Yankees Nip Rival Red Sox 1-0 in Series Opener Behind Goldschmidt, Bellinger and Schlittler
NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt homered, left fielder Cody Bellinger threw out the potential tying run at home plate to end the seventh inning and the New York Yankees edged the Boston Red Sox 1-0 on Friday night in the opener of a pivotal four-game series. Cam Schlittler (12-6) shut down his hometown team again, striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball. The right-hander from Massachusetts overcame five walks, which matched a career high, as the Red Sox went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 overall. They also cost themselves with a terrible baserunning blunder by Ceddanne Rafaela, who got doubled off first as the trail runner when Wilyer Abreu lined out to center field — ending the fifth with cleanup batter Willson Contreras on deck. New York remained four games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved three ahead of Boston in the race for the top American League wild card and home-field advantage throughout a potential best-of-three playoff series between the …
