Yankees look to keep hitting clutch against Red Sox

Sep 12, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) and center fielder Aaron Judge (99) dump gatorade on right fielder Juan Soto (22) for getting the game winning hit while being interviewed by Fox Broadcaster Ken Rosenthal after the game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees haven’t relied on a prolific offense lately, but they’re doing enough to pick up wins and extend their lead in the American League East.

Following game-ending hits by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Juan Soto, the Yankees will look for their third straight win when they host the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

The Yankees (85-62) are 5-2 in their last seven games after losing six of their previous nine against the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals. Four of those wins were by three runs or less and the Yankees have scored more than four runs just once in those contests.

Chisholm hit the game-winning single in the 11th inning of Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals and Soto gave the Yankees a 2-1 victory over the Red Sox with a 10th-inning single Thursday. The Yankees are two games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East, matching their largest lead since reclaiming the division lead on Aug. 21.

“The guys are playing really well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We haven’t had a lot of offense the last few nights, but we’re doing enough. I thought we had some good at-bats tonight.”

The Yankees earned their last two wins despite going 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position and stranding 17. Before Soto’s game-winning homer, New York left the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth.

New York is getting these wins despite Aaron Judge being stuck at 51 homers. Since hitting two homers against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 25, Judge hasn’t homered in a career-high 16 straight games and is batting .207 (12-for-58).

Boston (74-73) has lost three straight to New York and is 4 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the third and final AL wild card.

Danny Jansen hit a game-tying homer in the fifth, but the Red Sox were limited to four hits and struck out 14 times. The Red Sox have struck out 50 times in their last four games and at least 10 times in 14 games dating back to Aug. 18.

Rafael Devers went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Thursday and hasn’t homered in 14 games. Since his last homer on Aug. 25, Devers is 9-for-54 (.167).

“I’m not going through my best time right now, but that’s part of baseball,” Devers said through an interpreter. “There are times when you’re going to go through a tough time and that’s what I’m going through right now. I’m not perfect and that’s baseball.”

New York’s Clarke Schmidt (5-3, 2.34 ERA) will make his second start since returning from a lengthy stint on the injured list. Schmidt missed 86 games because of a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle and pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the host Chicago Cubs, marking his third scoreless start this season.

Schmidt is 0-1 with a 4.23 ERA in eight career appearances (four starts) against the Red Sox. He last faced them on Sept. 14 of last season, allowing four runs (three earned) and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision at Boston.

Tanner Houck (8-10, 3.24), who was scratched from his last scheduled start because of a shoulder soreness on Sunday, will pitch for the first time since allowing four runs and five hits in an 8-3 loss Sept. 4 to the host New York Mets.

Houck is 0-4 with a 4.78 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break after scattering two hits in six innings against the Oakland Athletics on July 11 in his final start before the break.

Houck is 3-3 with a 2.38 ERA in 14 career appearances (nine starts) against the Yankees.

–Field level media