New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox Box Score on Aug 20, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 20, 2017

BOSTON -- Jackie Bradley Jr. knocked in three runs on a pair of two-out hits to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 5-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox took the rubber match of the teams' three-game series, extending their lead over New York in the American League East to five games.

Rick Porcello (8-14) picked up the win, allowing one run on three hits in six innings of work with four strikeouts and three walks. It's the fourth straight win for Porcello, bringing him to 4-4 since the All-Star break.

Sonny Gray (7-8) went five innings and allowed two runs, both earned, on seven hits with two walks in his fourth start as a Yankee. He departed with the Yankees down 2-1, but the New York bullpen fell flat, allowing four runs on five hits, including a two-run double by Sandy Leon in the eighth.

The Red Sox stretched Gray early, forcing him to throw 20 pitches in each of the first three innings.

Gray was mostly able to avoid any damage on the scoreboard save for the second inning, when Bradley smoked a two-out triple into the center-field triangle to bring Xander Bogaerts and Sandy Leon home for a 2-0 lead.

Porcello was mostly sharp early, before issuing back-to-back walks in the fourth inning. He escaped that trouble by inducing a fly ball from Todd Frazier and striking out Tyler Austin.

The Yankees finally got to Porcello in the fifth when Brett Gardner, using Fenway Park's unique dimensions, snaked a shot just past the right-field foul pole for a solo home run, cutting the Boston lead to 2-1.

The Yankees' offense effectively shut down from there, as Boston pitching didn't allow another baserunner the rest of the way.

Gray avoided any further damage before departing after five innings. That ended his AL-best streak of nine straight starts (including six with Oakland) of at least six innings and two or fewer earned runs allowed.

With Gray gone, Bradley Jr. added another RBI to extend the Red Sox lead to 3-1 in the sixth inning, bringing home Mitch Moreland with a two-out single off of Adam Warren.

Aroldis Chapman made his first appearance since surrendering two runs in the eighth inning of Friday's come-from-behind Red Sox win. Chapman, who was effectively demoted out of the closer's spot by manager Joe Girardi after the game, retired four batters, walking one and striking out Rafael Devers with Mookie Betts looming at third base to end the seventh inning.

The Red Sox tacked on two more runs in the eighth, when Leon ripped a double into the right field corner to score Bogaerts and Moreland.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth inning to close out the game.

NOTES: The Red Sox announced that LHP Drew Pomeranz will throw a bullpen session on Monday, and is on track to make his scheduled start Wednesday in Cleveland, after leaving Friday's game in the fourth inning with back spasms. ... Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka had an on-field throwing session before Sunday's game. Tanaka was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 10 with shoulder inflammation, but is scheduled to start Tuesday's game in Detroit. He also threw a bullpen session at Fenway Park on Friday. ... Red Sox INF Eduardo Nunez did not start Sunday, marking his first non-start since the trade that brought him from San Francisco to Boston on July 26, a span of 19 games. ... RF Aaron Judge continued to struggle against the Red Sox, going 0-for-4 and extending his major league record streak to 37 straight games with at least one strikeout. ... The Red Sox honored former second baseman and current television color commentator Jerry Remy before the game. Remy, a team broadcaster since 1988 and a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame, is currently recovering from surgery after being diagnosed with lung cancer.