NEW YORK — Aaron Judge homered early and a makeshift New York Yankees lineup pounded David Price in a 7-4 victory Sunday night that sent the Boston Red Sox to their eighth consecutive defeat.
With only three projected regulars in the batting order, the banged-up Yankees won their fifth straight and completed the first four-game sweep of their longtime rivals since August 2009. New York (72-39) maintained its eight-game lead in the AL East over Tampa Bay and dropped the third-place Red Sox a whopping 14 1/2 behind — not to mention 6 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.
Boston has dropped eight straight for the first time since an eight-game skid in July 2015.
Handed a 7-0 lead after three innings, J.A. Happ (9-6) improved to 10-4 against the sluggish Red Sox, who finished 1-8 in the Bronx this year and are 4-11 in the season series. He beat Price (7-5) in a matchup of starting pitchers who just came off paternity leave.
The rollicking sellout crowd of 47,267 gave a struggling Price the Pedro Martinez treatment, chanting “Who’s your daddy?” during his latest flop at Yankee Stadium.
The start was delayed 1:09 due to a threat of rain, though it remained almost completely dry throughout.
Happ sailed through four innings before Christian Vazquez and rookie Michael Chavis hit back-to-back solo homers in the fifth. After a two-out wild pitch in the sixth, Andrew Benintendi chased Happ with a two-run single that shaved it to 7-4.
Luis Cessa struck out Chavis with two on and worked 2 1/3 hitless innings. Chad Green got three quick outs for his third major league save and second this season.
Judge sent a no-doubt solo drive into the elevated bleachers in right-center in the first. It was his first home run in 58 at-bats since July 19.
Judge walked in the third and Gio Urshela, batting cleanup, launched a two-run homer off the back wall of Boston’s bullpen in left-center. That was the first of six straight two-out hits — four for extra bases — and then a walk that ended Price’s night.
Brett Gardner and Cameron Maybin hit consecutive doubles. Mike Ford, a 27-year-old undrafted rookie out of Princeton wearing No. 74, had an RBI single. Third-string catcher Kyle Higashioka laced his second double off Price, and No. 9 batter Mike Tauchman added a two-run single in a half-inning that took 28 minutes.
Price stood behind the mound, head lowered with his back to home plate, while waiting to be pulled after throwing 75 pitches in only 2 2/3 innings. He gave up a season-high seven runs and nine hits before walking slowly to the dugout. He is 0-3 with a 10.59 ERA in just 17 innings over his last four outings.
Price also fell to 1-7 with a 9.61 ERA in eight starts at Yankee Stadium since signing a $217 million, seven-year contract to join the Red Sox before the 2016 season. The lone win came June 2, also a Sunday night game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Center fielder Aaron Hicks went on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Hicks won’t throw for a week to 10 days, but the team is optimistic he’ll return this season. Brett Gardner becomes the primary center fielder. … Shortstop Didi Gregorius returned to the lineup for the first time since rolling over his left wrist fielding a ball Wednesday. … Catcher Gary Sanchez likely will begin a minor league rehab assignment this week and is expected to rejoin the Yankees next weekend in Toronto. … Ford played first base, with DJ LeMahieu getting a rest after returning Friday from a sore groin. Edwin Encarnacion (broken right wrist) and Luke Voit (sports hernia) are sidelined. LeMahieu entered at second base for Gleyber Torres in the eighth.
CHANGING SOX
Boston recalled Right-hander Ryan Weber from Triple-A Pawtucket, and optioned right-hander Colten Brewer, right-hander Josh Smith and infielder Marco Hernandez to its top farm club.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Right-hander Rick Porcello (9-8, 5.74 ERA) pitches Monday night against Kansas City left-hander Mike Montgomery in the opener of a seven-game homestand. Porcello was 4-1 in five July starts despite a 7.94 ERA.
Yankees: Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (7-6, 4.78) takes the ball Monday night in Baltimore when New York begins a seven-game trip against two AL East also-rans. Tanaka hasn’t lasted more than four innings in either of his past two outings and is 1-4 with a 7.40 ERA on the road this year. Right-hander Gabriel Ynoa (1-6, 5.55) goes for the last-place Orioles.
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