BOSTON — For one night, at least, the Red Sox returned some drama to the AL East.
The Yankees were four outs away from extending their lead in the division and sending Boston to a fifth straight loss, but the Red Sox ended up with a 6-5, 10-inning victory.
Clay Holmes allowed an RBI single to Alex Verdugo to tie the score at 3-3 in the eighth. Then, after the Yankees scored twice in the top of the 10th, Verdugo won it with a two-run single off Wandy Peralta in the bottom of the inning, as the Red Sox stunned the Yankees in front of another sold-out crowd at Fenway Park.
The drama was caused by a rare hiccup by the Yankees’ bullpen, as Holmes blew a save for just the second time this season. He came in with a runner on second and two outs in the eighth, but gave up the run-scoring single to Verdugo.
Holmes rebounded with a perfect ninth, aided by a terrific diving play by Josh Donaldson at third on a hard grounder by Jarren Duran to end the inning.
Aaron Judge led off the 10th against left-hander Jake Diekman and drilled a double to drive in automatic runner Jose Trevino.
Anthony Rizzo — back in the lineup after missing four games due to back stiffness — followed with his second RBI double of the night to make it 5-3. He was then thrown out trying to steal third.
Peralta came on for the bottom of the inning and allowed an RBI single to Jeter Downs before Xander Bogaerts grounded out for the second out if the inning. That brought up Verdugo, who singled to right to end it.
After scoring 34 runs over their previous three games, the Yankees’ offense was mostly held down.
Michael King got Trevor Story to fly out to left with two on and two out to end the sixth, with the Yankees up by a run.
The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead when Jordan Montgomery gave up an RBI single to Bobby Dalbec in the second inning.
Facing Kutter Crawford, the fourth straight rookie to start for the reeling Red Sox, the Yankees had just a pair of singles by Judge and Matt Carpenter until Aaron Hicks led off the fifth with a homer to tie the score at 1-1.
With one out in the fifth, Kyle Higashioka singled, but inexplicably tried to steal second with Judge at the plate. Higashioka was thrown out for the second out before Judge whiffed to end the inning.
But the Yankees pounced on Ryan Brasier, who replaced Crawford to start the sixth.
Gleyber Torres, in the midst of a hot streak, led off with a single and Rizzo hit a shot into the gap in right-center.
Duran, the Boston center fielder, made a feeble diving attempt at the ball, which got by him and allowed Torres to score easily from first to put the Yankees up by a run.
After Giancarlo Stanton struck out, Donaldson’s two-out single to center scored Rizzo to make it 3-1.
Montgomery at one point retired eight straight and didn’t allow a hit after Dalbec’s run-scoring single until former Yankee Rob Refsnyder hit his first pitch of the bottom of the sixth over the Green Monster. The 436-foot blast cut the Yankees’ lead to 3-2.
The lefty was yanked after he gave up back-to-back singles with two out and King came on to retire Story.
With two outs in the eighth, King allowed a double to J.D. Martinez and manager Aaron Boone went to Holmes, who walked Xander Bogaerts and then gave up the single to Verdugo.
