Red Sox Bounce Back, Beat Yankees 4-1
NEW YORK (AP) — Doug Fister dominated for seven innings and the Boston Red Sox backed him with three home runs to beat the New York Yankees 4-1 Friday night and extend their AL East lead.
Eduardo Nunez, Andrew Benintendi and Hanley Ramirez each homered as the Red Sox opened a 5 1/2-game edge over the Yankees.
Fister (4-7) gave up doubles by Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge to begin the first inning, and little else. He allowed four hits, struck out five and walked one.
On Aug. 22, facing AL Central-leading Cleveland, Fister gave up a leadoff home run to Francisco Lindor and then finished with a complete-game one-hitter.
Fister mixed speeds well all night, getting ahead in the count often and keeping the Yankees off balance. In his last three starts, he has a 1.57 ERA.
Nunez hit a two-run drive off Sonny Gray (8-9) for a 2-1 lead in the third. A day earlier, Nunez dropped down a bunt that Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia threw away, prompting the burly left-hander to call the Boston strategy "weak."