The Boston Red Sox Sunday, August 13, 2017

* The Boston Globe

Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox bury Yankees

Peter Abraham

NEW YORK — Andrew Benintendi was left out of the Red Sox lineup on July 31 and again the next day. Manager John Farrell, always careful with his choice of words, said the rookie needed time to clear his head.

Labels aside, Brock Holt was a better choice to play left field at that point. Benintendi had hit .180 with little power since the All-Star break, his at-bats a steady drip of weak contact.

Holt got on base five times in two games, both victories against the Cleveland Indians. But he didn’t expect to stay in left field.

“I knew Benny would be back there,” Holt said. “You’re slumping, slumping, slumping and that time off allows you not to worry about at-bats. The guy is a great hitter, we know that.”

When Benintendi was released from the dugout, he doubled in his first at-bat and hasn’t stopped hitting since.

Benintendi belted a pair of three-run home runs on Saturday, carrying the Red Sox to a 10-5 victory against the Yankees before a sellout crowd of 47,241 at the Stadium.

After a discouraging late-inning loss on Friday night, the Sox battered Yankees ace Luis Severino. Now the Sox will send Chris Sale to the mound against rookie Jordan Montgomery on Sunday night with a chance to win the series.

The Sox have won nine of 10 games and again lead the American League East by 4½ games.

Benintendi is the first Red Sox player to hit two three-run home runs against the Yankees since Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx in 1938. The six RBIs matched his career high.

“Two beautiful swings,” Farrell said.

Since his two-day break, Benintendi is 15 of 31 with three doubles, four home runs, 11 RBIs, 10 runs, and five stolen bases. His OPS has climbed from .748 to .807 in eight games.

Benintendi has three home runs and eight RBIs in the last two games. His timing was excellent given the 20 or so members of his family in the stands to celebrate his grandfather’s 85th birthday.

Robert Benintendi, who now lives in Ohio, was born in Brooklyn and grew up a Yankees fan.

“Not anymore,” his grandson said.

Led by Benintendi, the Sox have scored 64 runs in the last 10 games. So when Gary Sanchez hit a two-run homer off Drew Pomeranz in the first inning, it wasn’t a concern.

Pomeranz (12-4) went 6⅔ innings and allowed three runs on seven hits.

“I just tried to settle down, minimize damage and let the offense work,” Pomeranz said. “Obviously Benny had a great day.”

The Sox scored five runs off Severino in the third inning and five more in the fifth.

Christian Vazquez worked a one-out walk in the third, seeing nine pitches. Jackie Bradley Jr. then saw six more pitches and also walked.

“You look at Vazqy’s walk inside that third inning as the key to get it started,” Farrell said.

When Eduardo Nunez grounded to third base, the Yankees had a chance for a double play. But Todd Frazier fumbled the ball.

With the bases loaded, Mookie Betts grounded a two-run single into left field. Benintendi then homered to right center.

Severino struck out the side in the fourth inning and the Yankees got a run back in the bottom of the inning when the ghost of Jacoby Ellsbury grounded to first base with the bases loaded.

At 5-3, it was a game. But that didn’t last long. Nunez singled to open the fifth inning and went to third when Betts doubled. Benintendi then hammered a pitch deep into the bleachers in right field.

Before he went on deck, Benintendi told Holt he expected to get a slider on the first pitch from Severino.

It was the second pitch and Benintendi was waiting for it.

“I mean, that’s pretty impressive to me,” Holt said. “I can say that all I want. If I say that, I’m just messing around. But he really believed it and he did it.”

Benintendi has a low-maintenance swing and didn’t make any mechanical adjustments after his two days off. It has been more a matter of an aggressive approach on pitches in the strike zone.

“I feel the exact same. I haven’t changed a thing,” he said. “I’m not missing pitches like I was previously.

“When I was struggling I felt like I always down 0-1, 0-2, 1-2. You’re not going to have that much success when you’re always down in the count. So now I just pick a pitch and if I get it, I swing at it.”

Mitch Moreland doubled with one out before Xander Bogaerts reached on a throwing error by shortstop Didi Gregorius. That was it for Severino.

Facing Giovanny Gallegos, Rafael Devers followed with a two-run double to center field that was clocked at 109.5 m.p.h.

Severino (9-5) was charged with 10 runs, eight earned. He had faced the Sox twice previously this season, allowing one run over 14 innings.

Pomeranz retired 10 of the final 13 batters he faced before handing the game off to the bullpen in the seventh inning.

In his last 11 starts, Pomeranz is 6-0 with a 2.42 ERA. He also improved to 3-1 with a 1.74 ERA in four career appearances at Yankee Stadium.

Red Sox’ Drew Pomeranz has proved to be a dominating No. 2

Nick Cafardo

NEW YORK — If Drew Pomeranz hasn’t turned around your opinion of him by now then you’re just a stubborn, disbelieving, hardened, cynical Red Sox fan.

It took a while for this reporter to come around, but when Pomeranz was struggling last season he wasn’t completely healthy. And now he is.

The guy whose trade you and I wanted rescinded after the Padres withheld medical information on his balky elbow and forearm has turned out to be the guy who would start Game 2 of the ALDS against Cleveland if the season were to end today.

Last season he couldn’t make the postseason rotation. He worked out of the bullpen. He began the year as the “shaky” No. 5 starter and now he’s money.

Consider that Pomeranz, now 12-4 with a 3.39 ERA after a 10-5 win over the Yankees Saturday, is undefeated in his last 11 starts, going 6-0 with a 2.42 ERA (67 IP, 18 ER). Since June 16, his 2.24 ERA is the third lowest in the AL, behind only Corey Kluber and Chris Sale. His 12 wins mark a career high.

Not many were thrilled by the Pomeranz acquisition at the time because the Red Sox gave up prospect Anderson Espinoza. There was also sentiment to send Pomeranz back to the cheating Padres, but Dave Dombrowski stuck to his guns that Pomeranz would be a good starter for the Red Sox.

Pomeranz was a National League All-Star with the Padres last season. After the Red Sox did their own medicals on Pomeranz, they concluded keeping Pomeranz was in their best interest. Espinoza recently had Tommy John surgery.

Pomeranz feels he’s even better now than he was during his All-Star first half in San Diego.

“I think it’s different. I feel better. I was one-dimensional when I was over there with a good curveball and good arm side fastball, but I think I’ve developed a lot of other things to help me win games and make pitches,” he said.

In the offseason, Dombrowski had a few teams ask him about Pomeranz, figuring the Red Sox had an excess at starting pitcher. But he told all of them that Pomeranz was not available and that he would make Clay Buchholz available instead. Dombrowski dealt Buchholz to the Phillies and he suffered a season- ending arm injury.

Imagine if Dombrowski had rescinded the trade? After losing Steven Wright for the season, Eduardo Rodriguez for part of the season, and David Price for the first two months of the season and again now, imagine where the Red Sox would be?

Pomeranz is still only 28 years old, has one more year of being arbitration available, and can be a free agent after the 2019 season. For $4.45 million, the Red Sox are getting a lot for their money.

Pomeranz beat the White Sox his last time out, allowing just a run and striking out eight over 6⅓ innings.

While he allowed three runs in Saturday’s win over 6⅔ innings, Pomeranz has made 17 starts in which he’s allowed two runs or fewer, tying him with Clayton Kershaw for the most in major league baseball.

Pomeranz has held opponents to a .190 average with runners in scoring position. Over his last nine road starts he’s 5-0 with a 2.58 ERA. It was just the third time he had allowed more than two runs in his last 11 road starts.

Oh, it’s great when your team scores 10 runs after you put them in a hole by allowing a two-run homer to Gary Sanchez in the first inning, but Pomeranz kept getting stronger and stronger and wiggled out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth by surrendering only one run, which really proved to be the turning point of the game.

“Huge inning,” Pomeranz said of the fourth. “They had bases loaded and in that situation all you can do is focus on making pitches. Got a couple of popups [including a great catch by Christian Vazquez against the screen] and got out of it.”

His ability to wiggle out of jams isn’t lost on Farrell.

“He’s kept us in a lot of ballgames because he’s found a way to navigate when there’s been men on base. And that was a prime example — bases loaded and nobody out, you’re holding on tight. He induced a couple of popups and got out of it,” Farrell said.

“The Big Smooth” as David Price calls him, struck out Aaron Judge twice and induced a double-play grounder from him. The last four batters in the Yankees’ order went 2 for 11 with a walk, a reached on error, and two foul pops to the catcher.

It’s been an unforgettable season for Chris Sale, but don’t forget what Pomeranz has done. Every big-time rotation needs a dominating No. 2 and Pomeranz has delivered to the point where he’s won most people over and created a trust factor that he will not only keep you in games, but he’ll win a great majority of them for you.

Andrew Benintendi back in the groove

Dan Shaughnessy

NEW YORK — Andrew Benintendi hit a pair of three-run homers off Yankee ace Luis Severino in Saturday’s 10-5 Red Sox win over the Yankees. Benintendi’s performance reminded some of us of Freddie Lynn in 1975.

Lynn was American League MVP and Rookie of the Year in ’75 and led the Red Sox all the way to the seventh game of the World Series. He hit .331 with 21 homers and 105 RBIs. He also enjoyed one of the great days at the plate in Red Sox history.

Hop into the Wayback Machine for a moment:

On June 18, 1975, Lynn hit three homers, knocked in 10 runs, and amassed 16 total bases in a 15-1 rout of Detroit in Tiger Stadium. Lynn homered in the first and second innings, then hit a two-run triple in the third. He lined out to second in the fifth, singled in the eighth, and hit a three-run homer in the ninth. Old Tiger Stadium, like new Yankee Stadium, was a friend to sweet-swinging lefthanded batters.

Benintendi’s big day was not quite as gaudy as Lynn’s, but it played out on national television and he got to play in front of his 85-year-old Brooklyn-born grandfather. The rookie outfielder crushed a three-run shot in the third and another in the fifth, both no-doubters to right field.

“It feels good,’’ said the soft-spoken Cincinnati native. “I just got my pitch and put a good swing on it and was fortunate enough for it to go out.’’

When told he was the youngest Sox player to have six RBIs in a single game against the Yankees, Benintendi said, “I didn’t know that, but I guess that’s cool.’’

In the mold of Lynn, Benintendi is a baseball natural, and unlikely to boast.

Benintendi is not having the kind of year Lynn had in 1975, but there are plenty of similarities. Benintendi is 22, the same age Lynn was when he was first called to the majors late in the 1974 season. Lynn played his college ball for perennial powerhouse USC. Benintendi played at the University of Arkansas in the esteemed SEC.

Benintendi burst on the Boston baseball scene late last summer and never once looked overmatched. He hit .295 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 34 big league games. He made the catch of the year when the Sox were in Tampa, was sidelined with a knee injury for some of September, then came back to hit a homer in his first postseason at-bat in October.

Benintendi did not play enough to lose his rookie status in 2016 and was odds-on favorite to be American League Rookie of the Year when the Sox broke camp at the end of March. He was the coverboy of Baseball America, touted as the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball.

Then along came Aaron Judge.

Judge effectively ended the Rookie of the Year competition with his ridiculous first half. Almost a foot taller than the 5-foot-9-inch Benintendi (Judge is 6-8), he was touted as the New Face of Baseball. But he has fizzled dramatically since winning the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game in July. Judge went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and a double-play grounder Saturday. He’s down to .289 with 35 homers and 75 RBIs, but is still the hefty front-runner for rookie honors, if not MVP.

Benintendi, meanwhile, has overcome some rookie doldrums and played a key part of the Sox’ improved play over the last 10 days. He’s up to .280 with 16 homers and 65 RBIs. He has ceded the ROY honor to Judge (“He deserves it. He’s killing it.’’), but Benintendi has been the better rookie in the Red Sox-Yankee showdown this weekend.

He left more than 20 tickets for family Saturday.

“My grandpa on my dad’s side turned 85 Friday,’’ said the outfielder. “He’s from Brooklyn. He was a Yankees fan. Not anymore.”

Since John Farrell benched Benintendi for two days (July 31-Aug. 1), the Sox rookie is 15 for 31 with four homers and 11 RBIs.

“I’m not missing pitches like I was previously,’’ he said. “I got some rest and got my legs back under me. I wasn’t physically tired, but it was just kind of a mental break which really helped . . . There was some frustration from not doing well, obviously. It was a chance to sit back and watch the game and relax. I think it was beneficial.’’

Asked to assess his rookie season when the Sox were on the West Coast a couple of weeks ago, Benintendi said, “Not bad, but not good. I feel like since April I’ve been kind of struggling to hit a streak when I go up there and feel I’m in the zone and driving the ball. I’m still trying to find that.’’

It seems like he’s found it the last couple of days at Yankee Stadium.

Dustin Pedroia placed on the 10-day disabled list, fears long stay

Peter Abraham

NEW YORK — Has Dustin Pedroia played his final game of the season? Red Sox manager John Farrell doesn’t believe so, but the second baseman isn’t quite so convinced after going back on the disabled list on Saturday.

Pedroia has played only one game since July 28 because of inflammation in his left knee, the product of a cartilage injury. Now he will be out at least another six days, likely longer. The transaction was retroactive to Wednesday.

“We’ve just got to try and find a way to manage it and get through it,” Pedroia said before the Red Sox beat the Yankees, 10-5. “We’re doing everything we can to try and get better and get out there.”

Pedroia went through a full workout last Sunday and had a follow-up MRI the next day. He was cleared to play and came off the disabled list on Tuesday, going 0 for 4 with a walk as the designated hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays.

But there was more swelling the next day and now he is shut down again.

“I was told that was a possibility, how it could respond,” Pedroia said. “You just have to try and find a way to get through it and stay positive. Let some things calm down and heal a little bit and once that happens get back out there and go.”

Pedroia was asked whether he expected to play again this season.

“I hope so, yeah. That’s what we’re working towards,” he said.

Farrell was far more positive.

“There’s nothing we have right now that suggests he won’t be back to us,” the manager said. “There’s been no talk of any kind of procedure.”

Pedroia has been treated by team doctors and sought outside opinions as well. But there is no timetable for a return.

“We’re always trying something. I think the best thing right now is rest and let it calm down,” Pedroia said. “I know it’s the wrong time for that but it’s just the situation we’re in. Once it calms down I’ll be out there as fast as I can.”

Pedroia would not comment on the exact nature of the injury.

“I’ve got a lot of things going on, man,” he said. “I don’t really want to talk about injuries and stuff. Like I said, I’ll be out there as fast as I can.”

Pedroia had cartilage surgery on his knee last Oct. 12. On April 21, he was reinjured by a takeout slide from Baltimore’s Manny Machado and has had issues with the knee since.

Eduardo Nunez started at second base against the Yankees on Saturday afternoon. The Sox have been using Nunez and Brock Holt as replacements for Pedroia.

Pedroia, who turns 34 on Thursday, is having one of his better seasons. Through 86 games, he has hit .303 with a .784 OPS and is third on the team with 54 RBIs. He also has been one of the top defensive second basemen in the American League.

“One of the leaders of our team, both in the clubhouse and in between the lines,” Farrell said. “When you have that type of player, an All-Star caliber player, in the middle of the diamond, those are difficult to replace.

“Yeah, we miss him and look forward to the day he returns.”

Sale for MVP? Houston second baseman Jose Altuve seems like a lock for American League Most Valuable Player. But Farrell likes Chris Sale.

“Great debate. A lot of people say there’s no way a starting pitcher can be [MVP]. I refute that,” he said. “Hell, having been a former pitcher, there’s no reason why he couldn’t be in the conversation.”

Sale is 14-4 with a 2.57 earned run average and the Red Sox are 17-6 in his starts. Sale leads the league in wins, innings, ERA, strikeouts, WHIP, and strikeout-to-walk ratio.

“As dominant as he has been with the exception of an outing or two, we’re talking about a difference maker in the standings, the feel of the team, what he means to our team,” Farrell said. “Yeah, he should be in that conversation.”

Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers was the National League MVP in 2014. He was 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA. Justin Verlander of the Tigers was the American League MVP in 2011. He was 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA.

Sale starts on Sunday night. He has faced the Yankees twice this season and allowed two runs on 11 hits over 15⅔ innings while striking out 23. The lefthander is 4-2 with a 1.17 ERA in 12 appearances against the Yankees in his career.

Price throws again David Price played long toss out to 120 feet and threw more pitches from flat ground afterward. The lefthander is making progress toward getting back on the mound. He is out with a strained elbow.

“Two good work days back-to-back for him,” Farrell said. “We’ll check and see how he is when he comes in [Sunday]. The volume and distance of throwing will be determined at that point.”

Scary moment Yankees lefthander Jordan Montgomery was hit in the head by a foul ball off the bat of Sandy Leon while the Red Sox took batting practice. Montgomery, who was signing autographs at the time, was able to walk off the field. The Yankees announced that Montgomery was checked out by their medical staff and remains scheduled to start on Sunday night . . . The Red Sox recalled lefthanded reliever Robby Scott from Triple A Pawtucket to replace Pedroia on the roster. He allowed two home runs in the ninth. Scott has given up nine runs on 11 hits — five of them homers — in his last 10⅓ major league innings . . . The Yankees placed Masahiro Tanaka on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. Righthanded reliever Giovanny Gallegos was recalled from Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Tanaka joined teammates Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia on the DL. All three were in the rotation to start the season . . . Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. He is 7 for 42 (.167) against the Sox this season with one home run, two RBIs, and 17 strikeouts. Judge has hit .161 since the All-Star break and struck out 43 times in 93 at-bats.

