Aaron Judge hits 53rd home run, MLB best, Yankees extend AL East lead in series win over Red Sox

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Rechter hit his 53rd home run, a major league-leading run, and the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Sunday to take a three-game lead over second-place Baltimore in the AL East.

Judge, whose 132 RBIs also rank as the Major League’s leading scorer, hit two home runs in three games after a career-high 16 games without a home run and helped Carlos Rodon his best win of his career: 15th.

New York (87-63) won three of four games against the Red Sox and set off on a seven-game trip to Seattle and Oakland to secure a playoff spot after failing to make the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016.

Tyler O’Neill hit a two-run home run for the Red Sox (75-75), who trailed Minnesota (79-70) by 4 1/2 games in the battle for the final AL wild card spot.

With number 21 on Roberto Clemente Day, Judge hit a two-run home run on a three-run third base hit Cutter Crawford (8-15) on an 0-1 fastball. The 445-foot drive soared over the net above Monument Park behind center field for a 4-0 lead.

Gleyber Torres also a home run by Crawford, a drive into the short porch in right to lead off the third. According to Statcast, Torres’ drive would have been a home run only in Houston and Yankee Stadium.

Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees their seventh win in 10 games.

Rodón allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings, surpassing his 14 wins with San Francisco in 2022.

Five relievers combined to throw 3 2/3 innings without scoring a run. Clay Holmes stranded a runner in the eighth and Tommy Kahnle got a double play on Years Duran to complete his first save this season.

Crawford has allowed 33 home runs, the most in the Major Leagues, while giving up four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Rafael Devers singled before O’Neill’s home run in the fourth, was 1-for-3 and is without a home run in 17 consecutive games.

Second baseman Romy GonzalezThe error led to Boston’s 91st unearned run in the Major Leagues, the most in the Major Leagues.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Rob Refsnyder (right wrist pain) missed his third straight game and is still suffering from muscle pain. … RHP Tanner Houckwho was sidelined from Friday due to shoulder fatigue and last pitched on Sept. 4, is expected to pitch Wednesday in Tampa Bay.

NEXT

Red Sox: They begin a three-game series in Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Yankees: RHP Luis Gil (13-6, 3.18 ERA) opposes Mariners RHP Bryan Hout (8-2, 2.38) in the opening game of a three-game series on Tuesday evening.