Bill Koch

Sunday

Sep 20, 2020 at 5:34 PM


BOSTON — If nothing else in this wretched season, the Red Sox were not forced to watch the Yankees celebrate a playoff berth on the field at Fenway Park.


Those were the stakes entering Sunday afternoon’s matchup, with New York just one win away from reaching October. Tanner Houck and Michael Chavis each had their say in impressive fashion, and the Yankees awaited the result of Mariners-Padres later in the day.


Houck fired six strong innings in his debut here [...]

BOSTON — If nothing else in this wretched season, the Red Sox were not forced to watch the Yankees celebrate a playoff berth on the field at Fenway Park.


Those were the stakes entering Sunday afternoon’s matchup, with New York just one win away from reaching October. Tanner Houck and Michael Chavis each had their say in impressive fashion, and the Yankees awaited the result of Mariners-Padres later in the day.


Houck fired six strong innings in his debut here and Chavis smashed a pair of home runs to Lansdowne Street. Boston salvaged the finale of this three-game series, 10-2, and avoided being swept by New York in 2020.


The Red Sox entered 0-9 against the Yankees this year and on a 12-game losing streak against their arch rivals. It’s the third time New York has captured a dozen in a row against Boston, the first since the early 1950s. Only the Royals had gone winless against the Yankees in a season while playing double-digit games, doing so in 1998.


"We know what kind of team they have," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "We know we have to play a really good game. We got a great job pitching today against them. Some guys busted out today offensively."


Houck covered six innings and allowed just one hit, a leadoff double to right center by Tyler Wade in his final frame. He walked three against four strikeouts and is only the second Red Sox pitcher to work as many as five innings in his first two appearances without allowing an earned run. Vaughn Eshelman (1995) and Dave "Boo" Ferriss (1945) now have some company, with Ferriss throwing a pair of complete-game shutouts.


"Great experience," Houck said. "It’s a great rivalry that I’ve been watching growing up. Being able to be a part of it was truly amazing."


Houck induced three double plays in the game, including one on a Luke Voit grounder to short during which Tyler Wade scored from third. Two outs for one run was a worthwhile trade while enjoying a 6-0 lead. Aaron Hicks bounced routinely to second, Houck was done after 85 pitches and Boston was on the way to snapping New York’s 10-game winning streak.


"I was just mostly focused on making my pitch and continuing to follow the game plan," Houck said. "All props to the guys behind me for making some unbelievable plays out there. All credit to them."


The Red Sox had already provided the rookie with plenty of offensive support, and it began in the second inning. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit the Green Monster with a leadoff double and Chavis launched a hanging slider to deep left, making it 2-0. Yankees rookie Deivi Garcia, who counts former Boston great Pedro Martinez among his idols, was already on the hook.


The Red Sox added four more in the third, with the middle of the order going to work yet again. Bradley sent an RBI single up the middle and Chavis dug in with two men aboard. Garcia hung another slider, Chavis made virtually the same swing and another homer to deep left — a three-run shot this time — was the result.


"It sounds dumb, but usually when I’m having fun and I enjoy baseball, things work out," Chavis said. "I had fun today. Just moving forward I’m going to try to enjoy this and win these last (six) games."


Boston added three more in the seventh on a Bobby Dalbec solo shot to left, a sacrifice fly by Tzu-Wei Lin and an RBI single to center by Jonathan Arauz. J.D. Martinez chipped in another when he found the Monster Seats with a solo homer in the eighth. That came off Erik Kratz, as New York’s 40-year-old catcher came on to record his club’s final three outs.


Voit slugged a leadoff solo homer to left in the ninth against Jeffrey Springs. It was his club’s second hit of the day and Voit’s 21st round-tripper on the season, which leads the big leagues. The Yankees managed just eight balls out of the infield in 34 plate appearances.


bkoch@providencejournal.com


On Twitter: @BillKoch25