NEW YORK — Catcher Brian McCann drove in four runs and the New York Yankees pulled away in the late innings for a 13-3 rout of the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
The Yankees scored 12 runs after the fifth inning, including nine runs in the seventh. McCann exceeded his RBI total from the just-concluded 10-game road trip during consecutive at-bats.
McCann hit a tiebreaking double off Robbie Ross Jr. in the sixth as the Yankees put together four consecutive hits before an out was recorded and took a 4-2 lead. In his next at-bat, McCann blasted a three-run home run off Craig Breslow for an 8-3 lead with one out in the seventh.
The Yankees were hardly done against Breslow following McCann’s 18th home run. An RBI double by third baseman Chase Headley made it 9-3. The lead stretched to 10-3 on a run-scoring single by center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, and left fielder Chris Young made it 13-3 by blasting the first pitch from Alexi Ogando over the left field wall.
Earlier, first baseman Mark Teixeira had a pair of RBI singles, and right fielder Carlos Beltran hit a run-scoring groundout in the three-run sixth.
Designated hitter Alex Rodriguez had an RBI single to open the seventh-inning barrage. Rodriguez’s hit scored Ellsbury, who reached on a throwing error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts, resulting in four of the nine runs being unearned.
New York right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (8-4) won for the fourth time in five starts, allowing three runs and five hits in six-plus innings. Tanaka was lifted after Boston third baseman Pablo Sandoval opened the seventh with his ninth home run.
Justin Wilson recorded the first two outs of the seventh and Dellin Betances struck out second baseman Brock Holt with two on for the final out when it was still a one-run game.
Before New York put together its big inning, it did little off Boston rookie left-hander Henry Owens (0-1). In his major league debut, Owens allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings. However, before allowing consecutive doubles to Young and Rodriguez in the sixth, he retired the previous 12 hitters and 15 of the previous 16 after a lengthy opening inning.
Catcher Blake Swihart had an RBI single and center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. lifted a sacrifice fly in the fifth for Boston, which scored 54 runs in its previous eight games.
Blue Jays 3, Twins 1
TORONTO — Third baseman Josh Donaldson and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki homered, right-hander Marco Estrada pitched into the seventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Minnesota Twins 3-1 on Tuesday.
Estrada (9-6) allowed two hits, two walks and one run while striking out five in 6 2/3 innings as the Blue Jays (56-52) won their third in a row and handed the Twins (54-52) their third straight loss.
Right-hander Roberto Osuna pitched around a walk in the ninth for his eighth save to give the Blue Jays the first two games of the four-game series.
Twins right-hander Phil Hughes (10-6) allowed five hits, including two home runs, two walks and three runs with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The loss snapped a string of six straight winning decisions for Hughes.
The Twins, Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles entered Tuesday in a three-way tie for the second American League wild card spot.
The Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth when first baseman Edwin Encarnacion doubled down the third-base line with one out.
He took third on a deep fly to right by designated hitter Russell Martin and scored when catcher Dioner Navarro doubled to right center to increase the lead to 3-1. Left-hander Ryan O’Rourke took over from Hughes.
Estrada retired 10 batters in a row before left fielder Eddie Rosario doubled to right with two out in the seventh. The other hit Estrada allowed in the game was an infield single.
Right-hander Mark Lowe was brought in from the bullpen to retire Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks on a fly to left.
Right-hander Aaron Sanchez took over the eighth for the Blue Jays.
Donaldson hit a 2-2 cutter to left for his 28th home run of the season, opening the scoring in the first inning.
Tulowitzki slammed a 2-1 fastball to left for his 14th homer of the season — his second with the Blue Jays — with one out in the third to stretch the lead to 2-0.
The Twins went down in order in the first three innings before second baseman Brian Dozier led off the fourth with an infield single, a liner deflected by Estrada and fielded by second baseman Ryan Goins.
Third baseman Trevor Plouffe and designated hitter Miguel Sano walked to load the bases with one out. Right fielder Torii Hunter hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track to right to cut Minnesota’s deficit to 2-1.