FINAL: Red Sox 6, Yankees 2 - Boston's pitching stymies New York behind 2 homers, Verdugo

From Xander Bogaerts' two-run homer in the first inning and Nate Eovaldi's postseason prowess on display again with five-plus strong innings, the Red Sox easily dispatched the Yankees 6-2 before a very energetic crowd at Fenway.

Yup, they took great pleasure in sending The Pinstripers back to the Bronx to start setting up tee times, even with Bucky Bleeping Dent watching from the stands.

What ghosts? Red Sox are now 8-1 in their last nine postseason games vs. the Yankees. Wonder if Aaron Judge brought his boombox with him.

The headlines:

• Eovaldi evoked memories from the 2018 World Series with eight strikeouts over 5.1 innings.
• The Red Sox' beleaguered bullpen allowed just two hits and one run (a garbage-time homer by Giancarlo Stanton in the 9th).
• Bogaerts and Rafael Devers went deep.
• Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 and clinched the game with a two-run, two-out single in the 8th to make it 6-1.
• In another nod to 2018, Cora pushed all the right buttons in the bullpen.
• Gerritt Cole, who makes more than some countries, rewarded the Yankees with 2-plus innings, three runs on four hits and two homers.

__________________________

WHO: Red Sox (92-70) vs. Yankees (92-70)
WHEN: 8:08 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES: BOS 10-9
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (11-9, 3.75) vs. RHP Gerrit Cole (16-8, 3.23)
TV/RADIO: ESPN; WEEI 93.7 FM
LIVE BOX

LINEUPS

YANKEES

Rizzo 1B
Judge RF
Stanton DH
Gallo LF
Torres 2B
Gardiner CF
Urshela 3B
Higashioka C
Velazquez SS

RED SOX

Schwarber DH
Hernandez CF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Verdugo LF
Renfroe RF
Plawecki C
Dalbec 1B
Arroyo 2B

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox clinched their spot in the Postseason with Sunday’s 7-5, come-from-behind win over the Nationals, completing a 3-game sweep in Washington. The Sox are making the 25th Postseason appearance in franchise history, their 1st since winning the 2018 World Series championship. The Sox are 102-86-1 all time in Postseason play...They are 22-15 in 37 Postseason series, having gone 7-6 in 13 trips to the ALDS (23-25 in ALDS games), 6-5 in the ALCS (30-32), and 9-4 in the World Series (49-29-1). ...The Red Sox