Aaron Judge hits MLB-best 53rd homer, Yankees pad AL East lead in series win over Red Sox

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

Judge, whose 132 RBIs also top the major leagues, homered twice in three games followed a career-high 16-game homerless streak and helped Carlos Rodón get his career-best 15th win.

New York (87-63) took three of four from the Red Sox and headed on the road for a seven-game trip to Seattle and Oakland on the verge of clinching a postseason berth after failing to reach the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016.

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

Wearing No. 21 on Roberto Clemente Day, Judge hit a two-run shot in a three-run third off Kutter Crawford (8-15) on 0-1 fastball. The 445-foot drive soared onto the netting above Monument Park behind center field for a 4-0 lead.

Gleyber Torres also homered off Crawford, a drive into the short porch in right to start the third. According to Statcast, Torres’ drive would have been a homer only at Houston and Yankee Stadium.

Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI single along with a sacrifice fly as the Yankees won for the seventh time in 10 games.

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

Five relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Clay Holmes stranded a runner in the eighth and Tommy Kahnle got a double play on Jarren Duran to finish his first save this season.

Crawford has allowed a major league-high 33 home runs. He gave up four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Rafael Devers singled ahead of O’Neill’s homer in the fourth, went 1 for 3 and is homerless in 17 straight games.

Second baseman Romy Gonzalez’s error led to Boston’s major league-high 91st unearned run.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Rob Refsnyder (right wrist discomfort) missed his third straight game and is still experiencing soreness. … RHP Tanner Houck, who was scratched from Friday’s start because of shoulder fatigue and last pitched on Sept. 4, is scheduled to pitch Wednesday in Tampa Bay.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Start a three-game series at Tampa Bay on Tuesday on Tuesday.

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