Gleyber Torres of the Yankees smiles while sliding home safely on a throwing error by Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong in the fifth inning at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. Charles Krupa/Associated Press
BOSTON — Aaron Judge didn’t homer and Gleyber Torres only sorta did on Wednesday night to lead the AL East-leading New York Yankees past the Boston Red Sox 5-3, completing a two-game sweep.
A day after homering twice to reach 57 for the season – four short of Roger Maris’ AL record – Judge went 1 for 4 with a walk. He singled in the fifth after Aaron Hicks reached on an error, putting runners on first and second.
Torres lined a single to right, and Alex Verdugo’s throw to the plate was too late to get Hicks. Catcher Connor Wong thought he had Torres making too big of a turn and fired the ball to first but it sailed wide and into the outfield.
Judge came around to score, and Torres beat Verdugo’s second throw home for the three-run, Little League homer that gave New York a 3-0 lead. Torres had three hits, and Nestor Cortes (10-4) took a shutout into the fifth to give the Yankees their fourth straight win and their eighth in 10 games.
Red Sox rookie Brayan Bello (1-6) took the loss even though all three runs he allowed were unearned. He struck out six and walked one, giving up six hits in five innings.
Boston managed just three hits and two walks off Cortes, who struck out seven and gave up one run in five-plus innings. Clay Holmes pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 25 chances.
The Yankees led 4-1 in the eighth when reliever Jonathan Loaisiga allowed three singles to load the bases with one out.
Rafael Devers hit a hard grounder down the line that went off first baseman Marwin Gonzalez’s glove and through his legs, bringing in one run. J.D. Martinez grounded into a fielder’s choice and beat the relay to first, which appeared to score another run.
But a replay review showed he stepped short of the base. The double play ended the inning.
The announcement sent the Yankees running off the field and drew a mixed reaction from the mixed crowd that seemed to be overrun with visiting fans.
NOTES: 2B Trevor Story missed his second straight game after injuring his left heel when he slipped on a base. … RHP Nathan Eovaldi (back) is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Sunday.
JEURYS FAMILIA’S ugly 10th inning against the Yankees on Tuesday night turned out to be his final act in a Red Sox uniform.
Familia said after Tuesday’s game that he was designated for assignment by the club. His roster spot will go to recently claimed infielder Yu Chang on Wednesday, according to a source, meaning that the Red Sox, for the time being, will carry 15 position players and 13 pitchers. That means a Triple-A reliever like Frank German or A.J. Politi isn’t coming up quite yet.
Familia, who allowed the winning three-run double to Torres and issued three walks (one intentional) in the 10th inning of Boston’s 7-6 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday, posted a 6.10 ERA (7 earned runs in 10⅓ innings) in 11 appearances with the Red Sox after being signed as a free agent in mid-August.
“I’m going to have to take some time off and rest a little bit and then get back to work so I can be ready for next year,” Familia said through interpreter Carlos Villora Benítez.
With Garrett Whitlock, Matt Barnes, John Schreiber and Ryan Brasier having already pitched, Manager Alex Cora called upon Familia for the 10th in a tie game. The veteran righty walked Hicks, then got Gonzalez to ground into a 6-3 double play before walking Judge (intentional) and Giancarlo Stanton (unintentional). Torres made him pay with a bases-clearing double to right field to give the Yankees a three-run lead; New York hung on despite two Boston runs in the bottom of the 10th.
Familia issued seven walks in his 10⅓ innings.
“I’ve fallen behind the hitters too much,” he said. “When you fall behind the hitters, 90% chance the hitter gets on base. I haven’t been able to command my pitches.”
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