Chris Sale’s biggest Cy Young competition? Corey Kluber

Nick Cafardo

The 2017 American League Cy Young Award may still be a slam dunk for Chris Sale, but Indians righthander Corey Kluber, the 2014 Cy Young winner and third-place finisher last year, has been putting up some incredible numbers of his own. The fact he missed a month with a back issue could hurt his chances at the award, but as Indians major league advance coach Scott Atchison said, “Who knows if missing the time works out for him in the end, where he has a little bit more in the tank.”

If the regular season ended today, the Red Sox and Indians would meet in the divisional round for the second straight year. And if both teams had a chance to set up their rotation, Game 1 would feature Sale vs. Kluber.

Here are their numbers since June 1: Sale — 8-2, 2.38 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 119 strikeouts, and 13 walks over 83⅓ innings; Kluber — 7-1, 1.70 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 142 strikeouts, and 15 walks over 95⅓ innings.

Overall, Kluber is 10-3 with a 2.65 ERA, while Sale is 14-4 with a 2.57 ERA. Sale has a chance to win the pitching Triple Crown (most wins, most strikeouts, lowest ERA). If he does that, he wins the Cy hands down. Kluber beat out Felix Hernandez for the award in ’14 with a second-half flurry, and he’s on the same kind of run now.

As for the competition with his pal Sale — they’re represented by the same agent, BB Abbott — Kluber said, “We haven’t mentioned it once to each other. We’re both trying to go out and help our teams win games. That’s probably secondary and not what either one of us are focusing on.”

And regarding a possible postseason meeting against Sale, Kluber said, “That’s a long ways away. Last year I got hurt and wasn’t able to pitch the first game [of the division series], so there are a lot of factors that could occur before all of that. I think Chris and I just want to help get our teams there. And that’s going out there one start at a time and doing your best.”

What’s interesting is that Sale has struggled against the Indians and Kluber has struggled against the Red Sox. Sale’s start on Aug. 1 against Cleveland was his worst of the season, allowing seven runs over five innings. In his career against Cleveland, Sale is 5-7 with a 4.44 ERA. Kluber is 2-3 with a 4.78 ERA against Boston in his career, though he beat the Red Sox, 6-0, in Game 2 last October with seven shutout innings.

Since joining the Indians, reliever Andrew Miller has known Kluber to be “one of the hardest-working pitchers I’ve ever been around. The guys who were here in 2014 when he won the Cy Young tell me he’s even better now.”

“Each year has been a little bit different,” Kluber acknowledged. “I think I’m a smarter pitcher now from the experiences I’ve had. I think they’re all unrelated and hard to compare.”

Kluber enters his start Sunday with five straight games of 11 or more strikeouts, and 12 double-digit strikeout games on the season. Sale has 15.

Kluber is proud of his Cy Young, but he said it doesn’t motivate him to win another. And it doesn’t define him or the way he goes about his work.

“I guess if you want something to fall back on and reassure yourself, then I guess you can look at a Cy Young Award and do that and that could give you confidence,” he said. “But for me it comes from the work daily in between starts and not necessarily as a result of an award I won three years ago. I like to put in work on a daily basis and put myself in position when that fifth day comes to help my team win.”

Kluber, who spent parts of six seasons in the minors, didn’t know where his career would take him.

“I wanted to be a major league pitcher, continue to improve to stay here, and have a chance to be successful. I think everyone in the majors can say they can be better. Nobody’s mastered baseball. Unless you’re throwing a complete-game shutout every time out, there’s always room for improvement,” he said.

What manager Terry Francona and the rest of the Indians love about Kluber is that he’s the genuine article on and off the field.

“He’ll never be the loudest guy in the room, but he’s a little sneaky,” Francona said. “I don’t think anyone but the guys in this clubhouse are going to see that personality.”

Miller is amazed by Kluber’s “ability to make the ball move. He’s got overpowering stuff. He’s got velocity. He’s got the comeback sinker and can make a rising fastball and can go front door to a lefty and back door to a righty. There’s no doubt he is in the conversation as the best pitcher in baseball.”

We wrote last week about the possibility of the Red Sox extending Sale, who has two option years remaining on his contract at bargain prices of $12.5 million and $13.5 million.

“We’re open to listening if that came about,” Abbott said.

Kluber’s deal is also team-friendly. The 31-year-old signed a five-year, $38.5 million deal in 2015 that runs through 2019, plus team options for 2020 ($13.5 million) and 2021 ($14 million).

They might be the best bargains in baseball. And they may go head-to-head in October, and again in November for the Cy Young.

MARKET MEASURE

Miller: Players have preferences

Andrew Miller has played for six teams — in various sized media markets — and he’s had teammates who prefer small markets where not as much attention is paid, and those who prefer big crowds and big markets.

As we spoke in the Indians’ clubhouse at Tropicana Field this past week, there were no more than two reporters who cover the Indians. Some players love this. Fewer interviews. Little attention. Small crowds.

Is it a shock then that two ex-Rays the Red Sox signed in free agency, Carl Crawford and David Price, have had problems acclimating to Boston?

Miller played with Crawford in Boston.

“I loved Carl as a teammate, but he didn’t play as well there as he wanted to. It’s always a small sample size, but maybe CC would have done great if he had one less injury. His talent level was unquestioned and he was a great player,” Miller said.

Crawford excelled in Tampa Bay, where he could just play baseball without much media attention.

“For me, the best thing that ever happened was coming to Boston,” Miller said. “I loved the big crowds and all of the attention paid to the team. I loved the adrenaline it gave me. But I know guys who prefer to just play baseball and not have to worry about outside things. Everybody is a little different.”

Miller has loved his time in Cleveland and the attention the Indians have received from their World Series run last season.

“[Terry Francona] can draw some attention to our team by who he is. But with Corey [Kluber] and other guys on our team, we don’t get the attention that players do in Boston and New York,” Miller said. “I liked [Tigers manager] Brad Ausmus and what he said about Jose Ramirez. He said [that] while a lot of the country doesn’t know [Ramirez], the Tigers know him all too well and the damage he’s done.”

Miller saw how a small market works when he played for the Marlins.

“There were guys who really thrived in an environment like that,” he said. “And it’s not that expectations are lower, but you’re not playing in front of full crowds, you’re not in a clubhouse with a bunch of media. You’re never going to be picked to win the division over, in that case back then, the Braves or the Phillies or the Mets. Those guys thrived in that situation.

“I’m not saying that’s why I struggled there, but for me, going to Boston was getting back to playing in front of the crowds and getting back to a situation which I felt was a better fit for me.”

Apropos of nothing

1. Red Sox coaches were glued to Wade Boggs talking about hitting before games during his two-game NESN stint last week. Boggs said the biggest difference between now and when he played is that hitters get out in front and start their swings early because pitch velocity has increased so much, and that has led to more strikeouts and popups. Boggs said he was able to let the pitch come into him before swinging. The most Boggs ever struck out in one season was 68 times in 1990. At one point in his career, Boggs popped out once in a span of about 600 at-bats. He also hit .401 over a 162-game period, from June 9, 1985 until June 6, 1986. He had a .476 on-base percentage in 1988.

2. Teams run most of their roster through revocable trade waivers in August to gauge interest. If a player is claimed, the player is usually pulled back. The first three players the Red Sox put on waivers were Chris Sale, Craig Kimbrel, and Mookie Betts.

3. Boggs thinks the ride from Tampa to St. Petersburg is simply too long for the average baseball fan, and he expects a big surge in attendance if the Rays build a stadium in Tampa. The 11,853 at Tropicana Field for Wednesday’s game against the Red Sox was disgraceful for a major league city. One explanation given was that kids were going back to school the next day. But that’s never stopped 37,000-plus from showing up at Fenway.

4. We’re seeing more managers and GMs head to the end of their contracts, creating a lame-duck status owners used to avoid. Among those at the end of their contracts: Mets GM Sandy Alderson, Yankees GM Brian Cashman, and managers Dusty Baker, Joe Girardi, Brad Ausmus, Paul Molitor, and Terry Collins.

5. While the 2018 MLB schedule hasn’t been finalized yet, the Red Sox are expected to open the season at Tampa Bay, followed by an interleague series in Miami.

Updates on nine

1. Steve Cishek, RHP, Rays — The Falmouth native has had a good year, starting with Seattle and now with Tampa Bay, and will hit free agency at season’s end. He’s likely to be in demand with his closing experience, as well as for his funky sidearm delivery.

2. Wade Davis, RHP, Cubs — Theo Epstein isn’t married to closers. He let Aroldis Chapman walk after last season; will he make any attempt to re-sign Davis after this season? Davis had converted all 24 save chances entering the weekend. He’s been pretty darn effective and should have no problem landing a lucrative deal.

3. Ian Kinsler, 2B, Tigers — The Brewers have had interest in trying to make something happen with Kinsler, and it wasn’t known whether Milwaukee was the team that claimed Kinsler on revocable trade waivers on Friday. If the Tigers can’t work out a deal in 48 hours, they will likely pull him back. Kinsler has some no-trade protection and one of the teams he can’t be traded to without his permission is the Brewers.

4. Terry Francona, manager, Indians — “Getting stronger every day,” Francona said about his recent health scare. When told he looked good, he quipped, “Not really. It’s me.” Francona was thrilled to obtain Jay Bruce and his 29 homers from the Mets. He said he’ll have a juggling act when Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Brantley come off the DL, “but that’s a good outfield problem to have. I’ll deal with that any day.” Francona said he spoke to Bruce before the trade to explain the situation, and Bruce was on board.

5. Koji Uehara, RHP, Cubs — Uehara is on the disabled list with a neck strain and there’s concern that this could be the end of the road for the 42-year-old reliever. Since July 1, Uehara has pitched 12 innings over 15 appearances, posting a 5.25 ERA while allowing four home runs.

6. Miguel Andujar, 3B, Yankees — The righthanded-hitting prospect is a scout’s dream, scoring high on reports by just about everyone who has seen him. Most scouts project him as a future major league All-Star with a powerful throwing arm and say he might hit the ball harder than anyone in minor league baseball. Andujar started the weekend with a .315 average, 14 homers, 71 RBIs, and an .857 OPS.

7. Giancarlo Stanton, RF, Marlins — Are we finally seeing the Stanton that we envisioned? Over a 30- game span heading into Friday, Stanton had 18 home runs and 35 RBIs. He’s on pace for 56 homers.

8. Khris Davis, LF, Athletics — Davis wrote in the Players’ Tribune that he’s had a case of the throwing “yips” for years. “Until now, maybe out of embarrassment, or even pride, this wasn’t something I wanted to bring out into the open. Part of the reason is I never knew where to begin, exactly,” Davis wrote. Said A’s manager Bob Melvin of Davis’s admission: “It takes some courage.”

9. Pablo Sandoval, 3B, Giants — There’s already talk of a Sandoval/Christian Arroyo platoon next season. Sandoval has made a good impression in his second tour as a Giant.

Extra innings From the Bill Chuck files — “This season, batters are hitting .270 after swinging at the first pitch and .248 after taking the first pitch. The Rays lead the majors in swinging at the first pitch, while the Red Sox lead the majors in taking the first pitch.” . . . Happy 29th birthday, Brandon Workman.

What an experience

In the midst of the worst of his 20 seasons in the big leagues, Bartolo Colon showed he still has a little left in the tank, becoming the 10th pitcher in the last 50 years to throw a complete game after turning 44. Knuckleballer Phil Niekro stands atop the list, but seven of the 10 are non-knuckleballers.

* The Boston Herald

Mastrodonato: Dave Dombrowski finally finding recipe for bullpen success

Jason Mastrodonato

If you think Dave Dombrowski is too old-fashioned, stubborn and stuck in his ways to learn from his mistakes, take a peek at the best bullpen in Major League Baseball.

The Red Sox entered Friday with a 2.90 ERA from their relief corps. It’s MLB’s only ’pen with a sub-3.00 ERA.

And don’t forget, Dombrowski is the same executive who, despite bringing the Tigers from the worst record in baseball from 2002-05 to the fourth-best record in baseball from 2006-14, continuously failed, for one reason or another, to build a successful bullpen in Detroit.

During Dombrowski’s tenure from 2002-14 (not counting the 2015 season, as he left midway through), the Tigers bullpen posted a 27th-ranked 4.25 ERA.

Now, as the Red Sox sit atop the American League East due largely to a pitching staff mostly assembled by the team’s president of baseball operations, Dombrowski is a few strong months away from erasing the biggest blotch on his resume.

“Right now we’re playing well, going through a good streak,” Dombrowski told the Herald last week in an interview at Tropicana Field. “But there is a long way to go.”

If the 61-year-old executive seems hesitant, his recent past should explain why.

The Tigers won the AL Central from 2011-14, posting the best record in baseball those four years. They made just one World Series, in 2012, and were swept by the Pablo Sandoval-led San Francisco Giants.

“Sometimes they talk about it,” Dombrowski said of his past failures to build a top bullpen. “But when I was in Detroit we had some premium closers. Jose Valverde was perfect one year and was an All-Star a couple times we were there. But I think what’s happened is that sometimes even when you’re in a big market, you can’t spend money in some places. We had a lot of big-dollar contracts. And a couple times in the bullpen we also got unlucky. I don’t want to — I mean, we lost two low-salary guys at important times in Joel Zumaya one year and Bruce Rondon another year. They were really good and it hurt us at key times and we didn’t have the ability to replace them.”

When they were two innings away from taking a 2-0 lead over the Red Sox in the 2013 ALCS, the Tigers fell apart. Sox fans know this story well. The Red Sox couldn’t touch the Tigers starters, who posted a 2.39 ERA in 712⁄3 innings that postseason, but David Ortiz hit a series-altering grand slam off reliever Joaquin Benoit.

That might have something to do with Dombrowski’s persistence on the back end this season. He’s got the best bullpen in the majors, is only now getting Joe Kelly (1.45 ERA) back from the disabled list and starting to see the fruits of Brandon Workman’s (1.77 ERA) recovery from Tommy John surgery. There’s still an outside chance Carson Smith could help.

And yet Dombrowski made a list of 20-something relievers he thought he could acquire before July 31. He ended up trading for Addison Reed (2.56 ERA), then the New York Mets closer.

It’s not often a team that ranks No. 1 in bullpen ERA is desperate to add another relief arm.

“In today’s game, if you play a lot of low-scoring games and if you can get into the postseason and can play tight games, the more depth you have, the better off you are,” Dombrowski said. “For us, we still didn’t have an established eighth-inning guy. Guys have done it at times. Matt Barnes has been good at it. But we just felt that if we could help our depth even more that we would be better off.

“And all of a sudden if you can be deeper out there — we’ve played so many extra-inning games — so the ability to hold clubs scoreless as long as you possibly can is beneficial.”

Has Dombrowski learned the secret to bullpen building through his trials in Detroit?

“For (the Tigers), it was more of a matter that we spent dollars in a lot of different places and we weren’t able to spend it in those extra spots,” he said. “Not that you wouldn’t ideally have liked to done some other things.

“Now, here, it’s really fallen together that we’ve been able to go ahead and be aggressive in that regard. Some of the young guys coming in the organization have done a good job for us to stabilize some cost factors. If you look at Barnes, he’s come up through the organization. (Heath) Hembree not really, but he came up at a young age. Workman has done that. Joe Kelly came over at a young age. We have converted two guys that were starters at one point in Barnes and Kelly, and Workman, too.”

Former general manager Ben Cherington is, in all likelihood, going to be remembered more for his failures than his successes. One of those failures was his inability to develop pitching. And it was under Cherington that the Red Sox spent years being stubborn with nearly every starting pitching prospect.

If they could start, they would start. It wasn’t until the last moment that the Sox would ask them to pitch relief, just as they did with Workman and Barnes after calling them up from Triple A.

Under Dombrowski, Barnes made two starts and then transitioned to a full-time reliever. Workman has been a full-time reliever since coming back from his surgery. Kelly was asked to transition last year.

“I think that’s maybe one thing that we’ve been more open-minded to — converting guys because of the value of that bullpen,” Dombrowski said. “And I think from an organizational perspective, we’ve done a good job in that regard. It’s a combination of all those things. I know there’s a lot out there (about my bullpen failures in the past), but sometimes even you have cost limitations on what you can go out and do at various times. And you make bad decisions, too, a guy we picked up that maybe didn’t pitch as well.”

Cherington wasn’t the only one whose club was resistant to converting starters to relievers. It was more common than otherwise for years.

“Starters are so hard to find so you try to develop them,” Dombrowski said. “So I’m sure in some ways it was. A lot of times you do everything you can to make them a starter.

“I think one thing from an organizational perspective, we’ve come to a conclusion that sometimes you’re better off to make those changes more quickly. Sometimes it’s not working for them as a starter, because a bullpen is so important. If you get a good bullpen guy, that’s very important, too.”

Dombrowski can’t take all the credit for the bullpen’s ascension.

