NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. zipped all the way home from first base on Austin Wells’ tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees extended their season Wednesday night with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series.
Unhappy he was left out of the starting lineup in the opener, Chisholm also made a couple of critical defensive plays at second base that helped the Yankees send the best-of-three playoff to a decisive Game 3 on Thursday night in the Bronx.
In the latest chapter of baseball’s most storied rivalry, the winner advances to face AL East champion Toronto in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Saturday.
Ben Rice hit an early two-run homer and Aaron Judge had an RBI single for the Yankees, who got three innings of scoreless relief from their shaky bullpen after starter Carlos Rodón put the first two batters on in the seventh.
Devin Williams worked a one-hit eighth for the win, and David Bednar got three outs for his first postseason save. Judge pumped his fist when he caught Ceddanne Rafaela’s flyball on the right-field warning track to end it.
Trevor Story homered and drove in all three runs for the Red Sox, who won the series opener 3-1 on Tuesday night behind ace lefty Garrett Crochet.
— Red Sox fans remain confident going into game 3 —
With the score tied in the seventh, Chisholm saved a run with a diving stop of an infield single by pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida. Story then flied out with the bases loaded to the edge of the center-field warning track to end the inning, and fired-up reliever Fernando Cruz waved his arms wildly to pump up the crowd.
Chisholm also made a tough play to start an inning-ending double play with two on in the third — the first of three timely double plays turned by the Yankees.
There were two outs in the eighth when Chisholm drew a walk from losing pitcher Garrett Whitlock. Chisholm was running on a full-count pitch when Wells pulled a line drive that landed just inside the right-field line and caromed off the low retaining wall in foul territory.
Right fielder Nate Eaton made a strong, accurate throw to the plate, but the speedy Chisholm barely beat it with a headfirst slide as Wells pumped his arms at first base.
New York took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Judge’s sinking looper went off the glove of diving left fielder Jarren Duran for a run-scoring single. Trent Grisham scored from second after drawing a two-out walk and advancing on a wild pitch.
Story connected on Rodón’s third pitch of the sixth to tie it again with his second career postseason homer.
Rodón then issued a four-pitch walk to Alex Bregman. But after a mound visit from manager Aaron Boone, the left-hander avoided further damage when he got Carlos Narváez to ground into an inning-ending double play.
New York jumped ahead early when Cody Bellinger singled with two outs in the first and Rice, also left out of the lineup Tuesday against Crochet, lined the first postseason pitch he saw to right field for a two-run homer.
Story tied it with a two-run single in the third off Rodón, who prevented further damage by getting Bregman to ground into an inning-ending double play.
With the Yankees threatening in the third, Boston manager Alex Cora lifted starter Brayan Bello from his first postseason outing and handed the game to a parade of relievers who held New York in check until the eighth.
Up next
Hard-throwing rookie Cam Schlittler (4-3, 2.96 ERA) starts Game 3 for New York. The 24-year-old right-hander grew up in Boston, where he attended Northeastern University, but has said he always wanted to play for the Yankees.
Rookie left-hander Connelly Early (1-2, 2.33 ERA) will pitch for Boston in place of injured Lucas Giolito. Early has made four major league starts since his debut on Sept. 9.
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