This was a Yankees-Red Sox game that gave the fans what they wanted. New York’s 3-2 win on Tuesday night lasted three hours and 29 minutes, which feels short by Yankees-Red Sox standards.
Giancarlo Stanton hit two home runs. Luis Severino didn’t pitch his best and still struck out 11. And Aaron Judge lined a go-ahead single off Joe Kelly, who is Public Enemy Number One for the time being.
“It’s a lot of fun to play in these games,” Boone said. “I’m not going to lie. I’m obviously not playing but a couple of times I said to guys on the bench, just forgot how fun these were.”
“The crowd was rocking all night,” Judge said.
The Red Sox tied the game in the top of the seventh on a Mookie Betts RBI triple. In the bottom of the inning, a double and two walks loaded the bases for Judge, as Alex Cora called on Joe Kelly, appearing in the Bronx for the first time since the brawl at Fenway several weeks ago.
“They lean on him usually in big spots,” Boone said. “It got the decibels up in the stadium a little bit, so that’s always good.”
Stanton said it was the “perfect script right there.”
Judge lined a slider to left, scoring Neil Walker with the go-ahead run, although Gleyber Torres was thrown out at home.
“He’s got a really good fastball that he kind of likes to live up in the zone but it’s got good carry on it, so it’s kind of tough to get on top of it when it’s up in the zone,” Judge said. “And that plays well with his big curveball and he’s got a sharp little slider. In the past, he’s always tried to show fastball up and then straight back to that slider, so I’m just trying to get something out over the plate I could drive. Because in that situation, bases loaded one out, I’m in the drivers seat.”
Chad Green and Aroldis Chapman both pitched an inning of shutout relief to finish off the victory.
The Yankees tied the Red Sox for first place in the AL East with the win and it feels like they may never lose again. It’s the first time they’ve won 10 straight home games in the new Yankee Stadium.
It’s the first time they’ve won 16 of 17 since 1953. And the 25-10 start is tied for their second best start through 35 games over the last 60 seasons, with only the 26-9 start in 1998 being better.
A game like the one tonight is worth every second of the nearly three-and-a-half hours it took to play.