BOSTON — The visiting manager’s office at Fenway Park pulsed like a Lansdowne Street nightclub, and the sound of players shouting could be heard through the closed door.
“Obviously, that’s a happy room,” manager Aaron Boone said after his New York Yankees beat the rival Red Sox 9-6 on Sunday night to avoid a four-game sweep that could have vaulted Boston back into the AL East race. “This was a good one. Yeah.”
Didi Gregorius and Austin Romine each hit a two-run homer off Chris Sale, and Domingo Germán struck out nine for the Yankees, who had lost the first three games of the series by a combined score of 38-13 and saw their lead over Boston trimmed from 11 games to eight.
New York closer Aroldis Chapman inherited a 9-4 lead to start the ninth inning but allowed the Red Sox to cut the margin to three runs before striking out Michael Chavis to end the game.
“It definitely felt good to get this one,” Boone said. “It’s been a difficult weekend for us, you know. And it was difficult even finishing it off. They kept grinding, and making it tough on us. But we made enough plays in the end.”
Five days after allowing a career-high eight runs to the Minnesota Twins, Germán (13-2) took a no-hitter into the fourth and allowed four hits and a walk through 5⅓ innings. He has won four straight decisions, and 10 of his last 11.
“Great poise,” Boone said. “In a game we really wanted, he really came out and completely set the tone and delivered the goods for us tonight.”
Boston had won five of six against the Yankees and Rays to briefly move into playoff position, but the Red Sox committed three errors and fell into third place in the AL East, behind both Tampa Bay and Oakland for the AL’s second wild-card berth.
The Red Sox play four games in New York next weekend and four more against the Yankees at Fenway Park in September. The Rays visit Boston for three games starting Tuesday night, with the trade deadline on Wednesday afternoon.
Asked if the defending World Series champions need reinforcements, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, “Every team does. Yeah.”
Romine made it 2-0 in the third and Gregorius gave New York a 4-0 lead in the fourth. After Andrew Benintendi hit a two-run homer in the Boston fourth, the Yankees chased Sale (5-10) with two more in the sixth.
Sale allowed six runs on five hits and three walks, striking out seven in 5⅓ innings.
“We had an unbelievable series up until today,” said Sale, who had only permitted two earned runs while striking out 22 batters over 12 innings in his previous two outings. “We had a chance to sweep a four-game set against a team that’s in front of us.”
New York made it 8-3 on a two-run throwing error by center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. in the seventh. Boston cut it to 8-4 in the bottom half before Adam Ottavino got Xander Bogaerts on a weak popup to right with runners on second and third to end the inning.
The Yankees extended it to 9-4 in the eighth when Cameron Maybin doubled, took third on a groundout and scored on Marcus Walden’s wild pitch.
Benintendi had a two-run single with two outs in the ninth — his third hit of the game. Bogaerts also had three hits.