Betts Homers Twice, Red Sox Beat Yankees 9-5
NEW YORK -- Third baseman Deven Marrero drove in the go-ahead run with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Boston Red Sox prevented the New York Yankees from clinching a postseason spot with a 9-5 victory Wednesday night.
The Red Sox had runners on first and third when Marrero slapped a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw from Andrew Bailey (0-1).
After Bailey was replaced by struggling left-hander Chasen Shreve, left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in a run with a sacrifice bunt. Center fielder Mookie Betts followed with a two-run homer, four innings after he blasted a game-tying home run off Dellin Betances.
By the time of Boston's 11th-inning rally, the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels already lost their games and the Yankees (86-72) merely had to win to seal their first playoff spot since 2012. New York needs to win two games to clinch home-field advantage for the American League wild-card game.
Pushing across the winning run proved difficult for the Yankees, who stranded 15 and went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position. They took a 5-4 lead on designated hitter Alex Rodriguez's 33rd home run with two outs in the sixth, but they squandered opportunities in the late innings.
The game remained tied when the Yankees left the bases loaded and ran themselves out of the eighth. New York drew four walks in the inning, and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury would have scored the go-ahead run had he not been caught stealing second.
The eighth ended when left fielder Brett Gardner grounded out on the first pitch against Jean Machi, and the Yankees were unable to score in the next two innings against Alexi Ogando (3-1).
Before losing their third straight and ahead of Rodriguez's home run, the Yankees scored three times in the fifth on a ground-rule double by right fielder Carlos Beltran, a groundout by catcher Brian McCann and a single by left fielder Chris Young.
Both starting pitchers went five innings.
New York right-hander Masahiro Tanaka returned from a strained right hamstring and allowed a three-run home run to five baseman Travis Shaw with two outs in the third and an RBI single to designated hitter David Ortiz in the third.
Boston's Wade Miley allowed four runs and nine hits in five innings.
After getting the first two outs of the first, Tanaka gave up a single to shortstop Xander Bogaerts and walked Ortiz. He was one strike away from getting out of it but threw a full count splitter with no movement and Shaw sent it well over the right field fence.
The Yankees scored with two outs in the second on a ground-rule double by second baseman Robert Refsnyder, but Boston went ahead 4-1 on a single up by Ortiz.
After New York third baseman Chase Headley was doubled off second in the third and the Yankees stranded two in the fourth, they got within one on a ground-rule double by Beltran and an RBI groundout by McCann.
The Yankees tied it when Young's hard grounder deflected off third baseman Devin Marrero's glove into left field. New York loaded the bases on consecutive walks by first baseman Greg Bird and Reysnyder but did not score as shortstop Didi Gregorius flied out.
NOTES: In anticipation of the projected heavy rain, Baltimore and Philadelphia moved their respective Thursday games to afternoon starts. New York manager Joe Girardi said he was unaware of any plans to do the same with the Yankees' series finale Thursday. ... Yankees 2B Stephen Drew spent Wednesday consulting with concussion specialist Dr. Micky Collins in Pittsburgh. Drew said after Tuesday's game that he thinks he might be concussed. ... Boston OF Rusney Castillo missed his third consecutive game with an upper right quad strain. Manager Torey Lovullo said Castillo's condition is improving but not quite there yet. ... Lovullo also said 3B Pablo Sandoval (pneumonia) is improving, but it is too late for him to begin baseball activities.
