The Boston Red Sox lost each of their first eight series against American League East opponents this season. In the ninth, a four-game series against the first-place New York Yankees , they opened with two straight losses and trailed by two runs in the tenth inning of Game 3. That was when things changed.

One night after rallying to win in extra innings, the Red Sox scored nine unanswered runs to rally from a four-run deficit to beat the Yankees 11-6 on Sunday, July 10. Boston’s record improved to 0-8-1 in series against AL East teams, which isn’t great, but it’s a boost as they head into the All-Star break with series against the Rays. and the Yankees. “I don’t think anyone would have bet that we would have split it (the series) after the first two. You’re definitely lying if you say that,” said shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who was added to the AL roster for the All-Star Game. “It’s nice to give the fans something to come back to the stadium and look forward to,” said outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who pitched the ninth inning. Jeter Downs’ bases-loaded sixth-inning drive off Aroldis Chapman fell off DJ LeMahieu’s glove to break a tie and put him up on a road of no return. Boston scored one in the third, three in the fifth to tie it, one in the sixth to take the lead and four runs to clinch in the seventh.

It was the second straight comeback sparked by Downs, a 23-year-old rookie named after former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who was supposed to start at Triple-A on Saturday but was pulled from the minor league lineup to be able to head to Fenway Park. JD Martinez hit a two-run homer to make it 6-6 in the fifth, and Franchy Cordero and Christian Vazquez also homered.

Giancarlo Stanton and Matt Carpenter homered for the Yankees, who scored two runs off Boston starter Nick Pivetta in each of the first three innings to start with a 6-2 lead.

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