Wong, Verdugo get consecutive RBI doubles, push Red Sox past Yankees 6-2 in DH opener
BOSTON (AP) — Connor Wong and Alex Verdugo hit consecutive RBI doubles off the Green Monster with two outs in a three-run sixth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 6-2 on Sunday in the opener of a split doubleheader.
Adam Duvall and Justin Turner each added an RBI single for the Red Sox, who won the series opener 15-5 on Friday and improved to 4-1 against their rival.
“It’s fun when you can light up the scoreboard,” Duvall said. “We had that big game a couple of days ago. We were able to put some runs up on the board today. I feel like we’re starting to drive the baseball.”
Gleyber Torres hit a first-inning, two-run homer for the Yankees, who were without slugger and reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge for the 11th straight game because of a sprained right toe. They are 4-7 without him in the lineup during this stretch and 8-13 when he’s been on the injured list this season.
“That’s the story line,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Judge’s absence. “We’re going to get beat over the head with that. The reality is: That team we’re rolling out there is capable of doing damage offensively and even more capable, obviously, when Judge, you take the best player in the world out, that, to me, is just an excuse right now.”
The game was the makeup of Saturday night’s rainout.
Wong’s hit pushed the Red Sox ahead 3-2 against Michael King (1-3). Two pitches later, Verdugo delivered and scored on Turner’s single.
Nick Pivetta (4-4), demoted to the bullpen in mid-May, worked three perfect innings of relief with four strikeouts for the victory.
“I went out and did a good job today, which is nice,” Pivetta said. “It felt nice and easy, consistent and the delivery felt good. I was able to command the ball and throw strikes.”
Torres sent a 97-mph fastball from opener Kaleb Ort into the first row of Monster seats after Jake Bauers opened the game with a ground-rule double.
Facing the Red Sox for the second time in eight days, starter Clarke Schmidt stranded five baserunners in the first three innings before Rafael Devers had a run-scoring grounder and Duvall followed with his RBI hit that chased the right-hander.
LOOKING BETTER
Judge visited with fans, signing autographs and taking pictures on the field outside New York’s dugout about 2 ½ hours before the start. When finished, he said he was heading for some “rehab treatments.” Boone said the slugger “looks better” and “seems to be walking better.”
On Friday, Judge had his second platelet-rich plasma injection on his sprained right toe. “I know he was pretty beat up (Friday). He was in a lot of pain,” Boone said.
DAD MEMORIES
“Just so grateful that I had a dad that took us to work with him all the time,” Boone said of his 75-year-old father, Bob, a former MLB catcher. “He came up the end of 1972 and I was born the spring of ’73 and (he) played until my senior year of high school. Literally, I was at the ballpark — my brothers and I — in (uniform) shagging, doing everything you could possibly imagine. A great way to grow up.”
Boone’s bother, Bret, also played in the big leagues and another brother, Matt, played minor league ball.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Boone said outfielder Harrison Bader (strained right hamstring) “should be good to go” and come off the injured list on Tuesday.
Red Sox: Manager Alex Cora didn’t know yet if right-hander Tanner Houck would need surgery for a facial fracture he suffered when he was hit under the right eye by a line drive off the bat of the Yankees’ Kyle Higashioka on Friday. “He’s going to see the doctor at the end of the week, and then we’ll go from there,” Cora said. … Houck was placed on the 15-day injured list and Ort was recalled from Triple-A Worcester.
UP NEXT
RHP Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA) is set to go for the Yankees in the nightcap against Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (3-4, 3.78).
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