Red Sox hit three home runs, dig out of early hole to drub Yankees, 11-6 to earn series split

BOSTON — On a night where their best starting pitcher struggled and the Red Sox fell behind big early, their bats and bullpen picked them up to earn a 11-6 win and a series split with the Yankees on Sunday night at Fenway Park.

Nick Pivetta struggled again for the second time on this homestand as the Red Sox fell behind 4-0 and 6-2, but the offense picked him up this time. Boston scored nine straight runs to pull away.

Hirokazu Sawamura worked two innings to earn the win. He combined with Kaleb Ort (1.2 innings), Matt Stahm (one inning) and Ryan Brasier (one inning) for 5.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Pivetta looked sharp striking out D.J. LeMahieu to open the game, but Aaron Judge followed with a single to center. After Anthony Rizzo popped to third, Giancarlo Stanton launched a two-run home run into the Boston bullpen.

The second inning was worse and wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Matt Carpenter and Aaron Hicks drew back-to-back walks to start the second. Newly named All-Star reserve Jose Trevino followed with a line drive into the left-field corner that scored Carpenter and moved Hicks to third, but Alex Verdugo’s throw cut down Trevino trying to stretch for a double.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to bring home Hicks with New York’s fourth run before Pivetta induced a ground out. He struck out Judge to end the inning.

Franchy Cordero cut the hole in half in the bottom of the second. He took an 0-1 changeup from Taillon and belted it into the stands behind the triangle in center field to make it 4-2.

But Pivetta’s problems continued as Matt Carpenter pushed the visitor’s lead back to four runs with a two-run home run to right that made it 6-2.

Christian Vázquez hit the game’s fourth home run in the bottom of the third as his solo shot and 15th of the year made it 6-3.

Vázquez drove in another run with an RBI double with two outs in the fifth and scored on JD Martinez’s two-run home that made it 6-6. It was Martinez’s first home run since June 14, a stretch of 25 games.

In a game filled with blasts, Jeter Downs put the Red Sox ahead with a bloop in the sixth. Trevor Story led off with a single and Aroldis Chapman walked Cordero and pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder to load the bases. Chapman got Bobby Dalbec to chase three bad pitches for the first out.

Hitting for Jarren Duran, Downs fell behind 0-2. But he got the bat on a low fast outside fastball and served it over the infield. D.J. LeMahieu got his glove on it, lunging toward center but couldn’t catch it. Hicks, who was charging in, scooped the ball and threw to second to force Refsnyder, who had to wait to see if the ball was caught, at second. But Story trotted in with the go-ahead run that put the Red Sox up 7-6.

After that, the dam broke. A three-run double by Story highlighted a four-run-run seventh as Boston pulled ahead 11-6.

Boston will try to continue its winning ways in Florida as they begin a four-game set with the Rays at Tropicana Field, Monday night.

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