Yankees’ Clay Holmes chokes again, Red Sox win in 10 innings | Rapid reaction

BOSTON — The Yankees need a new closer.

Clay Holmes choked once again and then Tommy Pham hit a walk-off single to sink the Yankees, 3-2, in 10 innings against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Friday night.

Ghost runner Christian Arroyo scored from third base after Jaylin Davis grounded softly to reliever Lou Trivino, and then Reese McGuire reached on a tapper. Pham ripped a hard grounder down the third base line, just out of the reach of a diving Josh Donaldson.

The sold-out crowd of 36,434 went wild when Arroyo crossed the plate and the Red Sox mobbed Pham on the field.

Holmes’ struggles hit a new low when he blew his third-straight save in the ninth inning.

Tasked with protecting a 2-1 lead, he issued one-out walks to Xander Bogaerts and Alex Verdugo. A visit from pitching coach Matt Blake couldn’t help Holmes, who was voted to his first All-Star Game after an incredible first half.

J.D. Martinez’s grounder single up the middle brought home Bogaerts without a throw and pushed Verdugo to third base. That’s what pulled Holmes out of the game.

The first pitch Holmes threw was a fastball well over the catcher and to the backstop.

Wandy Peralta cleaned up Holmes’ mess. The lefty got a strikeout and a line out to short to escape the trouble.

In the 10th, ghost runner Tim Locastro stole third base and Judge, who had walked, took second with two outs. But Gleyber Torres struck out swinging.

The Yankees started the day with a 10 game lead in the American League East. They had lost six of their last seven.

They were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.

The Yankees jumped ahead, 1-0, in the first inning when Anthony Rizzo’s double in the right field corner scored Judge from first base. Judge had walked.

Judge’s shot in the third inning went an estimated 429 feet and traveled at 114 mph. Not a single Red Sox outfielder turned to play the ball. It was so obviously gone off the bat. Judge is on pace to hit 66 home runs.

German lasted six innings, scattering five hits while walking two and striking out four. His only blemish came in the fourth when Alex Verdugo’s leadoff double paid off thanks to J.D. Martinez’s immediate single that scored him. German worked around a Rafael Devers double in the first inning and forced a trio of double plays.

He improved to 2-2 with a 4.18 ERA in five starts. it was his fourth straight start of two earned runs or less.

Josh Donaldson nearly made a spectacular play in the first inning, chasing a foul ball all the way to the camera well and then falling into it. He wasn’t hurt. Then Jose Trevino made an awesome catch on a foul pop in the third inning, tracking it to near the Red Sox dugout and diving for the snag.

Aroldis Chapman continued his climb back from his terrible stretch, throwing a scoreless eighth inning. He hasn’t given up a run in his last eight appearances. Scott Effross pitched a scoreless seventh.

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Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com.

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