Rookie Jake Bennett allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings, Masataka Yoshida and Anthony Seigler each belted a solo home run and the host Boston Red Sox earned a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon.
The first hit allowed by Bennett (2-3) came with two outs in the fifth inning, courtesy of a solo homer by Max Schuemann. Bennett yielded two more hits and struck out three batters before exiting to a standing ovation.
Yoshida launched a solo shot in the first inning and Seigler — a first-round pick of the Yankees in the 2018 MLB Draft — added his first career homer in the second.
Boston’s Willson Contreras ripped a two-run double in the third inning, one day after sparking a benches-clearing incident in a 6-1 win over New York.
The quick offense on Saturday powered the Red Sox to their third straight win to open the four-game series. The Yankees, in turn, have lost six of their last eight games.
Justin Slaten relieved Bennett and struck out Jose Caballero and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to end the seventh inning. Garrett Whitlock retired the side in order in the eighth and Aroldis Chapman got the final three outs in the ninth to secure his 16th save.
Boston bolted out of the blocks as Yoshida deposited the second pitch of the game from Gerrit Cole (2-3) over the wall in right-center field. The homer was the second of the season for Yoshida and first since May 24.
Seigler doubled the advantage in the second inning by sending a 3-1 fastball from Cole just over the Green Monster.
Yoshida and Ceddanne Rafaela each singled to center to lead off the third inning before both runners sprinted home on Contreras’ hard-hit smash to left-center field.
New York finally solved Bennett in the fifth, as Schuemann deposited a first-pitch sinker over the wall in center field.
Cole struggled in his second straight outing, permitting four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
