If nothing else, the Yankees saved face.
But they still have a long way to go to prove they can actually beat the Red Sox when it matters.
For now, the Yankees avoided what would have been a disastrous four-game sweep by their rivals, snapping an eight-game losing streak against the Red Sox by taking the finale Sunday night with a 7-2 win.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. clubbed a pair of two-run homers that bookended the scoring and Trent Grisham blasted a pair of solo shots to pull the Yankees (70-60) back within a half-game of the Red Sox (71-60) for the top AL wild-card spot.
In the process, the Yankees avoided being swept by the Red Sox in a series of four or more games at home for the first time since 1939.
After mustering just four runs through the first three games of this series, the Yankees beat up on Red Sox right-hander Dustin May for five runs Sunday before Chisholm added his second two-run shot off Walker Buehler in the eighth inning.
The Yankees now return to the JV portion of their schedule Monday with a series against the Nationals before a four-game set against the lowly White Sox.
They will see the Red Sox again at Fenway Park at the end of a brutal stretch with series against the Astros, Blue Jays and Tigers.
Carlos Rodón gave up two runs on just one hit across 5 ²/₃ innings, but walked five — the third time he has done so in his last seven starts.
Three of those free passes came in the sixth inning as Rodón loaded the bases with two outs and was relieved by Luke Weaver, who allowed a bloop two-run single to pinch-hitter Nathaniel Lowe that made it a 5-2 lead.
But Weaver struck out Jarren Duran to limit the damage and then tossed a scoreless seventh inning.
Devin Williams entered for the eighth to face the heart of the Red Sox’s lineup and retired it in order, getting Alex Bregman to ground out and striking out Roman Anthony and Trevor Story.
Camilo Doval then worked around a pair of hits in the top of the ninth to finish off the win.
Chisholm skied a two-run shot in the second inning off May to put the Yankees up 2-0, their first lead since the fifth inning Thursday night.
It marked Chisholm’s 100th career home run and 23rd this season — one shy of his career high last year.
Grisham made it 3-0 in the third inning when he led off with a 406-foot blast, then led off the fifth with a 413-footer that made it 5-0.
The two-homer game — the center fielder’s second in his last five games — gave Grisham 25 on the season, which is second on the team behind only Aaron Judge.
With walks in his other two plate appearances, Grisham reached base in all four trips to the plate, continuing to provide more than the Yankees could have expected heading into the season.
Giancarlo Stanton, starting in right field for the third time in four days with Judge still not ready to play the field, led off the fourth inning by smoking a 117.8-mph double to center field.
He eventually came in to score on a sacrifice fly from José Caballero, who was starting at shortstop for the scuffling Anthony Volpe.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
