Red Sox overcome Judge, Yanks in thrilling series-opening win
BOSTON — The Red Sox were briefly stunned by a majestic three-run missile over the back wall in center field hit by Aaron Judge that highlighted a four-run top of the seventh.
But they turned the tables on their rivals with spirited rallies in the seventh and eighth innings and pulled out a thrilling 9-7 victory in Friday night’s wild opener of a three-game series.
Wilyer Abreu came off the bench for a game-tying pinch-hit double with one out in the eighth. Masataka Yoshida followed with the go-ahead hit, a two-run single to center.
Kenley Jansen, who didn’t travel to the team’s last series in Denver due to a pre-existing heart condition that isn’t conducive to the high altitude, came on in the ninth to pin down the save for the 55-47 Red Sox.
When Judge hit that mammoth Statcast-projected 470-foot shot and Austin Wells followed with a solo blow, Boston’s 4-3 lead suddenly turned into a 7-4 deficit.
But Ceddanne Rafaela started the climb back for Boston by scorching one over everything in left for a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh that slimmed the deficit to 7-6.