Manager John Farrell pushed the comfort level of closer Craig Kimbrel (1.48 ERA, heading into play Friday), asking him to convert four- and five-out saves early in the season. He’s given Kelly ample time to rest after each outing in attempt to keep his arm healthy. Sure, he makes things more challenging for Hembree (3.44) and Barnes (3.27), given the way he uses them in so many different roles they never can be sure when they might be pitching. But neither has shown any signs of struggling.

How much credit does a manager get for the bullpen’s success?

“It’s a great question again,” Dombrowski said. “I think that we have good guys in our bullpen but I think John Farrell has used our bullpen very well. I think he’s done a good job using guys’ strengths and getting good matchups and all of that. But also, I don’t mean to say that because guys don’t do well, like in Detroit, it’s not that (the manager) didn’t manage a bullpen (well). We just didn’t have very good people.

“I think John has done a very good job.”

A very happy anniversary

This week marks the two-year anniversary of Dombrowski’s hiring as the unquestioned personnel boss, prompting Cherington to walk away.

“I have very much enjoyed it,” Dombrowski said. “It’s a great city. Great franchise. Good people to work with. Our clubs have been good. Ownership is treating me well. My family has relocated so we’ve been able to settle in, buy a nice house. It’s a tremendous place to live. It’s really been great. Every day is exciting.

“It’s a lot of attention, full house every single day. Great baseball. It’s been fun.”

As for the attention, well, not all of it has been positive, as David Price and Dennis Eckersley could attest.

“The way I would look at it, I love the passion that’s attached to that,” Dombrowski said. “Sometimes you get negativity, but with that also comes exuberance in a great deal, too. And enthusiasm. I’d rather have that type of feeling and atmosphere of ups and downs and people who are really into it, and a full house, than I would being in an environment where it’s not like that.

“Now, when I hear the negativity, nobody likes negativity. I don’t like negativity. But I’m very careful that I’m not listening to talk shows and doing that type of stuff, either. So I don’t have quite the same exposure as some people because I just don’t pay attention to that stuff. I think it’s more the overall — they’re so passionate about the Red Sox, and in sports in general, but the Red Sox in particular. And I do enjoy that.”

He might not be listening to local sports talk radio, but he stays aware. He has said he reads the local newspapers. When his own players are complaining about the media, he has to know what’s being written.

“I’m aware because I need to be, it’s my job,” he said. “And because of that I know what’s going on, even though I don’t listen to it myself.”

Embracing Patriot Way

After almost 40 years in baseball, what drives Dombrowski?

“I’d like to win another world championship,” he said. “I’d like to win it. And then of course, you go for the third. I wouldn’t quit it. But you have to get two before you can get three. I’ve been to the postseason a lot in recent years and haven’t won a world championship so there’s no question that’s the driving force for me.”

So, too, interestingly is the success of the Patriots.

“If you’re going to describe a successful sports franchise now and talk about success, I think you’d start with the New England Patriots in any sport,” he said. “That’s what you would ultimately love to do. It’s not that easy to do in any sport. If we could do that, anywhere near that, you’d be thrilled.”

Being in the same town as the Patriots, the Red Sox have a long way to go to earn similar respect. But that doesn’t bother the boss.

“I don’t find that difficult,” he said. “In fact I think it’s good for the city. Ultimately that’s what you want to do anyway to win world championships. That’s what your goal is, whether they’re here or not here. I think it’s great for the city. It’s not like their success takes away from the Red Sox. We sell out all the time and have a lot of interest. It’s apparent there’s room for successful franchises. The Bruins are in the playoffs, the Celtics same way. It’s a passionate city with sports. It’s great to have that

Keyed by Andrew Benintendi’s two homers, Red Sox find clutch hitting vs. Yankees

Chad Jennings

NEW YORK — In the back-and-forth fight for the American League East, it’s worth noting this fact: No team has beaten the Red Sox more often this season than the New York Yankees.

Sure, the Red Sox are in first place, but the Yankees have been their Kryptonite — at least, until yesterday’s slugfest at Yankee Stadium.

It’s amazing what a few timely hits will do.

Andrew Benintendi’s six RBI led the Red Sox to a 10-5 win that felt like redemption after they’d blown a late lead in the series opener the night before. The Sox’ division lead is back to 41⁄2 games, tied for their largest of the season.

And they have Chris Sale pitching tonight.

“We’ve done a very good job of separating from the night before,” manager John Farrell said. “Coming back in a day game, putting up good offensive at-bats and runs early in ballgames, I think that’s a testament to our guys being able to turn the page and get right after it the next day.”

The difference was the Red Sox’ four hits with runners in scoring position, including two three-run home runs by Benintendi, who had his third multi-homer game of the season.

It didn’t matter that the Red Sox went down in order six times. By capitalizing on their opportunities, the Sox scored twice as many runs as they had in any other game against the Yankees this season. It was the second time since July 4 that they scored in double digits.

“It’s just another game,” Benintendi said. “There’s still 46 games left. . . . Maybe if this was the last series and we were tied it’d be higher intensity. But, yeah, we definitely come here and take care of business.”

This time, at least.

In their previous 10 games against the Yankees — seven of them losses — the Red Sox were 3-for-64 (.047) with runners in scoring position. Against all other teams, they hit .286 in those run-scoring opportunities.

And it actually got worse before it got better.

After back-to-back walks in the third inning, the Red Sox nearly hit into a crushing double play when Eduardo Nunez hit a sharp grounder to third base, but Todd Frazier bobbled it, and instead of turning two, the error loaded the bases with no outs.

This time, the Sox took advantage.

Mookie Betts hit a sharp two-run single into left field to tie the game, then Benintendi followed with his first home run of the afternoon.

“It kind of went quickly, which was nice,” Benintendi said.

Opportunity struck again in the fifth inning, and so did Benintendi.

After a single and a double, the Red Sox rookie lifted his second three-run homer of the day, tying his career-high for RBI before the game was halfway over. Later in the inning, after another advantageous error, Rafael Devers doubled in two more runs.

“Couple of walks in the bottom of the order kind of opened the door a little bit for us,” Farrell said. “And then we were able to cash in.”

After the Devers double, the Red Sox were 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position — they finished the game 4-for-11 — getting more such hits in five innings than they had in their previous 10 games against the Yankees.

The Red Sox had scored a total of 20 runs in those previous 10 games, the same number they’d scored in four games against Oakland and only two less than they’d scored in two games against Cleveland.

All of that run support came as Drew Pomeranz further solidified his status as the Red Sox’ second-best starting pitcher.

Allowing three runs in 62⁄3 innings actually made this one of Pomeranz’ worst starts of the year. It was only the sixth time he allowed more than two earned runs. He has not lost a game since June 11, and he has a 2.42 ERA in that span.

The Yankees got a stadium-aided two-run homer from Gary Sanchez against Pomeranz in the first inning, but he went on to pitch the next six innings surrendering just one more run on four more hits. His key inning was the fourth, when the Yankees loaded the bases with no outs, and he escaped with only one run allowed. He retired six of the last seven batters he faced.

“I’ve been fortunate to have some really good run support,” Pomeranz said. “For whatever reason, you never know why you get the run support and why some guys don’t. Our offense is great. In any game, we never feel like we’re out of it. Like we did (yesterday), hit a couple homers and put all those runs up pretty quick.”

Red Sox notebook: Dustin Pedroia returns to disabled list with knee problem

Chad Jennings

NEW YORK — The Red Sox say they expect Dustin Pedroia to play again this season, but the fact the second baseman is back on the disabled list — just four days after coming off it — speaks to the uncertainty of his immediate future.

Pedroia’s left knee still is bothering him. He had surgery in October, aggravated the injury in April, and the soreness intensified through a heavy workload immediately after the All-Star break. He returned from the DL on Tuesday, only to be put right back on it before yesterday’s 10-5 win against the New York Yankees.

“The people that I’ve seen, I understand what the deal is,” Pedroia said. “That was a possibility. I went through a full workday and felt fine and felt like I could do it. Got through the game and then the next day it wasn’t too good. But I was prepared for that. They told me that was a possibility, so just take it and try to get better as fast as I can.”

Is another surgery in the cards?

“I hope not,” Pedroia said. “That’s why we’re trying to find ways to get around it and get me out there playing.”

The damage seems to be primarily in the cartilage, though Pedroia said there is “a lot of things going on.” He’s been seeing a specialist in Boston in search of fresh ways to alleviate the pain and play through the injury.

Approaching his 34th birthday, Pedroia has remained a reliable defender and strong table-setter.

“There’s nothing that we have right now that suggests he won’t be back to us,” manager John Farrell said. “There’s been no talk of any kind of other procedure or anything similar to what he went through last offseason. Felt like he was ready to go after the work (last weekend). Obviously, the irritation returned, and he needs some more time at this point.”

When he returned to the lineup Tuesday against Tampa Bay, simply getting four at-bats as the designated hitter caused too much irritation for him to keep playing. He missed two games and three days before the Red Sox decided to put him back on the DL.

“I think the best thing right now is just kind of rest and let it calm down,” Pedroia said. “I know it’s the wrong time for that, but it’s just the situation we’re in. Once it calms down, I’ll be out there as fast as I can.”

When that will be seems to be anyone’s guess.

“I don’t think right now that there’s a date or a number of days that says he’s going to be back in the lineup,” Farrell said. “Pedey will be back when he’s first available, and hopefully that’s as quick as possible. But we have to stay focused on what his needs are and what’s the best thing for him.”

Pedroia shrugged off any look too far ahead.

“I can’t look into the future,” Pedroia said.

“If I could, it’d be pretty cool. I mean, I’ll be all right. Find a way.”

Price progresses

For a second straight day, David Price did long toss out to 120 feet. He also threw a few breaking balls off flat ground.

“Two good work days back-to-back for him,” Farrell said. “We will check and see how he is when he comes in tomorrow, (and) the volume and the distance of throwing will be determined at that point.”

The Red Sox have not laid out a clear plan for Price going forward. He’s on the disabled list with an elbow injury similar to the one he dealt with in spring training.

After playing catch at 120 feet, it seems a bullpen could be the next step relatively soon.

Scott returns

To replace Pedroia on the roster, the Red Sox did not recall Deven Marrero or any other infielder from the minors. Instead, left-handed reliever Robby Scott returned from Triple-A Pawtucket.

The move gives the Sox an eight-man bullpen that includes a pair of lefties.

“Wanted the second left-hander, particularly with this lineup in this ballpark,” Farrell said. “If there’s a matchup where we can turn a switch hitter around for the bigger side of the ballpark, that was the choice.”

Scott worked the ninth inning and allowed back-to-back homers to Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury, then recorded the final three outs.

NY starters take hit

In the past two days, the Yankees placed starters CC Sabathia (knee) and Masahiro Tanaka (shoulder) on the disabled list, and they nearly lost a third starter when rookie Jordan Montgomery was hit in the head by a fly ball during batting practice before yesterday’s game.

Montgomery, who returned from the minors to take Sabathia’s turn in the rotation for the series finale, was signing autographs when the ball hit him. He was evaluated, and the Yankees said he remains on track to pitch tonight.

Chris Sale worthy of being in MVP conversation

Michael Silverman

NEW YORK — There’s no question that tonight’s starter Chris Sale has been the most valuable Red Sox player this season.

A question everyone’s going to start asking more and more as the Sox head into the home stretch is if he’s worthy of being voted as the American League’s Most Valuable Player.

Even though the idea of voting for a starter ahead of an everyday position player tends to be a controversial notion, there’s no question how manager John Farrell feels about Sale’s MVP candidacy.

“A lot of people say there’s no way a starting pitcher can be (MVP). I’d refute that,” Farrell said before yesterday’s 10-5 win against the Yankees. “Hell, having been a former starting pitcher, there’s no reason why he couldn’t be in the conversation. And as dominant as he’s been, with the exception of an outing or two, we’re talking about a difference-maker in the standings, in the feel of the team, what he means to our team. Yeah, he should be in that conversation.”

Cleveland’s Corey Kluber is a close second as far as pitching numbers are concerned, but it’s tough to deny the Cy Young is Sale’s to lose. He leads the majors in strikeouts (229) and innings (1611⁄3) and leads the AL in ERA (2.57), WHIP (0.88) and opponents batting average (.193).

It’s no easy task to compare a pitchers’ contributions to an everyday player’s, but wins above replacement (WAR) is one guide.

From Baseball-Reference.com’s rankings that combine position players and pitchers, Sale is in a fourth- place tie with teammate Mookie Betts for overall WAR this season in the AL. Above them are Los Angeles Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.

FanGraphs.com does not combine position players and pitchers on its WAR leaderboard. Sale, however, leads Kluber in the site’s WAR by a wide margin, 7.0-4.9. And the FanGraphs WAR position player leader is Judge at 6.0, with Altuve (5.9) close behind, followed by Simmons at 4.7 then Betts at 4.3.

In 2014, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the MVP and led all players in the National League in WAR on both websites. Justin Verlander won the MVP in 2011 with a second-best WAR.

Pedro Martinez led the AL in WAR in 1999 but was left off the MVP ballot by two writers who felt pitchers should not be considered for the award. The decision likely led to Martinez being denied the MVP that season.

Dennis Eckersley won the MVP in 1992, his 51-save season for Oakland, and Roger Clemens won the MVP in 1986 with the Red Sox.

Sale never has won the Cy Young, although he has finished in the top six in voting for the past five seasons.

More immediately, Sale’s presence on the mount tonight provides both a physical and mental lift for the Red Sox. He has made five appearances and started four games at Yankee Stadium and has a cumulative 1.80 ERA in 30 career innings. He has pitched twice against the Yankees this year, posting a 1.15 ERA with a 0.83 WHIP, 23 strikeouts and two walks in 152⁄3 innings.

Farrell said even with the Red Sox’ second-best starter, Drew Pomeranz, throwing yesterday, the knowledge that Sale would be throwing the day after has an influence on how he manages the bullpen.

“There’s an effect on knowing that he’s going to work deep in games, or the likelihood, the dependability of a number of innings he’s pitched. You can be a little bit more aggressive with your bullpen the day before if needed,” Farrell said. “There’s an air of confidence about our guys with the starting pitcher on that given day. (It) gives us a lot of confidence the day Chris Sale takes the mound.”

Silverman: Andrew Benintendi belongs in conversation with Aaron Judge in AL rookie race

Michael Silverman

NEW YORK — Remember how Aaron Judge had the AL Rookie of the Year Award all sewn up at the All-Star break?

Yesterday, Andrew Benintendi put the plaque engravers on notice.

They might as well hold off until the season is finished — just to be sure.

Not to declare Judge a flash in a pan just because he has been mired in a dreadful slump since the All-Star break, but Benintendi injected suspense and at least the appearance of a real contest in the American League’s best-rookie honors yesterday with an overpowering display of power on Judge’s home court.

Benintendi had six RBI, courtesy of a pair of three-run homers, and did more than carry the Red Sox to a badly needed 10-5 victory against the Yankees in the Bronx.

It also highlighted one of the more underrated qualities of the understated Red Sox outfielder.

And that’s consistency and a proven ability to overcome adversity at the big league level.

He flashed a double dose of legitimate — but not overwhelming — power in another game in which Judge looked mortal (0-for-4, two more strikeouts).

The Yankees’ colossal slugger still appears lost in a post-All Star break swoon, batting just .161 with five home runs in 27 games after his apperance in the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby.

Judge’s indecisive performance helped Benintendi’s late-season appeal as a rookie with a legitimate case, based upon offensive bona fides, for the jury to rule.

On the season, Benintendi is hitting .280 with a .359 on-base percentage, .448 slugging percentage and an .807 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). He has 16 home runs and 65 RBI.

For Judge, the numbers are down to a more mortal .289, .419 OBP, .607 SLG and 1.026 OPS. He has 35 home runs and 78 RBI.

In terms of power, it’s no contest, although Benintendi has just one fewer home run than Judge since the break.

They are not the same player.

They are both rookies, however.

And they belong in the same sentence.

“I don’t know if there’s a one-on-one competition, so to speak,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Any time you get players that come into this type of stage, whether it’s here or Fenway, it brings out the best in all guys. He was able to get a couple of pitches out over the plate.”

For his typically demure part, Benintendi, who has three home runs in these first two games in the Bronx, and four homers in his past six games, was not too keen on talk of vindication. Although, his strong showing here happens while Judge clearly is scuffling as badly as Benintendi was in both May and July.

“Not at all,” Benintendi said. “He’s having an unreal year, and he’s kind of struggling right now, and I went through that for two months. I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”

Benintendi, who has reached base safely in 20 of his past 37 plate appearances, will never have Judge’s brute power. He does have a sweet and deceptively powerful swing, which he has been able to maintain at a consistent standard for most — not all — of this season.

He first showcased his skills in his call-up a year ago, which is why Benintendi was the consensus pick for AL Rookie of the Year entering the season.

Then Judge happened.

Judge already had 30 home runs before the All-Star Game and captured the flag of the Home Run Derby with a stunning display of raw power.

The AL Rookie of the Year was a foregone conclusion because Judge, for crying out loud, was under consideration for AL MVP.

Flash-forward from Miami a month ago to the Bronx yesterday, and it’s clear Benintendi has the edge when it comes to overcoming the bouts of adversity that every rookie — and every hitter — experiences in the majors.

