BOSTON (AP) — Masataka Yoshida hit a tiebreaking two-run single off Clay Holmes in a three-run eighth inning, and the Boston Red Sox overcame Aaron Judge’s 470-foot home run to beat the reeling New York Yankees 9-7 Friday night.
Judge hit his major league-leading 36th homer, a three-run drive in the seventh on a Zack Kelly cutter that landed in a small section of stands above a back wall and below a videoboard.
“I try not to watch ’em,” Judge said. “I had to check the replay to see where it went.”
The homer, the fifth-longest of Judge’s big league career, put New York ahead 6-4, and Austin Wells followed with a solo homer over right fielder Tyler O’Neill, who tumbled into the stands.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he saw Manny Ramirez in 2007 hit one to the same area as Judge reached.
“The big boy, he is amazing, man. I haven’t seen a guy hit a ball there since ‘07,” Cora said. “That was impressive, but our guys kept battling.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has been at Fenway enough to be impressed by where Judge’s drive landed.
“I just know when he squared it up, I was like: That’s about as clean as you can hit a baseball,” he said.
Ceddanne Rafaela cut the deficit to 7-6 with a two-run shot against Luke Weaver in the bottom half that went over the Green Monster and out of Fenway Park.
“As a baseball player, these are the games you want to play,” Rafaela said. “It’s awesome.”
Weaver (4-2) allowed Rob Refsnyder’s third hit of the night leading off the eighth and walked Connor Wong.
Holmes relieved with one out in just his second appearance since July 14 and allowed Wilyer Abreu’s tying double on an up sinker. Holmes has blown four of his last six save chances and seven of 28 this season.
Yoshida took a pair of sliders for balls, then singled on another up sinker.
“Yeah, obviously being able to win in a game like this, that’s why I came here,” Yoshida said through a translator.
Boston had lost five of its first six games after the All-Star break.
New York (60-45) has lost five of six and is 10-23 after a 50-22 start.
“Look, that’s a game you’re trying to close out, obviously you’re in a tough spot,” Boone said. “Tough spot for Clay to come in there.”
Bailey Horn (1-1) got three outs for his first major league win and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances, the 440th of his big league career.
Red Sox starter Brayan Bello gave up three runs in five innings.
Anthony Volpe homered into the center-field bleachers, tying the game at 1.
New York starter Nestor Cortes gave up four runs and a season-high nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. He is 0-5 with a 6.18 ERA in 11 starts away from Yankee Stadium and 4-4 with a 2.48 ERA at home.
“It’s a tough stretch, a tough month, a tough two months, I don’t know what you want to call it. We do need to turn it around,” Cortes said.
NEW ADDITIONS
Boston acquired LHP James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league infielder Moises Bolivar.
BABY
Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake missed the game following the birth of his daughter Georgie.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Boone said slugger Giancarlo Stanton could be activated Monday in Philadelphia. He’s been out since straining his left hamstring on June 22.
Red Sox: Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow said before the game that 1B Triston Casas could start a rehab assignment in about a week. “He’s feeling good taking swings with more intensity,” Breslow said. Casas has been sidelined since mid-April with a rib strain. … Refsnyder crashed into the Green Monster, trying to make a leaping catch. He was down for a while but stayed in the game.
UP NEXT
Yankees RHP Marcus Stroman (7-5, 3.51 ERA) starts Saturday night against Red Sox RHP Kutter Crawford (6-8, 3.37). Crawford won on July 8 at Yankee Stadium, needing just 68 pitches in seven shutout innings.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
