Steve Pearce has historic night to lead Red Sox past rival Yankees
Steve Pearce makes history in Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, hitting three balls out of the park to lead Boston to a 15-7 win Thursday night.
Steve Pearce added his name to the storied Red Sox-Yankees rivalry Thursday night, hitting three home runs as the Red Sox beat the Yankees 15-7 at Fenway Park.
Pearce’s first homer was a solo shot off New York starter CC Sabathia in the third inning. His second was a three-run homer off Jonathan Holder in the fourth, as Boston erupted for eight runs in the inning. He completed the historic night with a two-run home run off Luis Cessa in the sixth. With a chance to hit a fourth homer, Peace walked in his last at-bat in the eighth. He finished the game 3-5 with six RBI.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better night,” Pearce said on MLB Tonight after the game. “I’m not going to forget this night ever.”
Pearce becomes the third Red Sox player to hit three home runs against the Yankees. He joins Kevin Millar, who did it in 2004, and Mo Vaughn in 1997. It is also the first three-homer game of his 12-year career.
“That’s great company. Glad I could join them, and hopefully the win tonight will be a tone-setter and we’ll try to keep the momentum tomorrow,” he said.
For the last Yankee to hit three home runs against Boston, you have to go all the way back to last month, when Aaron Hicks did it on July 1.
With the win, Boston takes a 6.5 game lead over New York for the AL East lead. The two teams still play each other nine times the rest of the season.
Pearce has proven to be a valuable addition to the Red Sox lineup. Since being acquired from Toronto on June 28, he is hitting .358 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 18 games for Boston. The 35-year-old has 87 career homers and a .258 batting average in a career that has spanned seven different teams.
“We’ve been talking about him for a month now,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “I know July 31 is a big day in baseball because of the trades and everything that goes on, but we made a good baseball move early in the season and he’s been great for us. He’s into the program. We’re happy to have him.”
Boston and New York play the second game of a four-game series Friday night. Luis Severino takes the mound for the Yankees, while the Red Sox will go with former Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello.