Gardner, Judge rally Yankees past Red Sox for 17-1 surge

NEW YORK — When it comes to Brett Gardner, first-year Yankees manager Aaron Boone believes in metrics and makeup.

Even as Gardner’s batting average dipped under .200, Boone was optimistic. For starters, Gardner’s exit velocities and other advanced stats indicated a breakout was coming. Plus, the speedy leadoff man was still getting on base.

It wasn’t just the numbers, though.

“He’s just a broad-shouldered, tough player,” Boone said. “He just has a way of competing in the biggest spots.”

Gardner capped a slump-busting performance with a go-ahead, two-run triple off Craig Kimbrel in the eighth inning, Aaron Judge followed with a homer and New York rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-6 Wednesday night for its 17th victory in 18 games.

Kimbrel entered with two on and one out to face Gardner seeking the first five-out save of his career. Gardner drilled a full-count pitch into left-center, well over the head of center fielder Mookie Betts, who was playing shallow. Neil Walker scored easily from third and rookie Gleyber Torres raced from first and slid past a lunging tag attempted by catcher Christian Vazquez.

“There’s just a toughness that he plays the game with,” Boone said of Gardner. “Tonight, I was happy to see him break through.”

Judge followed with a line drive to center measured at 117 mph off the bat, his ninth homer of the season. He had three hits, three RBIs and a diving catch in right field as New York won its eighth straight overall and 11th in a row at home.

New York (26-10) broke a tie with Boston for first place in the AL East and has sole possession of the best record in the majors for the first time since July 27, 2012. The Yankees are on a 35-8 tear in the Bronx since Sept. 2, including the postseason, and at 16-5 have the best home record in the majors this year.

Fans at a sold-out Yankee Stadium went wild in the eighth. Judge compared it to the postseason atmosphere last October, and the party spilled over onto River Avenue so loudly it could still be heard back inside the stadium 15 minutes after the game.

“It’s May, and it was bedlam,” Boone said. “It was fun to be a part of that.”

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his ninth save. J.D. Martinez got a hit off Chapman and ran into the closer trying to round first base. Martinez argued for interference, but the umpires held him at first on a grounder hit inside the bag. Chapman struck out Mitch Moreland to end it.

ASTROS 4, ATHLETICS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. — Gerrit Cole struck out nine to raise his major league-leading total to 86, and the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 4-1 Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

Max Stassi and Derek Fisher hit consecutive home runs with two outs in the seventh off Daniel Mengden (2-4) for a 2-1 lead. Yuli Gurriel added a two-run double against Yusmiero Petit that extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Cole (4-1) allowed one run, four hits and three walks in six innings. His 1.43 ERA is second in the major leagues behind the 1.17 of teammate Justin Verlander.

Ken Giles pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save and second in two days. Before Tuesday, he had not pitched since allowing four runs in the ninth inning of a May 1 loss to the New York Yankees.

DODGERS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 3

LOS ANGELES — Kyle Farmer’s sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run in a sixth inning that included mistakes by Arizona’s bullpen and helped Los Angeles beat the NL West leaders.

The scuffling Dodgers improved to 4-8 against their division rivals this season. Their three-game skid ended on a night when they got back one of their injured stars. Yasiel Puig went 3 for 4 with two runs scored in his return from the disabled list.

The Diamondbacks’ three-game winning streak was stopped.

Pinch-hitter Chase Utley had a two-run double for the Dodgers in the eighth. Pedro Baez (1-1) got the win with one inning of relief. Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Fernando Salas (3-3) took the loss.

PHILLIES 11, GIANTS 3

PHILADELPHIA — Carlos Santana had three hits and five RBIs, Nick Pivetta struck out seven in five scoreless innings and Philadelphia improved to 20-11 since a 1-4 start.

Pivetta (2-2) bounced back from an awful start against the Nationals in which he lasted only one inning and allowed six runs. He scattered four hits and didn’t walk anyone.

Giants starter Chris Stratton (3-3) gave up five runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Santana ripped an RBI double to right field in the first inning and scored on Maikel Franco’s single to left. Franco drove his seventh homer to deep left-center for a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

Santana’s two-run single in the fifth made it 5-0. He added another two-run single during a six-run sixth against San Francisco’s bullpen. Santana raised his batting average to .191 and tied a career best with the five RBIs.

BLUE JAYS 5, MARINERS 2

TORONTO — Yangervis Solarte hit a game-tying double in the eighth inning and Justin Smoak followed with a go-ahead double as Toronto rallied to beat Seattle.

Toronto started the eighth with five straight hits off Mariners reliever Juan Nicasio (1-1), turning a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead.

Josh Donaldson doubled and scored on Solarte’s hit and Solarte was replaced by pinch runner Anthony Alford, who scored on Smoak’s double to right. Kevin Pillar hit an RBI single to left, but was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double. Russell Martin ended Nicasio’s outing with a double.

Erik Goeddel replaced Nicasio and struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr., but gave up an RBI single to Luke Maile.

Teoscar Hernandez homered and had three hits for the Blue Jays, who came in having lost five of six at home.

Ryan Tepera (3-1) pitched one inning for the win and Tyler Clippard pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth to earn his first save.

BRAVES 5, RAYS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nick Markakis hit a three-run homer and Atlanta set a franchise record for consecutive shutout innings on the road.