It happens, and Benintendi is grateful to have come out the other side in good shape.

* The Providence Journal

Red Sox 10, Yankees 5: Boston bounces back behind Andrew Benintendi

Tim Britton

NEW YORK — Success in baseball derives from limiting slumps.

The season is long and the pathway to winning involves prolonging peaks and truncating valleys. The Red Sox showed their resolve in that regard on Saturday.

Behind two three-run homers by Andrew Benintendi, Boston bounced back from a late-inning collapse on Friday night to pummel the Yankees, 10-5, on Saturday.

Friday night’s loss had the potential to linger — the inverse to the dramatic win that had propelled an eight- game winning streak for the Red Sox a week earlier against Cleveland. The key Saturday was to halt any negative momentum.

“That’s been the characteristic of this team,” manager John Farrell said. “We’ve done a very good job of separating from the night before. That’s a testament to our guys being able to turn the page.”

Benintendi was the main reason why Boston beat back negative inertia on Saturday. The left fielder is familiar with halting slumps. Mired in his second legitimate slump of the season at the end of July, Benintendi found himself on the bench for consecutive games to refresh and rediscover his timing.

It appears that down time has worked.

With his homers on Saturday, Benintendi delivered the two keynote blasts in a 10-run outpouring against Luis Severino, who had entered the day as arguably the hottest pitcher in the American League. Benintendi’s line drive to right on a 1-1 98-mph fastball down in the zone broke a 2-2 tie in the third inning and capped a five-run frame.

In the fifth, just after Drew Pomeranz had limited a potential big inning to one run, Benintendi sparked another five-run frame with a long drive to right-center on a 1-0 slider on the inner half. It put the game on ice rather early by giving Boston an 8-3 advantage.

Since sitting down, Benintendi is 15-for-31 with four homers, 11 RBI and five stolen bases. That’s after he had 13 hits, no homers, no steals and four RBI in a 22-game stretch in July.

“It feels the exact same,” said Benintendi. “I haven’t changed a thing. I’m not missing pitches like I was previously.”

Perhaps that’s the reason why Boston has remained so patiently optimistic about Benintendi: His swing clearly does not require alterations.

“He’s got a beautiful swing,” said Farrell. “He was just missing some pitches that he’s otherwise squared up. He’s back doing that.”

“You trust what got you here and don’t stray from that,” Benintendi said.

The bountiful offense made the day easier for Pomeranz, who picked up his career-high 12th win of the season. Pomeranz settled in after yielding a first-inning two-run homer to Gary Sanchez, allowing just three runs in 6 2/3 innings. Since May 20, Pomeranz has a 2.70 ERA — better even than the 2.82 Chris Sale has compiled in that span.

Sale looks like a lock for Cy Young, but how about MVP?

Tim Britton

NEW YORK — By this point in the season, it seems almost a formality that Chris Sale is going to give the Red Sox back-to-back Cy Young winners in the American League.

But could Sale claim an even bigger award?

The MVP race in the American League is muddled. The perennial favorite Mike Trout is in the midst of yet another historically impressive season — though one interrupted by six weeks on the disabled list. After a monster first half of the season, the rookie Aaron Judge has slumped over the last month. Houston’s Jose Altuve has hit better than .400 since Memorial Day.

But Sale might be having the best season of any of them.

Heading into his Sunday start against the Yankees, Sale leads the American League in wins above replacement, according to Fangraphs and Baseball Prospectus. Fangraphs has Sale worth seven wins above replacement — a full win clear of his closest challenger, New York’s Judge. Baseball Prospectus has Sale more than a win clear of Trout.

(That Trout has been the game’s best player for six years running while consistently making the MVP race intriguing is one of his most remarkable qualities.)

In past years, Sale had been susceptible to the occasional poor outing. In each of the last two seasons, he had seven starts in which he allowed more than four runs.

This season, though, Sale has combined his characteristic peak-level performance with start-to-start consistency. In only two of his 23 starts has he allowed more than four runs. Only twice has he failed to finish six innings, and he’s finished seven in 17 of them. He’s 14-4 despite spotty run support, and the Red Sox are 17-6 when he takes the mound (and 48-44 when he doesn’t).

Boston has yet to lose a game started by Sale in which it’s scored at least three runs. Sale’s ERA in those six games the Sox have lost with him on the mound is 2.18. He’s finished seven innings in all of those games.

“That’s what a true ace does,” pitching coach Carl Willis said. “They’re consistent with it. Every fifth day, you know you’re going to get a heck of an outing.”

Sale may only take the mound once every five days, but the Red Sox see an impact throughout the week.

“There’s an effect on knowing that he’s going to work deep in games,” manager John Farrell said. “You can be a little bit more aggressive with your bullpen the day before if needed. You look at his performances and when he walks to the mound, I think there’s an air of confidence about our guys with the starting pitcher on that given day. It gives us a lot of confidence the day Chris Sale takes the mound.”

The only reasonable objection to Sale’s candidacy would be his status as a pitcher. After all, that’s what cost Pedro Martinez the award in 1999, when he was pretty clearly the American League’s best player. Only three starting pitchers have won the A.L. MVP in the divisional era: Vida Blue, Roger Clemens and Justin Verlander.

But after hardening in the late 1990s, the attitude toward pitchers receiving the MVP has once again softened of late. Verlander took home the award in 2011 in the A.L. and Clayton Kershaw in 2014 in the N.L. In 2015, five pitchers placed in the top 10 between the two leagues; that’s the same number as made the top 10 from 2006 to 2010.

At least one pitcher has made the top 10 of MVP balloting in one of the leagues since 2010, and unlike in previous years, starting pitchers are receiving more votes than relievers.

″[It’s a] great debate,” Farrell said. “A lot of people say there’s no way a starting pitcher can be [MVP]. I’d refute that. Hell, having been a former starting pitcher, there’s no reason why he couldn’t be in the conversation. As dominant as he’s been, we’re talking about a difference-maker in the standings, in the feel of the team.”

Red Sox Journal: Knee problem could be career-long issue for Pedroia

Tim Britton

NEW YORK — As expected, the Red Sox placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation in his left knee on Saturday. It’s the same injury that knocked Pedroia out of action late last month. He played just one game between stints on the DL.

“We’ve just got to try to find a way to manage it and get through it,” Pedroia said on Saturday. “We’re doing everything we can to try to get better and be out there.”

Will Pedroia be back at all this season?

“I hope so,” he said. “That’s what we’re working toward.”

“There’s nothing that we have right now that suggests he won’t be back to us,” manager John Farrell said. “There’s been no talk of any kind of other procedure or anything similar to what he went through last offseason.”

It does seem clear that Pedroia will be spending more than just 10 days on the disabled list this time, unlike his previous two stints on the DL this season.

“The best thing right now is just rest and let it calm down. I know it’s the wrong time for that. But it’s just the situation we’re in,” Pedroia said. “It’s always tough for me to not be able to be out there helping us win.”

Since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on that knee three days after the Red Sox season ended last October, Pedroia has tried to manage soreness and inflammation there. It’s a cartilage issue that was aggravated earlier this season by a hard slide into second by Manny Machado in April. It has been a lingering concern much of the summer, with Farrell searching for ways to get Pedroia off his feet as much as possible.

Pedroia first landed on the disabled list in late July because of what the team termed “volume” related issues. That he’s back on the DL after one game — in which he didn’t play the field — is obviously concerning.

On July 31, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Pedroia would have to manage issues with that knee for years to come.

“He has a bad knee that he’s going to have to watch and we’re going to have to watch for the rest of his career,” Dombrowski said.

“Probably this year, there’s been days in which we got him off his feet more so than last year,” Farrell said at that time. “How that increases going forward, I can’t speak to. We’ll do what’s right and best by Pedey.”

In Pedroia’s absence, Eduardo Nunez figures to receive the majority of the playing time at second.

To fill Pedroia’s spot on the roster, the Red Sox called up left-handed reliever Robby Scott from Triple-A Pawtucket. Scott struggled in the ninth inning on Saturday, allowing back-to-back homers to Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury. Scott has allowed five home runs to the last 48 big-league hitters he’s faced.

Surviving a scare

New York still plans to start Jordan Montgomery in Sunday night’s rubber game after the left-hander was struck in the head by a line drive during batting practice on Saturday.

Montgomery was signing autographs when he was hit in the head by a Sandy Leon liner. Although the pitcher appeared woozy while being walked back to the Yankees clubhouse, he reappeared in the dugout in uniform for the game.

The Yankees could ill afford another injury to a starter, having placed CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka on the disabled list in the last few days.

Making progress

David Price threw out to 120 feet on flat ground for the second consecutive day on Saturday.

“Two good workdays back-to-back for him,” Farrell said. “We will check and see how he is when he comes in [Sunday]. The volume and the distance of throwing will be determined at that point.”

* The Harford Courant

Jeff Jacobs: Benintendi Puts On A Show For His Family At Yankee Stadium

Jeff Jacobs

Andrew Benintendi had little interest in talking about Aaron Judge or making Red Sox history. He was much more interested in what happened in 1932 than in 1938.

"My grandpa on my dad's side turned 85 yesterday," Benintendi said after he crushed a pair of three-run homers Saturday off Luis Severino in a 10-5 rout of the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. "He's from Brooklyn. My entire side of the family from that side came. So I'll be able to see them."

He counted 22 relatives in all, and while he didn't drive in a run for each of them, it sure felt that way.

Benintendi, 23, became the youngest Red Sox player to gather six RBI in a game against the Yankees since it first became an official major league statistic in 1920. He became the youngest Red Sox player with a pair of six RBI games in one season, having gone 5-for-5 with two homers in Texas on July 4.

Perhaps most notable of all Benintendi became the first Red Sox player to hit two three-run homers against the Yankees since Jimmie Foxx in 1938.

"I didn't know that," Benintendi said of all the numbers. "But I guess that's cool."

The rookie with the terrific flow of hair is more interested in going with the flow of the major league season. He speaks softly. He knows his place in the clubhouse. And on this day, he knew his place was rounding the bases.

"Since the couple days down to kind of clear his mind, he has been right in the middle of a lot of big offensive innings for us," manager John Farrell said. "Today, two beautiful swings against a guy who we hadn't done a whole lot against."

Benintendi is from the Cincinnati area. His grandpa Robert, who lives there now, has seen him play before in Detroit and Cleveland, but this is the first time in New York.

Yes, Robert grew up a Yankees fan.

"Not anymore," Benintendi said.

Before the start of the season, Benintendi was considered by many as a lock for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. That was before Aaron Judge decided to play Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and King Kong rolled into one pinstriped phenomenon. The 6-foot-7, 282-pound Judge owned baseball until the All-Star break. He hasn't owned anybody since.

Yet Benintendi struggled in July, too. He hit only .222, going 20-for-90 with a .344 OBP and two home runs. That's when Farrell gave him two days off.

"John talked to me," Benintendi said. "There was some frustration from not doing well, obviously. You kind of sit back and watch the game, relax. It was beneficial."

Farrell's plan worked.

Benintendi has hit .484, 15-for-31, since Aug. 3. He has four home runs, 11 RBI, five stolen bases and 10 runs scored. He has reached base 20 of his last 37 plate appearances. Suddenly, he has is an absolute menace to opposing teams.

"More than anything, pitches he has gotten on the plate he hasn't missed," Farrell said. "I can't say there has been anything fundamentally he has changed. He has a beautiful swing. He's a natural looking hitter. Prior to the [break], he was just missing some pitches he otherwise had squared up. He's back doing it."

Wade Boggs, working games on NESN recently, raved about the beauty of Benintendi's swing. He should know. Boggs had one of the sweetest swings in baseball history. At Fenway, Benintendi can go the other way and use the big green wall. In the Bronx, it's flipped. There's that short right field porch.

"I think most lefthanders are looking for a pitch that they can get up out over the plate that they maybe can hook," Farrell said. "It's so inviting. Fortunately, he was able to do just that. Last night, it was a first-pitch fastball he got on top of from Jaime Garcia for a home run. Today, one pitch was a breaking ball and one was a fastball. This is a dangerous ballpark, particularly today when the ball was flying like it was. We needed all 10 runs."

Showing overpowering stuff, Severino had needed only 19 pitches to record seven outs. At that point with one out in the third he had allowed one earned run in 161/3 innings against the Red Sox in 2017. Whether he got cute or sloppy, he started mixing in other pitches and walked Christian Vazquez after a strong nine pitch at-bat and Jackie Bradley Jr., the No. 8 and 9 hitters.

Eduardo Nunez bounced a ball to third baseman Todd Frazier, who botched a potential double play. As talented as the All-Star is, Severino can lose his composure. Mookie Betts had an RBI single, and Benintendi followed by lining a 1-and-1 pitch over the right field fence to make it 5-2.

The Red Sox bunched five more runs off Severino in the fifth. Benintendi jumped on the first pitch for a 397-foot rocket to right field for another three-run homer.

"I feel the exact same as [in July]," said Benintendi, who has 16 homers and is back up to .280 overall. "I haven't changed a thing. It's just that I'm not missing pitches. I'm getting some pretty good swings. You trust what got you here. You don't stray from that.

"I wasn't physically tired. It was kind of a mental break that really helped. When I was struggling, I always felt like I was down 0-1, 0-2, 1-2. You're not going to have that much success when you're always down in the count. Now, I just pick a pitch and go with it. It doesn't matter if it's the first pitch or the 10th."

Farrell was fast to talk about how the Red Sox bounced back from what could have been a dispiriting blown game Friday night. He pointed how the team did the same after the Mariners erased a lead and walked off in the 13th inning.

"We've done a very good job of separating from the night before," Farrell said. "We've shown the ability to turn the page. It has been a characteristic of our team."

Look, unless Judge strikes out every at-bat for the rest of the season, there's essentially no way Benintendi can overtake him for American League Rookie of the Year. That hasn't stopped the social media jockeys from prodding the struggling rookie giant.

Judge has 35 home runs. He still is hitting .289. He has 78 RBI and eye-popping WAR and slugging numbers. On Saturday, he also struck out looking twice, hit into a double play and popped to second. He has struck out in 29 consecutive games. He has only 15 hits in his last 93 at-bats, a .161 average.

"I don't know there's a one-on-one competition, so to speak," Farrell said. "Anytime you get players on this kind of stage, here or in Fenway, it brings out the best in all guys."

"He has had a [terrific] year," Benintendi said. "He's kind of struggling right now. I went through that for two months. I'm sure he'll figure it out."

Maybe he will. But this much is certain. Little Benny Biceps has totally out-muscled Judge this weekend in the Bronx. And grandpa, a former Yankees fan, is here to savor it.

* The Springfield Republican

Andrew Benintendi homers twice as Boston Red Sox win big over New York Yankees

Jen McCaffrey

NEW YORK - Andrew Benintendi delivered the pick-me-up the Red Sox needed on Saturday after a tough loss on Friday night.

Benintendi hit two, three-run homers as the Red Sox bounced back from Friday's disaster of a game with a 10-5 victory over New York.

The win helped the Red Sox push their lead in the American League East back to 4 1/2 games over the Yankees.

Drew Pomeranz gave up a two-run homer in the first inning to Gary Sanchez setting the Red Sox back early.

But Boston loaded the bases with one out in the third against Yankees starter Luis Severino on two walks and an error. Mookie Betts tied the game with a two-run single and Benintendi put the Red Sox ahead with his first of two homers.

Hanley Ramirez and Mitch Moreland singled to put two more runners on, but Ramirez was doubled off on a fly out to left.

The Yankees got a run back in the fourth when they loaded the bases with no outs against Pomeranz. But the Red Sox lefty managed to get out of the jam by allowing just one run on a grounder to first. He got the next two batters to pop up.

Benintendi shot his second blast to right center in the fifth inning after Eduardo Nunez singled and Betts doubled. It marked Benintendi's 16th homer of the season and third career multi-homer game.

Severino got Ramirez to fly out before his day was done having allowed 10 runs in 4 1/3 innings. He'd allowed just three earned runs in his previous three starts.

Rafael Devers plated two more Red Sox runs later in the fifth with an RBI double.

Pomeranz, meanwhile, allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings to pick up the win.

Brandon Workman pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings. Robby Scott entered in the ninth and allowed two solo homers before getting the final three outs.

Drew Pomeranz continues strong season for Boston Red Sox with career-best 12th victory

Jen McCaffrey

NEW YORK - It could have started to snowball on Drew Pomeranz Saturday afternoon.

After a tough loss on Friday night to the Yankees, New York jumped out to an early lead on Pomeranz with a two-run homer in the first inning.

But Pomeranz worked out of bases-loaded, nobody out jam in the fourth and pitched into the seventh inning for the third straight start en route to a 10-5 Red Sox victory.

The win marked Pomeranz's 12th on the season, a career high for the lefty.

After the homer in the first, the Red Sox took the lead in the third thanks to the first of Andrew Benintendi's three-run homers.

Pomeranz ran into trouble in the fourth loading the bases on two singles and a walk. But he got a grounder to first for the first out, allowing one run to score before two quick pop ups ending the threat.

"The one thing that Drew has done, he's kept us in a lot of ballgames because he's found a way to navigate when there's been men on base," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "And that was a prime example. Bases loaded, nobody out, you're kind of holding on tight. But he's able to induce a couple of popups and get out of it."

