Red Sox handle Yankees to cap record-setting MLB regular season

JD Martinez hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning and the Boston Red Sox concluded the best regular season in team history with a 10-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon (Monday AM AEST) at Fenway Park.

Martinez gave the Red Sox a 10-2 lead when he drove an 0-1 pitch from Justus Sheffield over the centre field fence and into the Boston bullpen. Reliever Robby Scott was warming up and caught the ball in his cap.

It was Martinez's 43rd homer and upped his RBI total to 130. He joined Hall of Famer Ted Williams (1949) and Mo Vaughn (1996) as the only Boston players to hit at least .325 with at least 40 homers and 125 RBIs and broke the team record set by Dick Stuart in 1963 for the most homers by a player in his first season with Boston.

Xander Bogaerts added a two-run homer as the Red Sox raced out to a 7-0 lead through the second inning. Brock Holt and Mitch Moreland added RBI doubles for the Red Sox (108-54), who open the playoffs at home against the winner of the wild-card match between the Yankees and Oakland.

Martinez also scored in the first on a fielding error at first by Luis Cessa (1-4) in a three-run first. Mookie Betts scored after right fielder Aaron Judge misplayed Holt's single for an error.