Rafael Devers homered off rookie Luis Gil in the seventh inning and connected again in the ninth, leading the Boston Red Sox over the Yankees 3-0 Sunday night and sending New York to its 15th loss in 20 games.
Devers put Boston ahead on a 98.8 mph fastball from Gil (9-5), lifting the ball to the opposite field and into the first row of the left-field seats. He carried his bat up the first-base line before dropping it and completing a slow home run trot. Devers added his 21st home run of the season in the ninth off Michael Tonkin.
Devers has 16 homers at Yankee Stadium and 28 against New York.
Rookie Ceddanne Rafael homered in the eighth off Luke Weaver.
Boston has won six of seven and 16 of 22, improving to 14-1 on Sundays.
New York dropped to 13-16 against AL East rivals. The Yankees lost two of three to the Red Sox and are 0-6-1 in their last seven series, starting with when they lost two of three at Fenway Park from June 14-16.
The Yankees were shut out for the sixth time this season but the first since April. Boston has nine shutouts, two behind major league-leading Atlanta.
In a game that took just 2 hours, 23 minutes, Kutter Crawford (5-7) allowed four hits in seven innings for his his third scoreless start this season. His 40 pitches through five innings were the fewest for a big league starter since Iván Nova’s 38 for Pittsburgh against Arizona on May 30, 2017.
Crawford made first-pitch strikes to 17 of 23 hitters and threw 54 of 68 pitches for strikes overall.
Gil lost his fourth straight outing after opening the season 9-1. He entered with an 14.90 ERA in his previous three outings.
Gil allowed only Devers’ homer among four hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked none for the first time in his big career. He threw a season-high 34 sliders out of 96 pitches and allowed one run or fewer for the 11th time.
Devers made a barehanded pickup at third on DJ LeMahieu’s grounder to end a scoreless eighth for Justin Slaten. Kenley Jansen struck out Aaron Judge on a 94 mph cutter for his 18th save in 19 chances, the 438th of his big league career.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: 1B Triston Casas (strained left rib) took 25 swings on Saturday and is at 75% according to manager Alex Cora
Yankees: 2B Gleyber Torres (groin) was held out of the lineup for the second straight game and is expected to return Tuesday at Tampa Bay.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: RHP Bryan Bello (8-5, 5.19 ERA) opposes Oakland RHP Joey Estes (3-3, 4.39) in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday at Fenway Park.
Yankees: LHP Carlos Rodón (9-6, 4.45) faces RHP Ryan Pepiot (4-5, 4.40) in the first gamer of a three-game series at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
