BOSTON — They sat on couches and acted like fans. That’s what September baseball does to big-league players involved in a tight pennant race.
Shortly after the Yankees topped the Red Sox, 3-1, in front of 35,077 at Fenway Park thanks to solid pitching by Michael Pineda and Dellin Betances on Tuesday night, the players had a vested interest in the Indians-Blue Jays game from Toronto on the clubhouse television.
Those not on couches stole a glance as they walked by, and when the Indians’ Bryan Shaw hung a breaking pitch to the Blue Jays’ Ryan Goins, the room went silent in anticipation of where the ball was going to land. When it cleared the fence for a Blue Jays victory, the Yankees went about showering, eating and leaving the cramped room.
“There is still a long way to go,’’ said Stephen Drew, who delivered a two-run double in the fifth that put the Yankees up, 2-1, making an error by Boston first baseman Travis Shaw sting. “Don’t count anybody out.’’
Brett Gardner provided breathing room in the eighth by tucking a home run around the Pesky Pole in right field for a 3-1 lead.
The victory enabled the Yankees to remain 1 ½ lengths back of the AL East-leading Blue Jays.
Held to five hits and one earned run in eight innings by Seton Hall Prep product Rick Porcello, who struck out 13, the Yankees needed Pineda, Betances and Andrew Miller to overcome the lack of hitting and the prospect of not having cleanup hitter and first baseman Mark Teixeira for a while.
“When he is on, he is an uncomfortable at-bat, ‘’ catcher Brian McCann said of Pineda, who allowed a run, four hits and fanned seven in six innings. It was the big right-hander’s second start after spending a month on the disabled list with a forearm problem.
Pineda (10-8) fanned David Ortiz three times, but it was Betances getting the Red Sox DH to whiff for a fourth time that sealed the Yankees’ fourth victory in five games.
Summoned in the seventh, Betances stranded two. In the eighth two of the first three batters reached base and brought Ortiz to the plate. During the at-bat, Mookie Betts attempted to swipe third. He beat McCann’s throw to Chase Headley, but Betts lost contact with the bag and Headley wisely reapplied the tag. Betts was called out by Vic Carapazza and a challenge by the Red Sox didn’t change the call.
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“I talked to Chase Headley and he was confident the call would stand,’’ Betances said.
Instead of having runners on second and third with one out down, 3-1, the Red Sox had a man on second and two outs. At 1-2, Betances went with a slider to strike out Ortiz for the fourth time in the game.
“It changes it a lot,’’ Girardi said of the call standing. “Dellin ended up striking out Ortiz but he would have had to face another hitter so you are not sure what would have happened, but it changes the inning.’’
Still, with Betances on the mound, the Yankees would like their chances to escape the jam.
“For the last two years, he has been our MVP,’’ McCann said of Betances. “He is pitching multiple innings and that is not easy to do. What he does is a pleasure to catch and a pleasure to watch.’’
Armed with a two-run cushion, Miller recorded his 29th save in 30 chances.
Without Teixeira for who knows how long and Alex Rodriguez a singles hitter these days, the Yankees will live and die on the mound.
That’s why they were encouraged by Pineda’s outing.
“Tonight I felt very good and everything was working good,’’ Pineda said. “We are fighting for first in the league and I want to pitch like that and help my team.’’