Rookie Jake Bennett pitched six stellar innings and got some massive help from his defense in the fourth inning as the visiting Boston Red Sox earned a 6-0 victory over the New York Yankees in the opener of Saturday’s day-night doubleheader.
Wilyer Abreu homered in the first inning against New York starter Carlos Rodon (4-3) as the Red Sox took a 6-5 lead in the season series and moved back to within two games of the Yankees for the AL’s top wild-card spot and home-field advantage in a wild-card series.
Bennett (9-6) allowed three hits in his fourth career scoreless start. Bennett struck out seven without a walk and has allowed one run on six hits in 12 1/3 innings during his two starts against New York.
New York’s biggest threat against the left-hander occurred with one out in the fourth when Amed Rosario reached on a throwing error by third baseman Caleb Durbin and advanced on a passed ball by catcher Adley Rutschman.
Heliot Ramos doubled when center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela got turned around and Rosario was sent home by third base coach Luis Rojas. Rafaela recovered, retrieved the ball at the warning track and made a strong throw to Nick Sogard that allowed the second baseman to nail Rosario at the plate with a good throw to Rutschman.
Rutschman completed the second out by tagging Rosario on the leg and Bennett finished the fourth with a called third strike on Cody Bellinger.
Rafaela recovered from misjudging Ramos’ fly ball after getting thrown out on the bases twice in Friday’s 1-0 loss. Rafaela was doubled off first in the fifth inning and thrown out at the plate by Bellinger’s stellar throw from left field in the seventh.
Boston added its second run in the fifth when Rutschman singled and advanced on a throwing error by Rosario at second base on a lineout. Following a single by Sogard, he scored on a passed ball by catcher Ali Sanchez.
Rutschman completed his first three-hit game for Boston when he singled and scored on Andruw Monasterio’s two-run single and Sogard’s RBI double. Rafaela added an RBI single to cap the inning.
Rodon allowed two runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings during his third start back from left elbow inflammation. The left-hander struck out five and walked one.
After Bennett’s 83-pitch outing, Tyron Guerrero and Garrett Whitlock pitched an inning apiece before the Red Sox padded the lead.