Yankees 3, Red Sox 2: Boston bullpen falters as New York remains alive

NEW YORK --- History repeating itself a few short weeks from now at Yankee Stadium could bring dire consequences for the Red Sox and their 2018 World Series hopes.

As it stands, Boston’s bullpen blew what was its first chance to clinch a third straight American League East crown. One can’t help but wonder if a similar scene will play out in the A.L. Division Series in October, a series of events that would be far more damaging with the season on the line.

Neil [...]

NEW YORK --- History repeating itself a few short weeks from now at Yankee Stadium could bring dire consequences for the Red Sox and their 2018 World Series hopes.

As it stands, Boston’s bullpen blew what was its first chance to clinch a third straight American League East crown. One can’t help but wonder if a similar scene will play out in the A.L. Division Series in October, a series of events that would be far more damaging with the season on the line.

Neil Walker’s three-run homer to right field postponed Boston’s celebrations for at least one more night, as New York required just one swing to score a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox in front of 38,695.

Ryan Brasier served up a hanging slider with one out in the seventh and Walker lost it, cranking a drive that took Yankees starter J.A. Happ off the hook and denied Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi a historic victory against his old club. Not even a pair of New York errors in the ninth could spoil the evening for the hosts, as Ian Kinsler grounded into a 1-4-3 double play with the potential go-ahead run at first base.

“We got to that seventh inning and we walked two guys,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We didn’t do a good job with the man at first. Then we got deep into the count, we hung a slider and that was the ballgame.”

Brandon Workman walked two of the three men he faced in the seventh, sandwiching free passes to Aaron Hicks and Gary Sanchez around a pop to first by Miguel Andujar. Workman failed in what could have been the latest of the ongoing playoff auditions among Boston’s relievers, and Brasier was summoned with the tying run in scoring position. Walker’s blast was just the second allowed by Brasier in 30 appearances this season, tagging Workman with the loss and inflating the 1.50 earned-run average he posted over his last 17 appearances.

“I fell behind and made a pitch that was hittable instead of under the zone like I was trying to do,” Brasier said. “He made me pay for it.”

Two costly mistakes by New York opened the door for Boston to take the lead in the third. Ian Kinsler led off with a single to left, was balked to second by Happ and eventually took third on Sanchez’s league-leading 14th passed ball of the season. J.D. Martinez lifted a sacrifice fly down the line in right and the Red Sox enjoyed a 1-0 cushion.

The Yankees nearly had an immediate answer in the bottom half, as Eovaldi labored through 24 pitches and walked a pair. Aaron Judge came to the plate with a chance to make his first real contribution for New York since July 26, the day he hit the disabled list with a right wrist fracture. The slugging right fielder grounded Eovaldi’s first pitch to short, starting a 6-4-3 double play that ended the inning.

Eovaldi retired seven straight into the sixth when Gleyber Torres lined a leadoff double to the corner in left, sparking another Yankees threat. Judge moved Torres to third with a one-out sacrifice fly and Didi Gregorius was hit by a pitch to put men at the corners for Giancarlo Stanton. Eovaldi ran the count full against the cleanup man before blowing Stanton away with a 97-mph fastball upstairs, his 83rd and final pitch of the night.

“Getting out of that jam right there was a big situation in the game,” Eovaldi said. “Same in the third inning when I walked the two guys and I was able to work my way out of that jam as well. I felt good coming out of that inning. I was hoping I could go back out for another.”

“It was something that coming in, the idea we had was that we wanted six,” Cora said. “That was a stressful inning, that sixth inning. That was good enough.”

Happ limited Boston to just four hits in six innings, stranding a pair in the second and escaping another jam in the sixth. The Red Sox had runners at the corners with one out when Xander Bogaerts doubled to the corner in left and Eduardo Nunez dunked a soft single into right center. Brandon Phillips popped to second and Brock Holt was caught fishing on a slider down and away, as Happ recorded the last of his six strikeouts.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25