NEW YORK (AP) - 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 4½-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 RBIs 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.
___
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
Please read our comment policy before commenting.