tuesday. The Sox will play the Orioles in the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, PA, at 7:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, 8/21...The game will be broadcast on ESPN. LONG DIVISION: The Sox are 3 games into the season-ending stretch during which 35 of their final 50 games of the season are against AL East opponents: BAL (11), NYY (9), TB (9), and TOR (6)...The Sox are 1-2 so far. The Sox are 1-11-1 in series against AL East teams but 13-4-4 in series against all other teams. ...The Sox are currently 4.5 games out of the 3rd and final AL Wild Card position. 35 of the Red Sox 47 remaining games are against teams ahead of them in the AL East or Wild Card standings...In addition to 32 against AL East teams, the Sox also play 3 games at MIN from 8/29-31. They began the season 10-19 through their first 29 games...They could become the 1st team to lose as many as 19 of their first 29 games and still make the Postseason since the 1989 Blue Jays (10-19). ...The Red Sox have 10 players on the Injured List, 3 position players (Trevor Story, Kiké Hernández, and Rob Refsnyder) and 7 pitchers (Chris Sale, James Paxton, Brayan Bello, Tyler Danish, Josh Taylor, Matt Strahm, and Tanner Houck). Kiké Hernández has started 3 of Double-A Portland’s last 4 games during his rehab assignment, all in CF... Hernández is 3-for-9 (.333) with 2 2B, 2 RBI, and 1 BB. ..The Sox earned a 3-2 win in 10 innings during the series opener on Friday, their 3rd walk-off win of the season and 2nd against the Yankees. This is the 1st time the Sox have had multiple walkoff wins vs. NYY in a season since 1996 (also 2). The Red Sox have come from behind in 5 of their last 7 wins and in 8 of their last 11. The Red Sox have won 7 of their last 8 extra-inning games, after losing each of their first 6 this season... Overall, their 7-7 (.500) record in extra innings is tied for the 5th-best record in the AL. ...The Red Sox are 5-7 against the Yankees this season, including 3-3 at Fenway Park. The Sox have won 3 of their last 4 games at Fenway Park against the Yankees...Including the 2021 AL Wild Card Game, the Sox are 10-7 against the Yankees at Fenway Park over the last 2 seasons. Following the series finale tonight, the clubs will meet in Boston for a 2-game series from 9/13-14 and in New York for a 4-game series from 9/22-25. ...Alex Cora is 1 of 10 people to manage 600 games for the Red Sox...He ranks 10th on the Sox all-time managerial wins list (9th: Eddie Kasko, 345). Only 2 people who have managed at least 600 games for the Red Sox have a better winning % than Cora’s (.566, 340-261): Don Zimmer (.575, 411-304) and Terry Francona (.574, 744-552). Cora has also led the Red Sox to a 17-8 (.680) record in 25 Postseason games, winning the 2018 World Series and advancing to the 2021.... Sox starting pitchers have allowed 3 runs or fewer over 5.0+ innings in each of the club’s last 4 games. It is their longest streak since Sox starters allowed 3 runs or fewer over 5.0+ IP in 7 straight games from 6/19-26. : Sox relievers have allowed only 1 run in 10.1 IP over the club’s last 3 games (0.87 ERA)...In that time, Sox relievers have allowed just 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 15 batters. Garrett Whitlock is 1-1 with 2 saves, a 1.62 ERA, and an 0.60 WHIP in 9 outings since being reinstated from the Injured List on 7/15 (16.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 16 SO). John Schreiber ranks 6th in the AL and 10th in MLB with a 1.91 ERA (10 ER/47.0 IP; min. 45.0 IP). ....The Sox are the only AL team, and 1 of 3 teams in MLB, who feature multiple players batting at least .300 with an .800 OPS: Xander Bogaerts (.306 AVG, .823 OPS) and Rafael Devers (.303 AVG, .930 OPS)...The other teams are the Dodgers (Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner) and Cardinals (Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt). The Sox feature 5 players with 40+ RBI and 40+ runs, tied for 2nd most in the AL (TOR-8, NYY-5, TEX-5). 4 Red Sox hitters rank among the AL’s top 6 in doubles (see table to the right...On Thursday vs. BAL, ...Bogaerts became the 25th player in MLB history to record 150+ HR and 300+ 2B prior to turning 30 years old...Bogaerts, who turns 30 on 10/1, became just the 2nd shortstop to do so (Alex Rodriguez) and 2nd Red Sox player to do so (Carl Yastrzemski).  SOX: Alex Verdugo has 8 XBH in his last 8 games, since 8/5, batting .464 with a 1.380 OPS in that span (13-for-28, 7 R, 7 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 BB). Verdugo leads the Sox and ranks 8th in the AL with a .314 AVG since the start of June (min. 200 PA), also leading the Sox and ranking T-4th in the AL with 19 2B.

NOTES:

* Before the game, to make room for the activation of Michael Wacha, the Red Sox optioned LHP Darwinzon Hernandez to Worcester.

* Rich Hill will return to the Red Sox rotation Wednesday in Pittsburgh, when he'll be piggy-backed by Josh Winkowski. Having another starter like Winckowski pitch in back of Hill will allow Alex Cora to more freely use his bullpen before and after than turn in the rotation.

* It's expected that both Rob Refsnyder and Kike Hernandez will be activated for the start of the road trip Tuesday. The plan is for Hernandez to play mostly center, but Cora said the Sox will take advantage of his versatility, too, and have him play the infield on occasion.

* Cora said Tanner Houck has one more spinal specialist to visit Monday before the Red Sox announce what plans they have for him. Cora said surgery is not currently an option.