Rafael Devers hit a two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning to continue his dominance of Gerrit Cole and the Boston Red Sox snapped a seven-game road losing streak with a 7-1 victory over the host New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon.
The Red Sox (75-74) avoided falling under .500 for the first time since June 11 after opening the series with a pair of one-run losses.
Cole (6-5) hit Devers with a pitch in the first inning and intentionally walked the slugger with one out in the fourth to set up a three-run inning. According to the YES Network sourcing stathead.com, it was on record the earliest intentional walk with the bases empty ever issued by the Yankees.
In the fifth, Cole was forced to face Devers after grazing Jarren Duran with a pitch. Devers improved to 14-for-40 in the regular season off Cole by lining a 1-0 curveball to right field that allowed Trevor Story and Danny Jansen to score and give the Red Sox a 5-1 cushion.
Masataka Yoshida started Boston’s comeback with a tying RBI ground-rule double in the fourth, two batters after Devers drew his free pass. In the fifth, Yoshida followed Devers’ hit with a two-run single after Cole hit Tyler O’Neill with a pitch.
Wilyer Abreu put the Red Sox ahead 3-1 in the fourth with a two-run single. Earlier, Abreu made a strong throw from right field to throw out Alex Verdugo at second in the third inning.
Boston’s Brayan Bello (14-7) allowed one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings and retired Aaron Judge three times after the slugger hit a go-ahead grand slam on Friday. Bello struck out two, walked two in improving to 4-2 in his past six starts.
Four relievers followed Bello, including left-hander Zach Penrod, who made his major league debut and retired Anthony Rizzo with two on to end the eighth.
Before using four fingers on his right hand to signal he wanted to put Devers on, Cole retired nine of the first 10 hitters. After hitting Devers, he got O’Neill to bounce into a double play to end the first.
Cole was lifted after Yoshida’s single in the fifth and heard some boos while coming off the mound.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was tagged for a season-high seven runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He has allowed 11 runs on 12 hits in 8 2/3 innings during his two starts against the Red Sox this season.
Gleyber Torres hit an RBI single in the third for the Yankees (86-63), whose magic number to clinch a playoff spot remained at four.