He worked around baserunners in the fifth, sixth and seventh before exiting the game after 6 2/3.

He finished with three runs allowed on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Pitching deeper in games has been one focus for Pomeranz this season. In his last 12 starts, he's thrown at least six innings nine times. Through his first 10 starts this season, he pitched six or more innings just four times.

"I feel like I keep saying it's one inning or so that keeps me from being in the game later," he said. "That's one of the things I'm working on to keep the pitch count down in those innings. To be able to get back into the seventh and save maybe a couple guys down in the bullpen, that's big, especially in this series."

When Pomeranz was traded from San Diego to Boston last July, he was sporting a 2.47 ERA through 17 starts and started the All-Star game for the National League.

The stretch he's on right now feels even better than that.

"I had a good curveball and a good glove-side fastball," Pomeranz said of his 2016 first half. "Now I think I've developed a lot of things to help me win games and help me make pitches against these guys."

As for the Red Sox, the win helped move them back to 4 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the division.

Is Chris Sale American League MVP material? Red Sox manager John Farrell thinks so

Jen McCaffrey

NEW YORK - Justin Verlander in 2011 was the last American League pitcher to win the Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player award.

Clayton Kershaw was the most recent pitcher in the majors to win both awards in 2014 in the National League.

Chris Sale might just be the next pitcher to pull of the prestigious feat.

Sale faces off against the Yankees on Sunday night in New York for his 24th start of the season and he has downright dominated his opponents this year.

With a 2.57 ERA and 229 strikeouts the lefty is in the midst of one of the best seasons of any pitcher over the last decade.

Sale leads the American League in ERA, strikeouts, wins (14), WHIP. (0.88), hits per nine innings (6.3), walks per nine innings (1.62), strikeouts per nine innings (12.78), innings pitched (161 1/3) and strikeout to walk ration (7.89).

"Great debate," Red Sox manager John Farrell said Saturday. "A lot of people say there's no way a starting pitcher can be. I'd refute that.

"And as dominant as he's been, with the exception of an outing or two, we're talking about a difference maker in the standings, in the feel of the team, what he means to our team, yeah he should be in that conversation."

Generally the MVP award goes to a position player, but Sale's dominance on the mound has brought him into strong contention for the award, even if he takes the mound once every five days.

"There's an effect on knowing that he's going to work deep in games, or the likelihood, the dependability of a number of innings he's pitched," Farrell said. "You can be a little bit more aggressive with your bullpen the day before if needed.

"There's an air of confidence about our guys with the starting pitcher on that given day, gives us a lot of confidence the day Chris Sale takes the mound."

Just seven pitchers in American League history (Verlander, Dennis Eckersley, Roger Clemens, Willie Hernandez, Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue and Denny McLain) have won both the MVP and Cy Young award.

Dustin Pedroia injury: Red Sox second baseman expected back before end of season

Jen McCaffrey

NEW YORK - Dustin Pedroia is headed back to the disabled list for the second time this month, but the Red Sox don't think the left knee inflammation will keep the second baseman out for the rest of the season.

Pedroia went on the DL on Aug. 1 but returned to the Red Sox eight days later on Tuesday in Tampa Bay. He served as designated hitter that night, going 1-for-4, but didn't return to the lineup in Boston's next two games.

"There's nothing that we have right now that suggests he won't be back to us," Red Sox manager John Farrell said Saturday. "There' been no talk of any procedure or anything similar to what he went through last offseason so felt like he was ready to go after the work day, obviously the irritation returned and he need more time."

The Red Sox don't have a timetable for Pedroia's return. He'll rest for the foreseeable until the symptoms and inflammation subside.

Pedroia thwarted the notion he rushed back too quickly from the initial DL stint.

"I went through a full workday and felt fine and felt like I could do it," he said. "Got through the game and then the next day it wasn't too good. But I was prepared for that. They told me that was a possibility, so just take it and try to get better as fast as I can."

Pedroia said he's hoping to avoid another surgery like the one he had last offseason.

"That's why we're trying to find ways to get around it and get me out there playing," he said.

In 86 games this season, Pedroia hit .303 with a .784 OPS, six homers and 17 doubles.

* The Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Bill Ballou: Stint in Boston may portend managerial success

Bill Ballou

Traditionally, Red Sox managers get blamed for a) taking the starter out too early; b) leaving the starter in too long; c) not calling enough hit-and-runs; and d) calling hit-and-runs that wind up with somebody caught stealing.

Well, the pay is good, anyway.

So, it might be surprising to note that of the 10 teams who would make the playoffs if they started Monday, five have managers with Red Sox connections.

It starts with Dave Roberts in Los Angeles, proving that Leo Durocher was wrong about nice guys. Roberts, of 2004 World Series fame, has his team on an historic run, one that began after L.A. opened the season with a 10-12 record and he currently has the best winning percentage in history for any manager with more than 100 games to his credit, at least since 1900.

Sox fans found out about Torey Lovullo’s abilities at the end of the 2015 season when he took over during John Farrell’s illness, but even they might be surprised to see how much better the Diamondbacks are with him running things in 2017. They were 48-66 after 114 games last year, 64-50 this season.

The Rays are fading a bit, which is what can happen to a team that draws 11,853 fans to a game with substantial playoff implications, as happened for last Wednesday’s Red Sox contest. Still, Kevin Cash has done a lot with a little, and when Cash was in Boston as a backup catcher, the Sox were already grooming him as a possible big-league manager. He could have the next Terry Francona career track.

Francona and Farrell are almost inseparably linked, and both have their teams in first place — again. Francona has had more to work with than Cash, less to work with than Farrell — and with each season adds another line of reference to a resume that puts him with the all-time greats.

Farrell will probably never completely escape the shadow that hangs over him for leaving the Blue Jays prematurely, even if the deal was officially a trade involving Mike Aviles. However, if Boston wins the A.L. East this season, he will be the first manager in the team’s 117 years to finish in first place three times, and the first to do it back to back in 102 years.

Want to have a good career as a major league manager? Making a stop in Boston might be the best way to guarantee it.

Off and running

Interesting player, Andrew Benintendi, what with his adventurous baserunning, etc. Last week, he stole bases in four straight games, a rare feat by Red Sox standards, and last done by Jacoby Ellsbury in 2013 when he swiped bags in five consecutive games. Also, Friday night’s home run in New York was Benintendi’s first off a left-handed pitcher. That makes it 1 of 18, and the two three-run homers on Saturday marked the first time a Sox batter had two in the same game in about a year, or since Mookie Betts did it against the Diamondbacks last Aug. 14. Bernie Carbo hit 44 homers during his time with the Sox, one off a lefty. ... No doubt, Rick Porcello has not pitched as well this year as he did while winning the Cy Young Award last year, but if he needs any moral support he can get it from Chris Sale. Sale was 17-8 in 25 decisions with a 3.05 ERA in 2012, not winning the Cy Young, then had an ERA of 3.07 in 2013 but was 11-14 in 25 decisions. ... Not to look too far ahead, but the current Red Sox pitching staff, including those on the disabled list, has a combined record of 6-17 in postseason play and the only pitcher to win a game as a starter is Doug Fister, who is 4-2 in the playoffs. Both of David Price’s postseason wins are as a reliever. And of those six staff wins, two have been against Boston. ... Feel a little more rested these days? That may be because Boston played four straight games in less than three hours last week, the first time that’s happened since the Sox did it five times in a row in June 2016.

Delcarmen still pitching

Manny Delcarmen has not pitched in the major leagues since 2010, but that does not mean he has not been pitching. In fact, since the Red Sox traded the workhorse reliever to Colorado late in the 2010 season, Delcarmen has pitched in professional ball every season through this one.

Delcarmen is one of many ex-major leaguers in the Atlantic League, working out of the bullpen for the Bridgeport Bluefish where his pitching coach is former Sox reliever Rich Garces and one of his catchers is ex-Sox receiver Gustavo Molina.

“It’s a grind here, a lot of games,” said Delcarmen, “but it gives me a chance to show teams that my arm is sound and I can help somebody. A lot happens as the season goes on here. We’ve already had four players signed by big-league organizations.”

Delcarmen has been busy for the Bluefish. He has made 39 appearances with a 2-2 record and 4.54 ERA. Since leaving the majors Delcarmen has pitched for five different Triple-A teams and in Mexico. He suffered a shoulder injury there last year and one reason he is in Bridgeport now is to prove that his arm is healthy.

“My velocity is back up to where it used to be,” he said.

Garces, “El Guapo,” is a good pitching coach, according to Delcarmen who said, “He’s fun and he does a good job. He’s popular here — probably not as popular as when he pitched for the Red Sox — but people remember him from those days.”

One of the relatively few recent Boston players who were born and raised in Massachusetts, Delcarmen still makes his permanent home in the eastern part of the state.

* RedSox.com

Benintendi's 3-run jacks lead Sox rout in Bronx

Bryan Hoch and Ian Browne

NEW YORK -- Andrew Benintendi's sweet stroke produced a pair of three-run homers as the Red Sox pounded Luis Severino and the Yankees, 10-5, on Saturday afternoon to claim their ninth victory in 10 games.

One day after the Red Sox's bullpen coughed up a three-run advantage just six outs from victory, Benintendi ensured there would be no repeat of that performance as Boston reclaimed a 4 1/2-game advantage over the Yankees in the American League East chase. It matches the Yankees' largest deficit of the season.

"That's been a little bit of the characteristic of this team," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "We've done a very good job of separating from the night before, coming back in for a day game, putting up good offensive at-bats and scoring runs early in ballgames. I think that's a testament to our guys being able to turn the page and get right after it the next day."

Benintendi took Severino deep to right field in the third and fifth innings as Boston twice hung five-run frames on the right-hander, whose four-start win streak was snapped in his worst effort of the season. The 23-year-old rookie left fielder became the youngest Red Sox player to have six RBIs against the Yankees since 1920.

"I didn't know that, but I guess that's cool. I just got my pitch and put a good swing on it and was fortunate enough for it to go out," said Benintendi, who is slashing .484/.541/.968 in August with four homers and 11 RBIs.

Hurt by his defense at times, Severino was charged with a career-high 10 runs (eight earned) in 4 1/3 innings, the most allowed by a Yanks hurler this year.

"He wasn't executing his pitches today. He made some mistakes," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's been so good and executing so well, we haven't seen it for a while, but it just goes to show you that he's human."

Left-hander Drew Pomeranz breezed to his career-high 12th victory, holding the Yankees to three runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. He improved to 6-0 with a 2.42 ERA in his last 11 starts. Gary Sanchez hit a two-run homer, his 19th, off Pomeranz in the first inning.

Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury slugged back-to-back homers off Robby Scott in the ninth, but they came too late to save New York from its seventh loss in 11 contests.

Boston finished 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position after Yankees hurlers had limited them to just three hits in 64 such at-bats (.047) over their first 10 meetings this season.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Wanna be startin' somethin': Severino retired the first seven batters before Christian Vazquez worked a nine-pitch walk, a battle that started the unraveling of the Yanks' ace. Another walk to Jackie Bradley Jr. followed and third baseman Todd Frazier booted a potential double-play ball, loading the bases. Mookie Betts cashed a two-run single and Benintendi launched a projected 371-foot blast to right for his 15th homer, coming off the bat at 106.3 mph, according to Statcast™.

"I tried rushing the throw and couldn't get a handle on the ball," Frazier said. "It was a big play in the game, a big mistake. Sevy is so good, I thought we were going to get out of it, but it was a big mistake and a big part of the game. It's something I take responsibility for. I've at least got to get one [out] there."

Stop right there: The lopsided outcome obscured the close nature of the game in the fourth inning, when Ellsbury's RBI groundout trimmed Boston's lead to 5-3 with the Yanks threatening for more. Pomeranz buckled down to record the next two outs, inducing Ronald Torreyes to foul out and getting Brett Gardner to pop out to shortstop. Boston responded by hanging another five-spot on Severino in the top of the fifth.

"Huge," said Pomeranz. "That was a huge inning. They had bases loaded, and in that situation, I'm just trying to focus on making pitches. A couple popups there to get out of it."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Benintendi became just the second player in Red Sox history to belt homers of three runs or more against the Yankees in the same game. Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx did it twice in 1938, smashing two three-run homers on Sept. 7 and roping a grand slam and a three-run homer on Oct. 1.

WHAT'S NEXT

Red Sox: Ace Chris Sale (14-4, 2.57 ERA) gets the nod for the Red Sox in Sunday night's rubber match of this three-game series at 8:05 ET. The lefty is putting together the best season by a Boston starting pitcher in recent memory. Last time out, he held the Rays to two hits and a walk over eight innings while striking out 13. Sale is 0-1 against the Yankees in two starts this season, but has a 1.15 ERA.

Yankees: Despite being hit in the head with a batting practice line drive on Saturday afternoon, left-hander Jordan Montgomery (7-6, 4.05 ERA) remains in line to start the finale at Yankee Stadium. The 24-year-old rookie is starting in place of CC Sabathia, who is on the disabled list with a right knee injury.

Benintendi breaking out during August tear

Ian Browne

NEW YORK -- A month that started with a slumping Andrew Benintendi getting a rare two-day break from the starting lineup has swiftly transformed into a torrid stretch of hitting for the rookie left fielder.

The peak of Benintendi's impressive August run came on Saturday, when he put an absolute hurting on the Yankees, belting a pair of three-run homers to lift the Red Sox to a 10-5 victory.

Benintendi became the youngest Red Sox player to have six RBIs against the Yankees since 1920, and the only Boston player besides Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx in 1938 to club a pair of three-run jacks against the Bronx Bombers in the same game.

"I didn't know that, but I guess that's cool," said Benintendi.

To make it sweeter, Benintendi's second six-RBI performance of the season came in front of roughly 20 family members who flew in from Ohio for the weekend. He has three homers in the first two games of this series.

"Yeah, my grandpa on my dad's side turned 85 [on Friday] and he's from Brooklyn, so my entire side of the family from that side came up," said Benintendi, who planned on having dinner with the entire contingent on Saturday.

Benintendi is thankful the family outing didn't take place during July, when he hit .222 with two homers.

Manager John Farrell looked at that body of work and decided it was best for Benintendi not to play against right-handers on July 31 and Aug. 1. The Red Sox got rained out on Aug. 2.

The next day, Benintendi was back in the lineup, and he has been hammering the baseball from gap to gap and over walls since he returned.

In August, Benintendi is slashing .484/.541/.968 with four homers and 11 RBIs.

"Yeah, I kind of got some rest and got my legs back under me," Benintendi said. "I wasn't physically tired, but just kind of a mental break has really helped. I mean, there was some frustration from not doing well obviously. Just kind of sitting back and watching the game and relaxing was beneficial."

These are the types of streaks pundits imagined when Benintendi was the prohibitive preseason favorite to win the American League's Rookie of the Year Award. Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge changed the narrative with his amazing first half. With Judge now slumping, perhaps Benintendi can sneak back into the Rookie of the Year race.

"He's having an unreal year and he's kind of struggling right now, and I went through that for two months," Benintendi said. "I'm sure he'll figure it out."

There hasn't been any noticeable changes in technique for Benintendi, who has a pretty swing from the left side. He has been a little more aggressive early in the count.

"When I was struggling, I felt like I was always down 0-1, 0-2, 1-2," said Benintendi. "You're not going to have much success when you're always down in the count."

Benintendi's first homer was on a 1-1 fastball by Luis Severino that came in at 97.6 mph. In the fifth, he smoked a 1-0 slider by Severino. According to Statcast™, the blasts had projected distances of 371 feet (first homer) and 397 feet.

"It feels the exact same," said Benintendi. "I haven't changed a thing. I'm not missing pitches like I was previously."

Sore left knee lands Pedroia on DL again

Ian Browne

NEW YORK -- For the second time this month, Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with left knee inflammation.

Pedroia had surgery on the knee last October, but it has been problematic for much of this season.

The move back to the DL on Saturday comes just four days after Pedroia was activated. Pedroia served as the designated hitter on Tuesday at Tropicana Field and was out of the lineup on Wednesday and again on Friday following an off-day for the Red Sox.

"I mean, I was told that was a possibility how it could respond," Pedroia said. "You've just got to try to find a way to get through it and stay positive and just let some things kind of calm down and heal a little bit. Once that happens, get back out there and go."

Red-hot Eduardo Nunez, who was acquired from the Giants on July 26 to move around the infield for Boston, will continue to hold down second base while Pedroia is out. The Red Sox recalled southpaw Robby Scott from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Pedroia's roster spot.

Pedroia's DL stint is retroactive to Wednesday. The earliest he is eligible to play again is Aug. 19 at Fenway Park against the Yankees.

There is no timetable for Pedroia's return to action. It will all depend on how he responds.

"I don't think right now that there's a date or a number of days that says he's going to be back in the lineup," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "Pedey will be back when he's first available, and hopefully that's as quick as possible. But we have to stay focused on what his needs are and what's the best thing for him."

"Once it calms down, I'll be out there as fast as I can," said Pedroia.

Is another surgery a possibility in the offseason?

"I don't know," said Pedroia. "I mean, I hope not. That's why we're trying to find ways to get around it and get me out there playing."

