Aaron Judge hits MLB-best 53rd homer, Yankees pad AL East lead in series win over Red Sox

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 53rd homer, and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Sunday to open a three-game AL East lead over second-place Baltimore.

Judge, whose 132 RBIs also top the major leagues, homered twice in three games followed a career-high 16-game homerless streak and helped Carlos Rodón get his career-best 15th win.

New York (87-63) took three of four from the Red Sox and headed on the road for a seven-game trip to Seattle and Oakland on the verge of clinching a postseason berth after failing to reach the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016.

Tyler O’Neill hit a two-run homer for the Red Sox (75-75), who dropped 4 1/2 games behind Minnesota (79-70) for the final AL wild card spot.

Wearing No. 21 on Roberto Clemente Day, Judge hit a two-run shot in a three-run third off Kutter Crawford (8-15) on 0-1 fastball. The 445-foot drive soared onto the netting above Monument Park behind center field for a 4-0 lead.

Gleyber Torres also homered off Crawford, a drive into the short porch in right to start the third. According to Statcast, Torres’ drive would have been a homer only at Houston and Yankee Stadium.

Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI single along with a sacrifice fly as the Yankees won for the seventh time in 10 games.

Rodón allowed two runs and six hits 5 1/3 innings, surpassing his 14 wins with San Francisco in 2022.

Five relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Clay Holmes stranded a runner in the eighth and Tommy Kahnle got a double play on Jarren Duran to finish his first save this season.

Crawford has allowed a major league-high 33 home runs. He gave up four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Rafael Devers singled ahead of O’Neill’s homer in the fourth, went 1 for 3 and is homerless in 17 straight games.

Second baseman Romy Gonzalez’s error led to Boston’s major league-high 91st unearned run.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Rob Refsnyder (right wrist discomfort) missed his third straight game and is still experiencing soreness. … RHP Tanner Houck, who was scratched from Friday’s start because of shoulder fatigue and last pitched on Sept. 4, is scheduled to pitch Wednesday in Tampa Bay.