Field Level Media
Apr 17, 2019
Brett Gardner hit a grand slam off Ryan Brasier with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the New York Yankees rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night to complete a two-game sweep of at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees loaded the bases on two walks and a single by Clint Frazier against Brandon Workman (0-1).
Brasier entered and got ahead 0-2 with his slider, but on the next pitch, Gardner got enough of a 96 mph fastball right over the plate and lined it into the first row of the right-center-field seats.
It was Gardner's 100th career homer and fourth career grand slam. It was his first grand slam since June 30, 2017, in Houston off James Hoyt.
Gardner's fourth homer of the season lifted the Yankees to their first home series win of the season. The Yankees had dropped their first three home series for the first time since 1982 by losing to Baltimore, Detroit and the Chicago White Sox.
Frazier had three hits, including an RBI double in the fourth off former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi.
Yankees left-hander J.A. Happ remained winless but turned in his longest outing, allowing three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Tommy Kahnle (1-0) recorded the final two outs of the seventh, and Adam Ottavino escaped a bases-loaded jam in a scoreless eighth. Aroldis Chapman needed 12 pitches in a perfect ninth and notched his third save.
J.D. Martinez hit a solo homer in the first inning in his first at-bat off Happ since hitting a three-run homer over the Green Monster in Game 1 of the American League Division Series last October.
Christian Vazquez added a two-run homer in the second, but the Red Sox lost their third straight.
Boston also dropped to 6-13. It is Boston's worst 19-game start opening the 1996 season 4-15.
Eovaldi allowed an unearned run on three hits in a season-high six innings.
The Red Sox also lost second baseman Dustin Pedroia to left knee discomfort that may land him back on the injured list. Pedroia exited after he flied out to right field in the top of the second. He was replaced by Eduardo Nunez.
--Field Level Media