Though losing Pedroia again as the pennant race is heating up is tough timing, the Red Sox remain optimistic that their longest-tenured player can contribute down the stretch and hopefully deep into the postseason.

"There's nothing that we have right now that suggests he won't be back to us. There's been no talk of any kind of another procedure or anything similar to what he went through last offseason," said Farrell.

In 86 games this season, Pedroia is slashing .303/.378/.406 with six homers and 54 RBIs.

"One of the leaders of our team both in the clubhouse and in between the lines. You have that type of player, an All-Star caliber player, in the middle of the diamond, those are difficult to replace," said Farrell. "And that's not to take anything away from Eduardo and the work that he's put in, but Pedey, we're talking about a Gold Glove second baseman, a guy that was on pace to have one of his better RBI-type seasons. So, yeah, we miss him. And we're looking forward to the day that he returns."

* ESPNBoston.com

Benintendi keeps climbing out of the valley Judge is now in

Scott Lauber

NEW YORK -- The verdict was rendered before the All-Star break: Aaron Judge was the runaway favorite to be the American League Rookie of the Year.

There wasn't much Andrew Benintendi could do about it.

Now, however, there is still time for Benintendi to emerge from this season as the more advanced, closer- to-complete player of the two high-profile young stars in the ongoing New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox drama. He doesn't have a dedicated rooting section in his home ballpark or a hashtag that plays off his surname. But Benintendi has been where Judge is at the moment and has found his way out of the darkness of a confidence-shaking slump. The proof came Saturday in the Bronx.

With the Red Sox still feeling the sting of a late-inning defeat one night earlier and the Yankees jumping to an early two-run lead, Benintendi slugged the first of two three-run homers against hard-throwing Luis Severino and carried Boston to a feel-good, 10-5 victory.

Benintendi's big day came with his grandfather, Robert, a Brooklyn native and recovering Yankees fan living in the Cincinnati area, in the stands as a gift for his 85th birthday. Benintendi's big day also continued a torrid two-week stretch that followed a team-imposed two-day breather intended to clear his head and help the 23-year-old remember everything that has made him one of the game's most promising young players.

"There was some frustration from not doing well," said Benintendi, who is 15-for-31 with three doubles and four homers since he was benched for back-to-back games July 31 and Aug. 1. "[To] just kind of sit back, watch the game and relax, I think was beneficial."

Judge would likely find a similar break to be useful, and if the Yankees weren't scratching for every victory to keep pace in a pennant race, they might consider giving it to him.

After taking the league by storm in the first half with titanic home runs that inspired the "Judge's Chambers" adjacent to the right-field bleachers at Yankee Stadium as well as #AllRise, which has essentially become a permanent trending topic on Twitter, the hulking slugger is 15-for-93 (.161) with only five homers and 43 strikeouts since the All-Star break. He has been particularly susceptible to sliders and elevated fastballs and has whiffed at least once in 29 consecutive games, which puts him three away from tying Adam Dunn's major league record.

Benintendi understands the depths of the valley Judge is currently in.

Before the season began, Benintendi was all but preordained as the Rookie of the Year, based on his pedigree at the University of Arkansas, his 15-month ascent through the minor leagues and his promising debut late last season. But then came a pair of slumps in May and July. For all his initial success, pitchers were changing the way they attacked him and finding new ways to get him out, just as they are doing now to Judge. That's life in the big leagues.

It got so bad at times that Benintendi would trudge back to the dugout with his head hanging low enough that it could have dragged the infield. He went from batting cleanup for the Red Sox to not starting against left-handed pitchers. Then, finally, he didn't play at all in those games July 31 and Aug. 1, even though the Cleveland Indians had righties Mike Clevinger and Carlos Carrasco on the mound.

"When I was struggling, I felt like I was always down 0-1, 0-2, 1-2," Benintendi said. "You're not going to have much success when you're always down in the count. I just picked a pitch and went with it."

Lately, Benintendi hasn't been missing. He stroked three hits, including two doubles, in his return to the lineup Aug. 3 against the Chicago White Sox and swatted a home run two days later. He notched five hits over two games earlier this week at Tampa Bay and homered in Friday night's series opener against the Yankees. In his second at-bat Saturday against Severino, he reached down and lined a 98 mph fastball into the right-field bleachers to open a 5-2 Boston lead in the third inning. In the fifth, he swatted another three- run shot into the bleachers with an uppercut swing.

"More than anything, pitches that he's gotten over the plate he hasn't missed," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "I can't say there's been anything fundamentally he's changed. He's got a beautiful swing, and he's a natural-looking hitter. But prior to the [two-day break], he was just missing some pitches that he's otherwise squared up, and he's back doing that."

After crossing the plate on both homers, Benintendi signaled to his large contingent of family. Asked if his grandfather grew up rooting for the Yankees or Mets, Benintendi said, “He was a Yankees fan -- not anymore.”

Benintendi has closed the gap ever so slightly in a still-lopsided Rookie of the Year race. He's batting .280 with 16 homers, 65 RBIs and an .808 OPS compared to Judge's .289 average, 35 homers, 78 RBIs and 1.026 OPS.

Odds are, though, the award will still belong to Judge, who nevertheless could learn a lesson from Benintendi.

"He's having an unreal year, and he's kind of struggling right now," Benintendi said. "I went through that for two months. I'm sure he'll figure it out."

Benintendi, it seems, already has.

Chris Sale delivering rare bid to win MVP as well as Cy Young

Scott Lauber

NEW YORK -- Six years ago, upon being crowned American League MVP, Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander agreed with the popular opinion that it should be more difficult for a starting pitcher to win the award than a position player.

"Having the chance to play in 160-some games, in the case of [teammate] Miguel [Cabrera], they can have a huge impact every day," Verlander said at the time. "That's why I've talked about, on my day, on a pitcher's day, the impact we have is tremendous on that game. So you have to have a great impact almost every time out to supersede [position players], and it happens on rare occasions."

This season has been one of those occasions.

When Chris Sale scales the mound Sunday night at Yankee Stadium, consider his sheer dominance over the game every fifth day or so for the past four months. Not only does he lead the league in ERA (2.57), he has piled up at least 10 strikeouts in 15 of 23 starts, including eight in a row earlier in the season. The Boston Red Sox lefty has fanned 12.77 hitters per nine innings, the third-highest rate of all time behind Randy Johnson in 2001 (13.41) and Pedro Martinez in 1999 (13.20). At this pace, he will become the first American League pitcher to punch out 300 batters in a season since Martinez did so 18 years ago.

Sale has a 14-4 record and the Red Sox are 17-6 in his starts, numbers that would be even better if only he had received more support in a 2-1 loss in Detroit on April 10, a 3-0 loss to the Yankees on April 27, a 3-2 loss at Oakland on May 19 and a 1-0 loss in Philadelphia on June 15, when he recorded the team's only extra-base hit.

But here's the truest testament to Sale's value, a more powerful statement than even the most eye-popping statistic can make: With three series in four weeks against the second-place Yankees, Boston manager John Farrell arranged the starting rotation to guarantee that his ace will face them three times.

And so, it's abundantly clear that Sale is the most valuable player to the Red Sox, even more than All-Star right fielder Mookie Betts. But if Sale does his thing over the next few weeks, beginning Sunday on the biggest stage in the Big Apple in front of a national television audience (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET), he really should cement an even loftier status.

With a nod to Houston Astros hit machine Jose Altuve, if Sale dominates the Yankees, Sale is the AL MVP.

Simple as that. Or at least it should be.

"As dominant as he's been, with the exception of an outing or two, we're talking about a difference-maker in the standings, in the feel of the team," Farrell says. "What he means to our team, yeah, he should be in that conversation."

There will be objectors. Some MVP voters, all of whom are members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, simply won't consider a starting pitcher, citing the fact that pitching excellence is recognized annually with the Cy Young Award. Sale, who hasn't won a Cy Young despite finishing in the top five in the voting four years in a row, has a challenger for that award, too. Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber doesn't get as much attention but nevertheless is 10-3 with a 2.65 ERA and 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

In 62 years, the only starting pitchers to win the Cy Young and MVP in the same season are Don Newcombe (1956), Sandy Koufax (1963), Bob Gibson and Denny McLain (1968), Vida Blue (1971), Roger Clemens (1986), Verlander and Clayton Kershaw (2014). Relievers Rollie Fingers (1981), Willie Hernandez (1984) and Dennis Eckersley (1992) won both awards, too.

In 2011, Verlander led the league in wins (24), ERA (2.40) and strikeouts (250) for a Tigers club that won the AL Central. Although he received 13 of 28 first-place votes, he appeared on just 27 ballots and defeated then-Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury by a 280-242 margin. Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson and Cabrera also got first-place votes.

"I think there were a couple of factors: First of all, he had a spectacular year and we had a great year," says Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who was in charge in Detroit in 2011. "The other thing attached to it was that, as I recollect, there wasn't a clear-cut positional player that was also in the MVP conversation. I think that's part of the situation when we start talking about it, how that evolves."

In accepting the award, Verlander said "a starting pitcher has to do something special to be as valuable or more so than a position player." In Sale's case, the strikeouts are both special and potentially historic.

The value? For the increasing number of voters who look to the all-encompassing wins above replacement metric as a measure of value, Sale's 7.0 FanGraphs WAR (fWAR) is higher than slumping Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (6.0) and Altuve (5.9). He already has more fWAR than Verlander in 2011 (6.4) and is approaching Kershaw’s fWAR from 2014 (7.6).

Sale can strengthen his MVP candidacy with three victories against the Yankees.

"It's too early to talk about that," says superstitious Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon, who has been behind the plate for all but one of Sale's starts and has gained so much of his trust that the ace almost never shakes him off. "I know we've got almost five months, but still, he's probably got eight more starts, nine more starts and then, you never know, hopefully playoffs, hopefully World Series. We've still got a long way to go. Just want him to keep making it happen."

Sale, 28, has pitched in a true pennant race only once in his career as a starter, and it didn't go particularly well. In 2012, the Chicago White Sox weren't eliminated from contention until the season's final week. Sale, in his first season as a starter, went 3-5 with a 4.22 ERA over his final nine starts and saved his shortest start of the season for last, a 3 1/3-inning performance in which he allowed five runs against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 29.

"It's everything. It's what we're here for," Sale says of another chance to reach the postseason. "We're here to play important games and win important games, and we have been, not only me personally, but everybody in here. We look forward to this challenge."

And if Sale meets it, his MVP credentials will be beyond reproach.

* WEEI.com

Red Sox 10, Yankees 5: Andrew Benintendi to the rescue

Rob Bradford

Andrew Benintendi hitting a pair of home runs in Yankee Stadium with his Brooklyn-born, almost-85-year- old grandfather in attendance was a nice story Saturday. Dr. Robert Benintendi was undoubtedly proud.

"He was a Yankees fan, not anymore," the Red Sox outfielder told reporters after his team's 10-5 win over the Yankees. "Everybody else grew up Reds because I’m from Cincinnati." (For a complete recap of the Sox' win, click here.)

And the fact that Benintendi became the first rookie in Major League Baseball history to hit a pair of three- run homers against the Yankees, while joining Jimmie Foxx as the only Red Sox accomplish the feat against the New Yorkers, was certainly something.

"I didn't know that," Benintendi told reporters. "I guess that's cool."

But what Benintendi has been doing means much more than just a one-day round of feel-good stories.

It was stated in this corner that, even after the Yankees' shock and awe trade deadline, if some of the anchors in the Red Sox' lineup hit along the lines of what many expected they would coming into this season John Farrell's team would get the better of New York. That's what is what is starting to happen, thanks in large part to Benintendi.

As a jumping off point, here is what Bill James projected for the rookie outfielder: 147 games, 551 at-bats, 160 hits, 38 doubles, 5 triples, 12 home runs, 73 RBI, 87 runs, .290 batting average, .352 OBP, .443 slugging, .794 OPS, 85 runs created, 5.5 runs created per 27 outs, 51 walks, 72 strikeouts, 21 stolen bases, 11 caught stealing, 66 stolen base percentage.

This is where Benintendi stands heading into Sunday: 111 hits, 17 doubles, triple, 16 homers, 65 RBI, 59 runs, .280 batting average, .359 OPS, .448 slugging, .808 OPS, 49 walks, 77 strikeouts, 14 stolen bases, three caught stealing.

Congratulations Mr. James, you appear to have been in the ballpark.

And in order for the Red Sox' post-David Ortiz blueprint to have worked (offensively, anyway), some of these 20-somethings making up the heart of the Red Sox' lineup better live up to James' expectations. Before August, that was trending toward being a problem. Now? Benintendi is helping makes dreams a reality. Saturday's blowout was another example of that.

During this run in which the Red Sox have won eight of their last nine, Benintendi has done exactly what the doctor ordered, hitting .484 with a 1.508 OPS and four home runs. Heading into the stretch, this was a guy whose batting average stood at a paltry .262, including a .224 batting average and .566 OPS against lefties. Now, he's hitting, and the Red Sox are winning. Not a coincidence.

"Since a couple days down to just clear his mind like we've talked about, he's been right in the middle of a lot of offensive big innings for us," Farrell told reporters. "Today, two beautiful swings for the six RBI."

There are a few others chipping in, as well. Mookie Betts has been good enough during the nine games (.289 batting average, .793 OPS), while Mitch Moreland has started to rekindle his extra-base prowess (.913 OPS since July 31). But Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hanley Ramirez were also perceived to be part of the equation and really haven't managed much consistency throughout the stretch. That has to also change.

We know Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez have been huge during the march to this 4 1/2-game lead, with the duo combining to hit .360 during their brief lives as Red Sox. But particularly with the loss of Dustin Pedroia, who had been the club's best offensive performer before his knee derailed the second baseman's season, this team needed something more than just a few key additions. It needed the good Benintendi.

And that's exactly what the Red Sox have gotten.

Drew Pomeranz was good again, allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings to pick up his 12th win.

Dustin Pedroia heads back to disabled list

Rob Bradford

Dustin Pedroia's knee is not cooperating.

Just five days after coming off the 10-day disabled list due to left knee issues, the Red Sox second baseman is headed back to the D.L. Taking Pedroia's place on the 25-man roster is lefty reliever Robby Scott.

Pedroia played in just one game since returning from the disabled list, serving as the designated hitter in Tuesday's game against the Rays. But after testing his knee the following day, it was determined that he wasn't fit to return to the lineup. And when the knee didn't respond to treatment during Thursday's off day or Friday, it was determined that another stint on the D.L. would be needed.

Pedroia remains the Red Sox leading hitter, totaling a .303 batting average and .378 on-base percentage. In 28 games since June 26 he has hit .336, while carrying the second-best fielding percentage among second basemen (.997) this season.

Prior to Friday night's game Red Sox manager John Farrell suggested this course of action was a distinct possibility, with Pedroia having recently consulted Dr. Andreas Gomoll back in Boston.

"His knee has flared up on him," Farrell told reporters in New York. "We had every intention after a full work day back in Boston where he was cleared and going through some aggressive defensive work, BP was uninhibited, after the four at-bats the other night in Tampa, our goal was to get him some at-bats before this series. He’s shown that there’s been a little bit of a pushback in terms of the reaction to it. Some swelling, some inflammation, we’re holding him out [Friday]."

Scott made three scoreless appearances for Triple-A Pawtucket since his most recent demotion.

* CSNNE.com

Drellich: Pomeranz is most under-appreciated member of 2017 Red Sox

Evan Drellich

BOSTON — Yes, people have started to recognize and realize that Drew Pomeranz has had a very strong season. That he’s excelled at a time when the Red Sox really need him.

First, there were injuries to Eduardo Rodriguez, and next, to David Price. Nearly every time out, Pomeranz looks reliable. With strikeout stuff to boot.

But the lefty still has to be the title-holder. He’s the most under appreciated member of the 2017 Red Sox.

Who else could it be? Tzu-Wei Lin might have gotten more public praise during his cup of coffee in the big leagues than Pomeranz.

The 3.39 ERA Pomeranz carries after Saturday’s 10-5 win over the Yankees is coincidentally the same mark Price had in his final 28 starts of last season, and Price was a huge piece once mid-May passed last year.

Going into Saturday’s 6 2/3 innings of three-run ball, Pomeranz had some really impressive statistical company inside of this season, as well.

Andrew Benintendi’s two home runs in a huge game at Yankee Stadium stole the show Saturday, rightfully. But Pomeranz’s excellence has been steady.

He started the day at 2.4 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs' calculation. That placed him 29th in the majors among starters. The 30th ranked pitcher was Jose Quintana, the lefty whom the White Sox moved to the Cubs in a big July trade. Quintana had 2.3 WAR.

The 28th best pitcher, also at 2.4 WAR, was Justin Verlander.

At No. 26, with 2.5 WAR, was Jon Lester.

Wins above replacement is just one measurement of performance. Pomeranz isn’t exactly Lester, no.

But Big Smooth, as Pomeranz has been nicknamed, has made himself into the team’s No. 2 starter. His health, and the training staff and doctors that helped him get healthy, deserve a lot of credit.

So too does Pomeranz’s cutter, which is getting whiffs on 36 percent of swings, per BrooksBaseball.net's numbers entering Saturday. That’s 10 percentage points better than last year, the season Pomeranz introduced that cutter. His changeup’s also faring very well.

