Boston’s Triston Casas reacts after being called out on strikes during the Red Sox’s 3-1 loss to the Yankees on Saturday night in New York. Adam Hunger/Associated Press
NEW YORK — Stopper Domingo Germán. Middle-of-the-order power hitter Willie Calhoun. Sparkplug Isiah Kiner-Falafa.
Not exactly how the New York Yankees would have designed it, but the piecemeal approach is working for a team missing a few of its biggest players.
Germán wriggled out of trouble for six innings, Calhoun hit a tiebreaking homer and Kiner-Falafa helped build the insurance run as the Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1 Saturday night to even their three-game weekend series.
“It’s going to take all the guys in this clubhouse,” said Calhoun, who is starting in right field because of Aaron Judge’s toe injury and has five homers and 16 RBI in 122 at-bats. “Just relying on each other and leaning on each other and picking each other up, every single day.”
Boston had runners in every inning against Germán and a trio of relievers but went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11.
Third base coach Carlos Febles held Tristan Casas at third on Reese McGuire’s two-out double in the third. Casas likely would have scored because Gleyber Torres’ relay throw to catcher Kyle Higashioka was up the first-base line. Germán then retired Kiké Hernandez to end the inning.
In the third, Jake Bauers – getting regular at-bats with Harrison Bader out due to a hamstring injury – leaped at the left field wall to rob Rafael Devers of an extra-base hit and strand Justin Turner at third base.
“We had some guys put some good swings on balls, just at defenders,” said Red Sox second baseman Christian Arroyo, who came within a few feet of a tying two-run homer in the eighth. “That’s kind of how the game goes sometimes.”
Gleyber Torres put the Yankees ahead with a fourth-inning homer off Tanner Houck (3-6).
Germán (4-3) allowed six hits, including a leadoff homer in the sixth by Devers, and struck out five. Devers had been 3 for 24 against Germán before going deep for the second straight night.
“They squared some balls up on him tonight, but he made some big pitches when he had to (and) he had some big plays behind him,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said. “Just another strong start for what’s been a really good season so far for Domingo.”
Calhoun homered in the sixth. Kiner-Falafa led off the seventh with a pinch-hit single and raced home from second on Kyle Higashioka’s two-out RBI single, which glanced off the glove of second baseman Christian Arroyo.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa slides safely into home plate while Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire fields the throw in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 win on Saturday in New York. Adam Hunger/Associated Press
“We talk about it in spring training: It’s going to take everyone – it’s going to take more than you even think,” Boone said. “And we need to be ready for that. To their credit, they’ve come up and done a really nice job for us and helping us win games. Ultimately, that’s what it’s about.”
Wandy Peralta walked two in the seventh, retiring Devers on a groundout that stranded two runners. Devers is 0 for 10 against the left-hander.
Tommy Kahnle plunked Adam Duvall leading off the eighth, when Arroyo flied out to the center-field wall for the second out.
Clay Holmes worked around a one-out single by Alex Verdugo in the ninth for his eighth save in 10 chances.
Houck allowed two runs and three hits in six innings as the Red Sox (32-33) dropped back below .500 with their sixth loss in eight games. Boston has scored three runs or fewer in seven of nine games this month.
“We have traffic – we’re working the counts but obviously we’re not scoring runs,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said. “We’re not finishing anything. The two-out hits, they’re always important in this game and we’ve just got to find way to get it going, finish the at-bats.”
Houck retired his first nine batters, striking out six, before Torres homered. He had faced 306 right-handed batters without allowing a home run since José Abreu went deep on Sept. 10, 2021.
FOUL PLAY
Masataka Yoshida worked a 14-pitch walk against Peralta in the seventh inning. Yoshida got ahead 3-0 before fouling off eight straight full-count pitches.
SUMMER OF 89
The matchup of Germán, wearing uniform No. 0, and Houck wearing uniform No. 89, represented the second-biggest gap in uniform numbers between opposing starting pitchers in major league history. Marcus Stroman, wearing No. 0 for the Chicago Cubs, battled Taijuan Walker, wearing No. 99 for the New York Mets, last July 16.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: IF Yu Chang (left hamate fracture) felt discomfort while playing for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday and won’t play again until Tuesday. … SS Trevor Story (right elbow surgery) is throwing from 110 feet and taking batting practice. Manager Alex Cora said Story is expected to continue his rehab in Boston next week while the Red Sox play Story’s former team, the Colorado Rockies. … RHP John Schreiber (right shoulder) is throwing from 75 feet. … LHP Richard Bleier (left shoulder) underwent another MRI that showed inflammation remains in the shoulder.
Yankees: CF Harrison Bader (right hamstring) continued ramping up baseball activities. Manager Aaron Boone said he wasn’t sure if Bader, who is eligible to come off the injured list, would require a rehab stint. … RHP Ian Hamilton (right groin) is scheduled to throw Sunday.
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