Brayan Bello, Rafael Devers lead Red Sox over Yankees 2-0 for 3-game sweep
By KEN POWTAK Associated Press
Brayan Bello struck out eight over seven innings, Rafael Devers homered, and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 2-0 on Sunday for a three-game sweep that extended their winning streak to five.
Trevor Story added an RBI single for the Red Sox, who have won five straight over the Yankees since losing their first meeting this year. Boston's winning streak matched its season high.
AL East-leading New York went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and was swept in a series for the first time this year, getting shut out for the third time. The Yankees' four runs matched their fewest in a three-game series at Fenway Park, from June 20-22, 1916, and from Sept. 28-30, 1922.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge went 1 for 12 in the series with a solo homer and nine strikeouts, dropping his major league-leading average to .378. He has struck out three or more times in three straight games for the third time in his big league career.
Bello (3-1) gave up three hits, walked three and tossed a career-high 114 pitches. Garrett Whitlock escaped an eighth-inning jam and got the five outs for his first save.
Devers homered just over the top edge of the Green Monster, making it 2-0 in the fifth against Max Fried (9-2). Devers has 31 homers against the Yankees since 2017, the most of any batter in that span.
Story's single came after Romy Gonzalez tripled and did a face-plant on his head-first slide into third.
Fried, who entered 7-0 with an 0.83 ERA in eight starts after a Yankees' loss, struck out nine over seven innings, allowing two runs and six hits.
Key moment
With runners on first and second and one out in the eighth, Judge bounced into a 5-4-3 DP against Whitlock.
Key stat
Boston's starters have gone at least six innings in six straight starts.
Up next
Yankees: RHP Clarke Schmidt (3-3, 3.60 ERA) is slated to start Monday's opener of a four-game series at home against the Los Angeles Angels and RHP José Soriano (4-5, 3.86).
Red Sox: Open a nine-game West Coast trip Monday in Seattle when RHP Lucas Giolito (2-1, 5.45) starts against RHP Logan Gilbert (1-1, 2.37), who will be activated from the 15-day IL.
