Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi waits as New York’s Luke Voit rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning of Tuesday’s second game a doubleheader at New York. Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
NEW YORK — Luis Gil posted his third straight scoreless start to begin his career, Luke Voit and Giancarlo Stanton homered, and the New York Yankees beat Boston 2-0 Tuesday night to sweep a doubleheader and move percentage points ahead of the Red Sox for an AL wild-card spot.
In the opener, Jonathan Loaisiga stranded the bases loaded in Boston’s final at-bat for a gutsy two-inning save after New York capitalized on a wild outing by Red Sox relievers for a 5-3 victory.
The Yankees have won five straight and 12 of 15 to narrowly overtake Boston for second in the AL East – New York is 68-52 and the Red Sox 69-53, a difference of .001 percentage points. The Yankees were 10 1/2 games behind first-place Boston on July 5 but have gone 26-11 since.
The Red Sox had seemingly snapped out of a 3-11 slump when they swept last-place Baltimore for three games over the weekend. Now, Boston is suddenly out of postseason position after leading the division for much of the season.
Gil (2-0) allowed three hits and four walks and struck out four over 4 2/3 innings. He has yet to allow a run in 15 2/3 big league innings, the longest stretch to start a career by a Yankees pitcher since at least 1961, according to Elias. The previous best was Joba Chamberlain at 15 1/3 innings in 2007.
Gil is the only major league pitcher since at least 1901 with no runs allowed and 15 or more strikeouts through his first three games, according to YES Network.
The 23-year-old Gil cruised into the fifth before allowing two singles and a walk. Left-hander Wandy Peralta relieved and retired lefty-hitting Rafael Devers on an inning-ending fielder’s choice, preserving the 2-0 lead.
Boston had runners at first and third in the sixth with two outs when pinch-hitter Bobby Dalbec ripped a comebacker that appeared to hit Peralta in the shoulder. Peralta scrambled for the ball near the third-base line and fired to first just in time to retire Dalbec.
Chad Green closed out the ninth for his fifth save and second in two days.
Voit poked a 98 mph fastball from Nathan Eovaldi (10-8) over the wall in right for a solo homer in the second. It was Voit’s sixth homer of the season and second in three days.
The 2020 big league home run leader seemingly lost his job at first base when the Yankees acquired Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs on July 29, but he’s taken advantage of steady playing time with Rizzo on the COVID-19 injured list. Rizzo is expected back in the next couple of days.
Stanton led off the fourth with his 19th home run.
Eovaldi worked five innings and was charged with two runs, seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
In the opener, Loaisiga pitched a perfect sixth before Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh on three singles – two of them soft, well-placed grounders. Pinch-hitter Travis Shaw lined out to left in his first at-bat since being claimed off waivers Sunday, but the ball wasn’t deep enough for a sacrifice fly.
The 26-year-old Loaisiga then struck out Kike Hernandez and Hunter Renfroe – the latter on a caught foul tip – and let out a vicious yell following his fifth save.
“He didn’t flinch,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said. “You could just see his confidence out there, like, `I got this.’ He was able to execute and wiggle out of it.”
The Yankees have played a majors-most 68 games decided by two runs or fewer. Their .661 winning percentage (45-23) in those games is best in the big leagues.
Red Sox relievers Garrett Whitlock (4-2) and Josh Taylor combined to walk the bases loaded with one out in the fifth inning before Voit floated a two-run single to shallow center for a 4-3 lead.
Boston issued six walks over the final two innings.
Albert Abreu (2-0) got the final out of the fifth and the win.
NOTES: INF Christian Arroyo (left hamstring strain) started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester. … OF Danny Santana (left groin strain) could start a rehab assignment this week. … The Red Sox got first-base coach Tom Goodwin back after he was a close contact to bench coach Will Venable, who tested positive while the team was in Toronto. Both were forced to quarantine in Canada. … RHP Ryan Brasier, who was hit in the head by a line drive while rehabbing from a left calf strain, will throw Wednesday and Thursday for Worcester. … RHP Matt Andriese was designated for assignment.
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