"I think it's different [compared to San Deigo],” Pomeranz told reporters at Yankee Stadium Saturday. “I feel better. I was one-dimensional at times when I was over there. I had a good curveball and a good glove- side fastball. Now I think I've developed a lot of things to help me win games and help me make pitches against these guys.”

Pomeranz has a higher groundball rate than both Rick Porcello and Chris Sale. Pomeranz has also done a good job stranding runners.

“The one thing that Drew has done, he’s kept us in a lot of ballgames because he’s found a way to navigate when there’s been men on base,” Sox manager John Farrell said Saturday.

A little luck can be involved there. But there’s no luck when it comes to a strikeout rate above 9 per nine innings.

So give it up for Pomeranz — and for the Red Sox front office that traded for him with an eye on what he could do for the team in the future, not just in 2016. They traded for an All-Star, and they got one this year.

Red Sox believe Pedroia will be back this season

Evan Drellich

NEW YORK — Dustin Pedroia’s return to the disabled list on Saturday brought little explanation about what’s going on with his left knee and an issue that’s been described by manager John Farrell as cartilage- related.

“There are a lot of things going on, man,” Pedroia said. “So, I mean, we're still...I don't really want to talk about injuries and stuff. But like I said, I'll be out there as fast as I can.”

The good news: no one’s talking as though Pedroia is done for the season. Pedroia said he did not feel he was rushed back, playing in just one game in between trips to the DL.

“No, I mean, I was told that was a possibility how it could respond,” Pedroia said. “You just got to try to find a way to get through it and stay positive and just let some things kind of calm down and heal a little bit. Once that happens, get back out there and go.

“I think the best thing right now is just kind of rest and let it calm down. I know it's the wrong time for that. But it's just the situation we're in. Once it calms down, I'll be out there as fast as I can.”

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said previously that Pedroia is dealing with a situation he’ll have to manage going forward. Asked if arthritis was involved, Pedroia gave a non-answer.

“Do I have arthritis? Not that I know of. I might,” Pedroia said. “I don't know. So, that's it, man. That's all I got for you guys.”

Lefty reliever Robby Scott was recalled in Pedroia’s place.

Farrell unlikely to use Kimbrel in eighth inning

Evan Drellich

BOSTON — The marriage of Craig Kimbrel and the ninth inning is unlikely to change this season, based on the way manager John Farrell spoke Saturday afternoon.

It’s unfortunate that relationship is so committed. Because there are few moments that leave you wondering “What if?” like keeping a reliever who is so much better than everyone out of a game during an eighth- inning collapse, because that pitcher just has to pitch the ninth inning.

Would Farrell use Kimbrel in the eighth inning but not the ninth, foregoing a save?

“I wouldn’t rule it out, but part of the way our bullpen is constructed and the way it’s been extremely successful, I mean if, for instance, if we’re talking hypotheticals here and if we didn’t have a bullpen that was ranked going into last night the best in baseball, something has been working pretty darn well,” Farrell said Saturday. “So, that’s to say I have complete confidence in every guy that’s in that bullpen and as establishing roles is important to that, I think staying consistent with it is part of that success.”

This is not a condition unique to the Red Sox. Not at all. Come playoff time, assuming the Sox make it, maybe there’s greater leniency.

But saves come in the ninth, from finishing out games. Closers get saves. Kimbrel is a closer.

Farrell believes in the benefit of bullpen roles. Undoubtedly, routine and structure are beneficial. But the implication that Kimbrel pitching the eighth inning could not be incorporated into routine or structure doesn’t really hold up. If Addison Reed’s innings are flexible and Matt Barnes' are as well, Kimbrel’s could be too.

Farrell’s done a good job with the bullpen this year. The relievers themselves deserve more credit than anyone. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.

* BostonSportsJournal.com

Benintendi goes deep twice in rout of Yankees

Sean McAdam

The ballots aren’t due for another seven weeks, but there will be no drama: Aaron Judge will win the American League Rookie of the Year award, and he’ll likely win it going away.

That’s as it should be. Even in the midst of a second-half slump, Judge still leads the A.L. in homers, runs scored, on-base percentage, slugging and walks and is fifth in RBI. At the All-Star Game, when he won the Home Run Derby, no less than the commissioner of baseball wondered aloud if Judge hadn’t become the proverbial “face of the game.’’

But if Judge has been the best rookie, there was a reminder Saturday that he’s not the only rookie – the Red Sox’ Andrew Benintendi had a fabulous day for himself with two three-run homers in the Red Sox’ 10-5 win over the Yankees.

He smoked one on a line in the third inning, then hit one deeper and harder two innings later. Both homers were the big blows in five-run innings for the Red Sox. In two mighty swings of the bat, Benintendi nearly equaled the number of hits with runners in scoring position (three) that the entire Sox roster had collected in their first 10 games against the Yankees this year.

Like Judge, Benintendi has experienced the dreaded second-half drop-off. His slump was bad enough that John Farrell saw fit to sit him for two straight days on the last homestand. But ever since, Benintendi has looked like he’s intent on making up for lost time.

After being benched on July 31 and Aug. 1, Benintendi has returned with a vengeance. Since that time, he’s hit .484 (15-for-31) with four homers and 11 RBI in eight games.

“Since those couple of days down to clear his mind,’’ said Farrell, “he’s been right in the middle of a lot of big innings for us. A couple of times today, he got some pitches out front and did a lot of damage.’’

Historic damage, actually. Research discovered that he’s the youngest Red Sox player to amass six RBI in a game against the Yankees since 1920, when RBI became an official stat.

During his mini hiatus from the lineup, Benintendi didn’t make any radical changes to his swing. Instead, it was more of a mental break, giving him time to take some extra batting practice and regain his confidence at the plate.

“I can’t say there’s been anything fundamentally that he’s changed,’’ Farrell said. “He’s got a beautiful swing and more than anything, he’s a natural looking hitter. (During the slump), he was just missing some pitches that he used to square up. Now, he’s back to doing that.’’

Benintendi tends to answer questions with the studied nonchalance of Crash Davis in Bull Durham, speaking in platitudes and directing attention away from himself and onto teammates he believes to be more deserving.

Asked by a reporter how it felt to have a day like he did, he effortlessly shifted into “team-first’’ mode.

“It was good,’’ he said. “Drew (Pomeranz) threw well…scoring 10 runs, you usually win those games.’’

Pressed on his own accomplishments, Benintendi yielded little.

“I just got my pitch,’’ he allowed, “put a good swing on it…I was fortunate to have it go out.’’

Actually twice, Crash.

“We gotta play it one day at a time…I’m just happy to be here…Hope I can help the ballclub..I just want to give it my best shot, and the good Lord willing, things will work out.’’

But Benintendi isn’t really a star-struck rookie. Down deep, he has a fierce belief in his abilities, enough so that he wasn’t even tempted to make adjustments when he was taken out of the lineup.

“It feel the exact same,’ he insisted, comparing his at-bats now to those three weeks ago. “I haven’t changed a thing. I’m just not missing my pitch when I get one. You kind of trust what got you here. You don’t stray from that.’’

Not with a swing as pretty as Benintendi’s. In another season, his .807 OPS and 16 doubles and 65 RBI – with another seven weeks still to play – would have him very much in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.

Not this year. Judge has more than twice as many homers and OPS more than 200 points higher. The conversation has been hushed.

Still, Benintendi got the last laugh Saturday. He hit his third homer of the series, and he got to hit all three in front of his paternal grandfather, a Brooklyn native, who celebrated his 85th birthday Friday. Some 20 or so members of the Benintendi clan took in Saturday’s game.

“He was a Yankee fan,’’ said Benintendi.

The rookie outfielder then took a beat, and with a comic’s timing and an impish grin, added: “Not anymore.’

Red Sox defend baserunning approach

Sean McAdam

A day after an aggressive ninth-inning baserunning move by Eduardo Nunez helped contribute to a 5-4 loss to the Yankees, the Red Sox’ aggressiveness on the bases remained a point of discussion around the club.

Nunez attempted to advance from second to third as the Sox pulled to within a run, but was cut down by a strong throw from outfielder Aaron Hicks. Mitch Moreland than flied out to center for the final out and the team’s eight-game winning streak was snapped.

The out by Nunez was the 64th on the bases made by the Red Sox this year, the most of any team in the big leagues (Houston is second with 49).

But the Sox point to the flip side of the baserunning equation: they’ve also taken 139 extra-bases (more than one base on a single, more than two on a double, etc.), second only to Houston’s 142.

“It’s a delicate balance,’’ said John Farrell. “We can’t create a mindset and an aggressiveness by being passive. Are there situations where a decision in the moment is critical? Yes. (Friday) night’s was one. A lot had to go well for that out to be recorded. It did. But in the third inning, that same mentality allowed us to go from first to third with the trail runner moved up 90 feet.

“In four other opportunities in the fifth inning the other night in Tampa, the same mindset allowed us to be in a position to win, or score additional runs. It’s highlighted because of the score and the inning (Friday) night; I recognize that. That’s part of the ongoing preparation for that situation – the throwing arm of Hicks, certainly that factors into it. We’re going to create some outs on the basepaths (in exchange) for the aggressive nature that we’re trying to instill.’’

Beyond the numbers, Farrell pointed out that there’s an intangible that can’t necessarily be quantified – the aggressive style often puts pressure on the defense to hurry throws.

“Does that force more errors?’’ asked Farrell rhetorically, “(Does it lead to) mishandling balls in the outfield? By forcing throws? That’s all part of the approach to being aggressive on the bases.’’

Pedroia’s balky knee forces second DL stint

Sean McAdam

NEW YORK — As expected, Dustin Pedroia was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday morning, still battling inflammation of the left knee.

This marks Pedroia’s second trip to the DL in the last few weeks. He was first placed on the DL on Aug. 1, retroactive to July 29, with the same knee issue. Pedroia was activated last Tuesday and returned to the Red Sox lineup that night at Tropicana Field, serving as the Red Sox’ DH. He was held out Wednesday, with the Sox not wanting him to play on the artificial playing surface at Tropicana Field so soon after returning to action.

But following an off-day in the schedule Thursday, he was unable to play Friday night, reporting swelling and inflammation in the knee.

“We’ve just got to try to find a way to manage it and get through it,” said Pedroia. “We’re doing everything we can to try to get better and be out there.”

Asked if he expected to play again this season, Pedroia said: “Yeah. That’s what we’re hoping for. That’s what we’re working toward.”

Pedroia understood that there was the chance of a setback when he returned from the first DL stint.

“I was told that was a possibility, how it could respond,” said Pedroia. “We’ve got to try to find to get through it and stay positive and let some things kind of calm down and heal a little bit. Once that happens, get back out there and go. It’s always tough for me to not be able to be out there and help us in any way. We’ve got to try to deal with it the best we can and do something else to help us win.’

“We’re always trying (to come up with methods to help heal it). I think the best thing is right now is kind of rest and let it clam down. I know it’s the wrong time for that. But it’s the situation in. Once we calm down, I’ll be out there as fast as I can.”

It’s unknown how long he may be out this time, with seven weeks remaining in the season. The Sox don’t believe he’ll require a surgical procedure — he underwent one last winter — but can’t offer a prognosis for his return. It was thought that rest would improve the condition, but that proved to not be the case this week.

“There’s nothing that we have right now to suggest that he won’t be back to us,” said John Farrell. “There’s been no talk of any kind of other procedure or anything similar to what he had last off-season. Obviously, the irritation returned and he needs more time at this point.”

Pedroia is hopeful that he doesn’t have to undergo another procedure — in-season, or after the season.

“We’re trying to find ways to get around (surgery),” he said.

The move is retroactive to Wednesday, Aug. 9, making Pedroia eligible to come off the DL on Aug. 19. In Pedroia’s absence it’s expected that Eduardo Nunez will get the majority of the playing time at second, with Brock Holt also contributing. But Pedroia will be missed.

“He’s one of the leaders of our team, both in the clubhouse and in-between the lines,” Farrell said. “You have that type of player, an All-Star caliber player, in the middle of the diamond…those are difficult to replace and that’s not to take anything away from Eduardo and the work he’s put in. But Pedey, we’re talking a Gold Glove second baseman, a guy that was on pace to have one of his better RBI seasons. So yeah, we miss him. We’re looking forward to the day he returns.”

To take Pedroia’s spot on the roster, the Red Sox recalled lefty reliever Robby Scott, who gives the Sox a second lefthanded option in the bullpen against the Yankees.

* The New York Times

Boston’s Andrew Benintendi Picks Up Where Aaron Judge Left Off

Wallace Matthews

Andrew Benintendi did not quite invade the Judge’s Chambers on Saturday.

Even after Benintendi, a Red Sox outfielder, hit two three-run homers in a 10-5 Boston victory at Yankee Stadium, it seemed premature to inject him into the conversation about the American League Rookie of the Year Award — a discussion that has been monopolized by the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, for whom that remote section of seats beyond the right-field fence has been rechristened.

But if Benintendi’s entire 2017 season had resembled the last 12 days, he would be challenging Judge for the award. He might even have his own special section at Fenway Park. (Benny’s Bleachers?)

Benintendi, 23, had the kind of game on Saturday that has exemplified most of Judge’s season — particularly April, May and June, when it seemed as if there were no other rookie in baseball worth talking about.

The two homers on Saturday came off Yankees starter Luis Severino and gave Benintendi 16 for the season, fewer than half of Judge’s total of 35. Benintendi’s batting average (.280), runs batted in (68) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.807) still lag well behind Judge’s .289, 78 and 1.026.

But in August, Benintendi has batted .484, with 15 hits in 31 at-bats, including four homers and 11 R.B.I. Over the same period, Judge has hit .147 (5 for 34) with one home run and three R.B.I.

As Benintendi became the youngest player in Red Sox history to collect six R.B.I. in a game against the Yankees, Judge went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and hit into a double play. Benintendi’s show of power made him the first Red Sox player to hit two three-run homers in a game against the Yankees since Jimmie Foxx in 1938.

And to think Benintendi started the month on the bench. Red Sox Manager John Farrell gave him two days off to clear his head during a 6-for-43 slump that dropped his average to .262. At that point, Benintendi had not hit a home run since July 4.

“Since those couple of days down, he’s been right in the middle of a lot of offensive big innings for us,” Farrell said. “I can’t say fundamentally anything’s changed, just that pitches he’s gotten over the plate he hasn’t missed. He’s got a beautiful swing, and he’s a natural-looking hitter.”

Benintendi played in front of 22 relatives on Saturday, including his paternal grandfather, Robert, who grew up in Brooklyn and made the trip to Yankee Stadium from his home in Cincinnati. He saw his grandson rope a 1-1 fastball from Severino into the right-field seats in the third inning with two runners on, capping a five-run inning that wiped out the lead that Gary Sanchez’s two-run homer had given the Yankees in the first.

Two innings later, Benintendi jumped on a hanging slider and launched a high, arcing blast that landed deep in the right-field bleachers, beyond the Judge’s Chambers but close enough for the robed and bewigged fans there to get a good look at its downward flight.

“I got a good view of it,” Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier said. “He’s in a good groove right now, and everything probably looks like a balloon to him.”

For Benintendi, who hit a solo homer off Jaime Garcia in the Yankees’ 5-4 victory on Friday, it was also a continuation of his mastery over Severino, against whom he is has six hits in 11 career at-bats.

“I can’t explain that,” Benintendi said. “You know whatever’s coming is going to be hard. It’s not easy to make an adjustment. But the velocity kind of helps.”

Farrell played down the idea of a rivalry between Benintendi and Judge, who both generally bat third in their teams’ batting orders but cut strikingly different figures at the plate. Judge is listed as 6 feet 7 inches and 282 pounds, Benintendi at 5-10 and 170.

“I don’t know if there’s a one-on-one competition, so to speak,” Farrell said. “Any time you get players like that on this kind of stage, it brings out the best in all the guys.”

Asked if he was somehow trying to match Judge at his own game in his own ballpark, Benintendi said: “No, not at all. He’s having a great year, and he’s kind of struggling right now. I went through that for two months. I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”

After Yankees’ Montgomery Is Struck in the Ear, Severino Is Hit Hard in Loss

Billy Witz

With time to kill on Saturday afternoon, Yankees pitcher Jordan Montgomery was being a mensch, signing autographs down the right-field line at Yankee Stadium while the Boston Red Sox took batting practice.

A line drive came screaming into the right-field corner, cleared a portable protective screen and hit Montgomery in the right ear. The ball left a gash and a bruise on his ear, and the bullpen catcher Radley Haddad helped the woozy pitcher off the field.

It has been that sort of weekend for the Yankees’ starting rotation, little of which has remained unscathed. Earlier Saturday, one day after C. C. Sabathia went to the disabled list with a bum knee, Masahiro Tanaka joined him with a tired arm.

And shortly after Montgomery was conked on the head, the Yankees’ ace, Luis Severino, took a metaphorical pounding, surrendering a pair of three-run homers to Andrew Benintendi as the Yankees lost, 10-5, in the worst outing of Severino’s brief career.

