Caleb Durbin hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to break a tie, and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 6-3 at Fenway Park. Connelly Early went six innings, Aroldis Chapman recorded his 15th save, and the Red Sox won at home for the first time th
BOSTON — The Red Sox had to get one swing to catch up, and Caleb Durbin gave it to them in the fifth inning.
Durbin broke a tie with a two-run homer off Yankees starter Cam Schlittler. sending a shot into the first row of the Green Monster seats. The timing carried extra weight: it came one day after Durbin’s left pinkie was dislocated against Colorado. He was in the starting lineup again Thursday and sent his fifth homer of the month into the stands.
Boston’s win finished 6-3 over New York, with Connelly Early allowing two runs over six innings. Early struck out a season-high nine batters and walked two while allowing five hits.
Aroldis Chapman, the Red Sox closer, bounced back after two losses and earned his 15th save of the season.
The game began with the Yankees setting the tone. New York took a 2-0 lead into the fifth inning when Jasson Dominguez delivered an RBI single and when Jose Caballero added his eighth home run.
By the time the fifth arrived, the Red Sox had a four-run rally built on errors and patience. Their rally was aided by one of four Yankees errors in the inning, and Durbin’s homer capped it off to make the score swing.
Early left after New York’s bats found an outlet again. Schlittler, whose ERA dropped from 1.71 to 1.62, left with the Yankees trailing 4-2. The right-hander allowed four runs, none earned, on five hits and struck out nine.
Boston added runs beyond Durbin’s blast as Nate Eaton and Ceddanne Rafaela each drove in a run for the Red Sox. For New York, Caballero homered, while Jasson Dominguez provided an RBI early.
The victory also landed with a jolt away from the field. The Red Sox dealt with a rocky travel schedule involving their departing charter flight from Denver that didn’t land back in Boston until 6 a.m.
The clubhouse wasn’t the only place that felt tense late. Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey was ejected by first-base umpire Tyler Jones in the ninth.
They’ll remember the scoreboard, too. Boston beat the Yankees at Fenway Park for the first time this season. New York previously swept a three-game series at Fenway back in April.
Up next, the Yankees will send RHP Will Warren (7-2, 3.45) to the mound on Friday night, and the Red Sox will counter with LHP Payton Tolle (3-4, 3.08).
Red Sox Yankees Caleb Durbin Connelly Early Aroldis Chapman Fenway Park baseball MLB