Wilson Ramos’ two-run single with two outs in the eighth ended a string of 34 straight shutout innings for the Braves, who won for the seventh straight time on the road. That is the longest streak for the Braves in the modern era (after 1900), according to the Elias Sports Bureau, surpassing the 30 consecutive innings by Atlanta’s staff in July 1992.

Ramos’ hit extended his hitting streak to 16 games, the longest active streak in the majors.

Julio Teheran (3-1) struck out seven in six shutout innings, the third time in four starts that the right-hander has not given up a run. Arodys Vizcaino pitched the ninth for his sixth save in seven opportunities.

Markakis’ seventh homer of the season capped a four-run third inning against Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough (2-2) that gave the Braves with a 5-0 lead.

ORIOLES 5, ROYALS 3

BALTIMORE — Mark Trumbo delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, Chris Davis homered and Baltimore ended a seven-game losing streak.

Jonathan Schoop had two hits and scored twice for the Orioles, who lost 18 of their previous 21 games.

Lucas Duda homered and drove in three runs for the Royals.

With two outs in the eighth, Manny Machado legged out a slow roller to third base for an infield single and Schoop sent him to third with a double. Trumbo then hit a liner up the middle that knocked Kansas City pitcher Kevin McCarthy (3-1) off his feet.

Richard Bleier (3-0) worked two innings and Brad Brach got three outs for his fourth save, striking out Jon Jay to end it with runners on second and third.

REDS 2, METS 1,

10 INNINGS

CINCINNATI — The New York Mets wasted a first-inning rally by batting out of turn, and Adam Duvall led off the 10th with a homer to win it for Cincinnati.

Duvall connected for his first career game-ending homer, a drive off A.J. Ramos (1-2).

Catcher Devin Mesoraco started for the Mets and went 0 for 4, a day after the Reds dealt him to New York for pitcher Matt Harvey.

Raisel Iglesias (1-0) retired six straight batters.

New York got off to a rough start in the first, when Wilmer Flores fanned for the second out and Asdrubal Cabrera doubled, following the announced batting order. But the lineup card the Mets turned into the umpires had those two switched in the order and plate umpire Gabe Morales called an out.

INDIANS 6, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE — Carlos Carrasco struck out 14 in a complete game and Tyler Naquin and Francisco Lindor homered for Cleveland.

Carrasco (5-1) gave up five hits, walked one and threw 117 pitches in his second complete game this season. He also hit an RBI single.

Naquin hit a three-run drive off Junior Guerra (2-3). Milwaukee closer Corey Knebel, who had been out since April 5 with a hamstring injury, was activated from the disabled list and gave up Lindor’s leadoff home run in the seventh.

CUBS 13, MARLINS 4

CHICAGO — Kris Bryant hit his 100th career homer, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell connected in an eight-run third inning, and Chicago routed Miami.

Rizzo also had a pair of doubles and finished with five RBIs as the Cubs outscored the Marlins 31-9 in a three-game sweep after dropping a season-high five in a row.

The 26-yar-old Bryant hit a drive about halfway up the bleachers in left-center in the first inning for his third homer in four games, and later had an RBI double.

Jose Quintana (4-2) returned the favor after getting hit hard in a loss at Miami on April 1. Wei-Yin Chen (1-2) was tagged.

ANGELS 8, ROCKIES 0

DENVER — Rene Rivera homered with a sore right hand, Jaime Barria threw efficiently into the sixth inning and the Angels ended Colorado’s six-game winning streak.

Barria (3-1) allowed five hits and struck out seven over 5 1/3 innings.

Zack Cozart and Justin Upton both homered in the third. Rivera added a solo shot in the seventh despite taking a pair of early foul tips off his right hand.

Tyler Anderson (2-1) struggled over five innings and allowed four runs. His outing snapped Colorado’s string of nine straight quality starts.

RANGERS 5, TIGERS 4

ARLINGTON, Texas — Nomar Mazara led off the 10th inning with his second homer of the game, giving Texas its first winning home series this season.

Mazara pulled a 1-0 pitch into the right field seats off Warwick Saupold (1-1), the sixth Detroit pitcher. It was his first career game-ending homer. He has 10 home runs this season, seven in May.

Rangers closer Keone Kela (3-2) struck out three in two innings.

Texas took two of three, but are still 7-16 overall at home. The Rangers had lost their first six home series, their most ever to start a season.

PIRATES 6, WHITE SOX 5

CHICAGO — Colin Moran hit a two-run homer that capped a four-run rally against Nate Jones in the ninth inning, and Pittsburgh sent the White Sox to their fifth straight loss.

Starling Marte and Josh Bell singled off Jones (2-1), Elias Diaz had a two-run double and Moran homered.

Richard Rodriguez (1-1) got the win and Felipe Vazquez pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save in seven chances.

PADRES 2, NATIONALS 1

SAN DIEGO — Matt Szczur hit a go-ahead double in the seventh inning and San Diego’s bullpen pitched four scoreless innings against Washington.

With the game tied at 1, Manuel Margot opened the seventh with a single — his third hit of the game — and stole second before advancing to third on catcher Matt Wieters’ throwing error. Szczur doubled off reliever Trevor Gott (0-2).

Kirby Yates pitched a perfect eighth, and Brad Hand got three outs for his 10th save.

Anthony Rendon homered for the Nationals, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Craig Stammen (1-0) pitched out of trouble in the seventh for the win.