The loss was quite a comedown for the Yankees, who were buoyant after stunning the Red Sox with a late flurry of runs in the series opener Friday night. It also reinforced the feeling that the teams are headed in opposite directions: The Red Sox won for the ninth time in 10 games, while the Yankees absorbed their seventh loss in their last 11 games.

The Yankees, who were in first place in the American League East at the July 31 trade deadline, fell to four and a half games behind the division-leading Red Sox. On Sunday, the Yankees will face the prospect of having to beat Boston’s dominating left-hander, Chris Sale, to avoid falling further behind.

Manager Joe Girardi said that the Yankees’ medical staff had declared Montgomery fit enough to start Sunday night, but he also said that Montgomery would be re-examined Sunday to make sure he had no lingering effects.

Montgomery said that a team trainer had checked for a concussion by asking him a battery of questions.

“What day it is, who we’re playing,” said Montgomery, who did not receive stitches for his wound, which left dried blood on his ear after the game. “Just a bunch of stupid questions.”

Montgomery said the blow would not affect his start Sunday.

“No, I feel good,” he said. “It’s not like I got hit in my arm or anything.”

As it is, the Yankees already have to find a starter to take Tanaka’s spot for Monday’s game against the visiting Mets. Montgomery, a left-hander who was sent to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last Sunday to conserve his innings after the Yankees acquired Sonny Gray and Jaime Garcia just before the trade deadline, was recalled Friday to take Sabathia’s place.

“Well, it’s not what you want this time of year,” Girardi said. “We’ve had a couple people nicked up. Some guys are going to have to step up. It’s probably a darn good thing we made the additions we made, or we’d be really, really short.”

It was hard to see Severino’s shellacking coming. Since returning from the All-Star Game in Miami, he had been as dominant as any pitcher in baseball, rolling up a 4-0 record and a major-league-best 0.83 earned run average. And he had been especially tough on the Red Sox this season, allowing one run in 14 innings over his previous two starts against them.

When Gary Sanchez slapped an 0-2 fastball from Drew Pomeranz just inside the right-field foul pole for a two-run homer in the first inning, it seemed Severino had a lead he could ride deep into the game, especially after he retired the first seven batters.

But trouble arrived in the third when Christian Vazquez worked a nine-pitch walk, and then Severino, after starting with two strikes, threw four consecutive balls to Jackie Bradley Jr. Third baseman Todd Frazier, in his haste to start a double play, then dropped Eduardo Nunez’s grounder, leaving the bases loaded.

“I just rushed,” Frazier said. “When you rush, sometimes you fumble the ball. It was a big play in the game.”

Mookie Betts made it so by following with a ground single to left, bringing in Vazquez and Bradley to tie the score, and Benintendi smoked a 98-mile-per-hour fastball at the knees over the right-center-field wall for a three-run homer and a 5-2 lead. The five runs Severino allowed in the inning equaled the number he had allowed in his other five starts since the All-Star break.

“We haven’t done a whole lot against Severino; he’s been outstanding against us,” Red Sox Manager John Farrell said. “You look at Vazquez’s walk inside that third inning, that’s kind of the key to get us started.”

Severino struck out the side in the fourth, and the Yankees crept to within 5-3, though they could have done more damage after loading the bases with none out against Pomeranz. But the Red Sox got to Severino again in the fifth, with Benintendi’s homer off a hanging slider the big blow.

If the Red Sox’ chances of torching Severino were slim, Montgomery’s injury seemed even odder. He called his injury a “one-in-a-million” occurrence.

But the cacophony of activity that can take place during batting practice — hitters teeing off, coaches hitting grounders to infielders, pitchers throwing to catchers and players signing autographs — makes the odds not quite so long.

Montgomery said Aaron Judge said he had been hit in the head during batting practice in a minor league game in Erie, Pa., two years ago.

As for signing autographs before a game?

“I probably won’t be doing that much,” Montgomery said.

Correction: August 12, 2017 An earlier version of this article misspelled the surname of the Boston Red Sox catcher. He is Christian Vazquez, not Vasquez.

* The New York Daily News

Yankees’ blowout loss to Red Sox a summary of entire up-and-down season

John Harper

It was only one game, but it felt like a summation of the state of the AL East race the Red Sox have grabbed by the throat over the last two weeks, to the point where suddenly it looks as if they might run away with the division title.

So much for that Friday night miracle win reviving the Yankees’ offense and launching a run to first place.

Or to put it another way: man, the vibe sure changed fast.

With their ace on the mound less than 24 hours after that feel-good comeback victory, the Yankees had to be thinking this weekend could prove to be a turning point in catching the Red Sox.

Instead Luis Severino took a rare pounding at the Stadium on Saturday as the Sox flexed the long-ball muscles they’ve re-discovered lately, with Andrew Benintendi hitting a pair of three-run home runs.

The result was an ugly 10-5 loss that left the home team facing the daunting prospect of needing to beat Chris Sale on Sunday night to win the series.

Yes, it really does feel as if the Yankees are in big trouble, at least as far as catching the Sox. They are 4½ games out of first place, but more to the point, the Sox are flying, with nine wins in their last 10 games, while glaring issues continue to mount for the team in pinstripes.

Most significantly, on Saturday Masahiro Tanaka joined CC Sabathia on the 10-day disabled list with arm soreness that the Yankees labeled as shoulder inflammation. And while both he and the team said it should be a short-term absence, the injury makes it that much harder to believe the Japanese star will find his ace- form with any consistency this season.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jordan Montgomery was hit in the head by a fly ball while signing autographs before Saturday’s game, leaving him with a cut on his right ear and some question about whether he’ll be ok to pitch Sunday night.

No more than 7 images from any single MLB game, workout, activity or event may be used (including online and on apps) while that game, activity or event is in progress. Luis Severino struggled on Saturday, giving up eight earned runs. (RICH SCHULTZ/GETTY IMAGES) The Yankees put him through concussion protocol and said he should be fine to make his start — as did Montgomery after the game.

But even if he is ok, the starting rotation is hurting. It seemed to be in great shape after the recent trades for Sonny Gray and Jaime Garcia, but at the very least the Yankees will need Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell, or Caleb Smith to make an emergency start against the Mets on Monday night.

Which prompted Joe Girardi to say: “It’s a darn good thing we made the additions we did, or we’d be really short.”

With all of that as a backdrop, Severino’s first clunker since July 2 obviously came at a bad time, and it’s fair to wonder if he’ll hit a wall down the stretch, since he’s never thrown more than 114 innings in a season, and he’s now at 143 and counting after Saturday.

At the same time, he had been brilliant of late, prompting Girardi to say he sees no signs of concern.

“If he has three or four bad ones back-to-back, then you worry,” the manager said. “He just wasn’t executing pitches today.”

Meanwhile, pitching is only part of the concern, as Aaron Judge’s second-half slump grows more alarming, and as a result, the Yankee offense is anemic more days than not.

I thought his lightning-bolt of a home run to right-center last Sunday in Cleveland might get Judge back on track, but since then he has returned to looking lost. He has continued to chase fastballs up and sliders off the plate, while failing to square up the hittable pitches he was crushing in the first half, and taking way too many third-strikes.

After going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts looking on Saturday, Judge is hitting .161 (15-for-93) since the All- Star break with 43 strikeouts, and he has K’d in 29 straight games, which seems unfathomable after his remarkable first half.

While he is still drawing enough walks to have a .419 on-base percentage, his batting average has fallen to .289 — from .329 at the All-Star break.

And as unthinkable as it was a month ago, when Judge was the clear MVP of the AL, never mind Rookie of the Year, it’s not out of the question that Benintendi could give him a run for the rookie award.

The Boston outfielder’s overall numbers don’t compare yet, but he is as hot lately as Judge was in the first half. Together with newcomer Eduardo Nunez and rookie call-up Rafael Devers, Benintendi has sparked the Red Sox offensively, hitting .484 with three doubles, four home runs and 11 RBI in the last eight games.

For the season he’s hitting .280 with 16 home runs and a .359 on-base percentage, which is a long way from Judge territory, but much like their respective ballclubs, the two outfielders are headed in opposite directions at the moment.

If Judge finds his game-changing stroke again soon, the Yankees could still make a run at these Red Sox. At the moment, however, it feels as if the AL East title is slipping away in a hurry.

* The New York Post

Rookie makes Red Sox history with pair of blasts vs. Yankees

Zach Braziller

Maybe the Yankees should bench struggling rookie Aaron Judge for a few days. It certainly seems to be working for the Red Sox’s Andrew Benintendi.

After sitting out back-to-back games, the rookie outfielder has caught fire, and the Yankees have seen the results first hand.

Benintendi blasted two three-run homers Saturday off Luis Severino, powering the Red Sox to a bounce- back 10-5 victory over the Yankees in The Bronx. With the victory, just Boston’s fourth in 11 meetings with the Yankees, the Red Sox extended their AL East lead to 4 ¹/₂ games entering Sunday night’s rubber match.

“He’s been right in the middle of a lot of offensive big innings,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Today, two beautiful swings for the six RBIs against a guy we haven’t done a whole lot against.

“More than anything, pitches he’s gotten on the plate he hasn’t missed.”

Benintendi, 23, became the youngest Red Sox player to drive in six runs in a game against the Yankees. His 15th and 16th homers of the year also made him the franchise’s first with multiple three-run homers in a game against the Yankees since Jimmie Foxx in 1938.

He entered the series 5-for-31 against the Yankees this year, with nine strikeouts and one RBI. But through the first two games, he has homered three times, and he single-handedly turned Saturday into a rout.

In the third inning, he jumped on a 97 mph fastball from Severino to give the Red Sox their first lead of the day, at 5-2. In the fifth, he hammered a flat slider into the right-field bleachers, to the left of the Judge’s Chambers. He now is 6-for-11 lifetime against Severino.

“You know whatever’s coming is going to be hard,” Benintendi said. “It’s not easy to make an adjustments, but velocity kind of helps.”

Benintendi sat out games on July 31 and Aug. 1, and since then, has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. He hit safely in seven of his past eight games, with six multi-hit performances, four homers, 11 RBIs and a .483 (15-for-31) average in that span.

“There was some frustration from not doing well,” he said. “I kind of sat back, watched a game and relaxed. I think it was beneficial.”

* The Bergen Record

Rough start from Severino, sloppy defense cost Yanks in loss to Red Sox

Chris Iseman

NEW YORK — As a group of reporters interviewed Luis Severino inside the Yankees’ clubhouse, Todd Frazier sat back in a leather chair in front of his locker and sipped a bottle of water.

The third baseman stared across the clubhouse, waiting his turn. He knew he played a significant role in a 10-5 loss to Boston and was ready to explain his costly third-inning error.

Severino had issued a pair of one-out walks when he got Eduardo Nunez to hit a potential double-play grounder to third. The ball settled in Frazier’s glove, but he rushed the transfer to his throwing hand. Nunez reached on the miscue to load the bases and send Severino into deeper trouble.

“It was a big mistake, big part of the game,” Frazier said. “Something I take responsibility for.”

Severino's outing spiraled out of control.

The Red Sox went on to score five runs in the inning, including the first of two three-run homers from Andrew Benintendi, and continued knocking Severino around on the way to a blowout victory.

Boston's win upped its lead in the AL East back to 4½ games over the Yanks.

The Yankees' offense showed some life in the ninth as Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury hit back-to-back homers off reliever Robby Scott, but the comeback attempt fell far short.

It was an all-around rough day for the Yankees.

Before the game, they placed Masahiro Tanaka on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.

And while he was signing autographs down the right-field line as the Red Sox took batting practice before the game, Jordan Montgomery was struck on the right ear by a fly ball.

He was helped off the field and sat in the dugout with a towel on his head for several minutes before returning to the clubhouse.

The Yankees later announced Montgomery was in uniform for the game and still was scheduled to start Sunday's series finale.

"Freak accident," Montgomery said after the game with a visible cut on his ear. "I'm all right."

Severino had been pitching brilliantly as he continued to cement his status as the ace of the Yankees' rotation. In five stars since the All-Star break, Severino was 4-0 with a 0.83 ERA.

But that run of excellence came to a crashing halt.

Severino cruised through the first two innings before issuing the pair of walks in the third that ignited the Red Sox.

"I think I was trying to be too perfect," Severino said.

His outing kept getting worse.

After Severino allowed a three-run homer to Benintendi in the fifth, Mitch Moreland hit a one-out double. A throwing error by shortstop Didi Gregorius then put runners at the corners for Giovanny Gallegos, who was called on to clean up the mess.

But he instead gave up a two-run double to Rafael Devers that gave Boston a 10-3 lead.

It also completed Severino's ugly line. He gave up a career-high 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits while walking two and striking out four in 4⅓ innings.

Severino struggled to command his fastball and slider and the lack of execution cost him.

"It just shows that he’s human," manager Joe Girardi said.

After mounting a comeback on Friday, the Yankees' offense didn't rally on Saturday.

Aside from a two-run homer by Gary Sanchez in the first and an RBI groundout by Ellsbury in the fourth, the Yanks couldn't get much going against Red Sox starter Drew Pomeranz.

It was a rough day for the Yankees all around, filled with injuries, freak accidents, and once the game actually started, struggles on the mound and in the field.

Two walks and error sent the Yankees spiraling on Saturday.

"We gave them three free baserunners and it made a big difference," Girardi said.

* Associated Press

Benintendi 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, Red Sox rout Severino, Yanks 10-5

NEW YORK -- For a rookie who began this month on the bench, Andrew Benintendi is putting up a monster August.

Benintendi rocketed a pair of three-run homers off All-Star Luis Severino and the Boston Red Sox bounced back from a tough loss, roughing up the New York Yankees 10-5 Saturday.

"Two beautiful swings," Red Sox manager John Farrell said.

A day after blowing a late lead, the AL East leaders battered Severino for a career-worst 10 runs. Drew Pomeranz pitched the Red Sox to their ninth win in 10 games, and restored their 4 1/2-game lead over New York.

Boston began bruising the Yankees' staff even before the first pitch.

Starter Jordan Montgomery was hit in the head by a flyball while he signed autographs as the Red Sox took batting practice. He bled from a cut on his ear, but is set to pitch Sunday night against ace Chris Sale in the series finale.

The 6-foot-6 rookie was nailed despite standing in back of a protective screen in foul ground down the right field line.

"Just a freak accident," Montgomery said. "I was behind the net. I mean there's a one in a million chance it curves over like that."

Said Boston catcher Sandy Leon, who hit the ball: "Of course, I was watching. I wasn't trying to hit anybody. It just happened."

The 23-year-old Benintendi, who also homered Friday night, is on quite a tear. He is 15 for 31 with four home runs and five steals this month, reaching base 20 times in eight games.

Benintendi had gone into a slump after the All-Star break, and Farrell sat him down for a couple games.

"A mental break," Benintendi said.

Benintendi lined a drive off the top of right-field wall to cap a five-run burst in the third. Third baseman Todd Frazier's first error in 22 games since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox came on a potential double-play grounder that would have ended the inning without a run scoring.

Benintendi hit a no-doubt drive to right in the fifth for his 16th home run. He matched a career best with six RBI in his third multihomer game this season. He's done a lot of damage against Severino, too, going 6 for 11 lifetime.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Benintendi was the youngest Red Sox player to drive in six runs against the Yankees since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920.

"I guess that's cool," he said.

Benintendi's performance came in front of his grandfather, who turned 85 this weekend and grew up in Brooklyn as a Yankees fan.

Severino (9-5) had been 4-0 with a sparkling 0.83 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break. Instead, he became the first Yankees pitcher to give up 10 runs at the new Yankee Stadium since it opened in 2009.

Severino was tagged for eight hits and eight earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.

"Every starter has a bad day. I mean, we've seen it for years and years and years," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He just didn't have good stuff today. He wasn't as sharp as he's been."

Rookie Rafael Devers had a two-run double that made it 10-2 in the fifth. Mookie Betts had a two-run single for Boston, now 4-7 against New York this season.

Benintendi and the Red Sox solved one of their biggest problems vs. the Yankees -- they started the day just 3 for 64 with runners in scoring position this year against their longtime rivals, then went 4 for 11.

Pomeranz (12-4) won his career-best fifth straight decision, giving up three runs in 6 2/3 innings. The lefty also topped his high for wins, having won a combined 11 for San Diego and Boston last year.

Gary Sanchez hit his 19th homer for the Yankees, a two-run drive in the first. Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury hit consecutive homers in the ninth off Robby Scott, called up by Boston from Triple-A before the game.

KEEPING COUNT

Yankees rookie Aaron Judge struck out twice and has fanned in 29 straight games. The major league record is 36 by Adam Dunn in 2011-12.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia went on the 10-day disabled list for the third time this year because of knee trouble. Farrell said there's no indication the All-Star won't play again this season. ... Ailing LHP David Price (elbow) threw in the outfield before the game for the second straight day. Farrell said Price would be checked before Sunday night's game to see what's next in his recovery.

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka was put on the 10-day disabled list because of shoulder inflammation. He said he doesn't think he'll be out too long.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Sale (14-4, 2.57 ERA) leads the majors with 229 strikeouts going into Sunday night's start at Yankee Stadium. He is 3-0 in his last five starts -- he hasn't given up a run in four of them.

Yankees: Montgomery (7-6, 4.05) was recalled from Triple-A on Friday when CC Sabathia was put on the disabled list.