NEW YORK — The New York Yankees endured another setback against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. The defeat marked their seventh consecutive loss to Boston this season and their first 1-0 home loss to the Red Sox since July 28, 1994.
The Yankees (69-59) now trail Boston (70-59) by half a game for the American League’s top wild card spot. With the win, the Red Sox secured the 13-game season series, improving to straight 7-0 against New York and clinching the tiebreaker edge.
Yankees offense fails against dominant Bello
Robert Sabo for NY Post
Boston starter Brayan Bello delivered another strong outing, limiting the Yankees to three hits and one walk over seven shutout innings. The 25-year-old struck out five and faced just two batters over the minimum before handing the ball to the bullpen.
“He was really sharp,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Even his misses were just off, so it looked like he was on the edges with everything and really both sides of the plate.”
Bello has been unhittable against New York this year. He has now pitched 14 consecutive scoreless innings over two starts against the Yankees, including a seven-inning performance in Boston’s 2-0 win at Fenway Park on June 15.
The Yankees reached base only four times all night and never moved a runner beyond first. Ben Rice singled in the opening inning, but the offense stalled from there.
Historic pitching performance goes to waste
Max Fried delivered his best outing in nearly two months, working six scoreless innings with four hits and three walks allowed. He struck out seven and resembled the ace who anchored New York’s staff early this season.
“Using all my pitches, both sides of the plate, got back to pitching…felt like I had a little of everything,” Fried said.
The left-hander had been rocked in his previous eight starts, posting a 6.80 ERA while opponents recorded an .840 OPS. Friday’s performance suggested signs of recovery.
“It was definitely a good one to get back on track,” Fried added.
Still, the Yankees failed to provide him with any offensive backing. His dominant effort went unrewarded.
Red Sox break through in seventh inning
Boston struck in the seventh against reliever Mark Leiter Jr. Nathaniel Lowe, pinch-hitting, lined a one-out double. Connor Wong followed with another double to left that brought Lowe home for the game’s only run.
That was all Boston needed. Garrett Whitlock set down the side in the eighth, and Aroldis Chapman handled the ninth for his 24th save of the year.
Chapman, who pitched for the Yankees across seven seasons, struck out two to close it out. It was the 359th save of his career.
“That’s one we need back,” Boone said. “Can’t get doubled off first base on Trent Grisham’s liner to shortstop, with a clear view of the play.”
Defensive miscues in the ninth added to the frustration. Anthony Volpe threw behind Jarren Duran at second instead of taking the sure out at first, putting two runners on. Minutes later, Jasson Dominguez caught a fly ball in left but threw to third instead of second, allowing both runners to move up.
“That was a mistake,” Dominguez said. “I have to go to second.”
Bello makes Red Sox history
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Bello became the first pitcher in Red Sox history to throw at least seven scoreless innings with no more than three hits in back-to-back games against the Yankees.
The win moved him to 10-6 with a 3.07 ERA, furthering his emergence as a breakout star in Boston’s rotation.
Wild card race implications intensify
The loss left New York just behind Boston for the top wild card slot, which carries home-field advantage in the opening playoff round.
With Boston owning the season tiebreaker, New York will have to outpace its rival in the standings to secure the edge. The clubs meet five more times this year, including a pivotal three-game set at Fenway Park from Sept. 12-14.
Division struggles continue to mount
Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Yankees’ record within the AL East remains troubling. They are now 1-7 against Boston and 4-14 combined against the Red Sox and Blue Jays. Against all other teams, they are 65-45.
“There’s absolutely frustration,” Rice said. “Those are our division [rivals]. So we’ve got to be better. Got to find ways to win our division games.”
Friday’s defeat also pushed the Yankees 5.5 games behind division-leading Toronto (75-54). New York has gone 16-21 against AL East opponents this season, a glaring weakness in their playoff chase.
Offensive drought reaches troubling levels
The shutout was New York’s ninth of 2025, already more than their eight from last year. The lineup has been inconsistent and heavily reliant on the long ball.
Friday night underscored those struggles. The Yankees produced only three singles and never advanced a runner into scoring position. They sent just 29 batters to the plate, barely above the minimum.
“It’s been tough,” Rice said. “They’ve had our number so far. Now, we’ve got to focus on these next two games and try to split this series.”
Series continues with Crochet looming
The Yankees now turn to rookie Will Warren (7-5, 4.25 ERA) to match up against Boston ace Garrett Crochet (13-5, 2.43 ERA), one of the front-runners for the AL Cy Young Award.
“I don’t like losing to them,” Boone said. “I don’t like losing to anyone. Never want to lose to the Sox, and they’ve had our number here for this stretch, and we get a chance to change that tomorrow.”
New York entered the series with a five-game winning streak and the top wild card position. Just two nights later, they are chasing Boston in the standings while searching for answers at the plate.
