Aaron Judge hits grand slam to help Yankees beat Red Sox 8-5 for doubleheader split

Aaron Judge hit a grand slam, DJ LeMahieu broke an eighth-inning tie with an RBI double, and the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-5 on Thursday night to split a doubleheader.

Oswald Peraza hit his first career homer, a two-run shot in the ninth for the Yankees (74-73), who won three of four at Boston to draw even with their rival at the bottom of the AL East.

“Incredible moment right there for me. We wanted those runs in that inning,” Peraza said through a translator. “To be able to come through and connect there was incredible. We were able to win the series which means a lot of us.”

Earlier Thursday, the Red Sox fired Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom after nearly four seasons, then beat the Yankees 5-0 in the twinbill opener. Tanner Houck pitched six strong innings and registered his first victory since April.

Boston made the playoffs once during Bloom’s tenure and enters the remaining weeks of the season seeking to avoid another last-place finish in the division. “Obviously, it’s a decision that ownership decided to go this route. We worked together all these years. It’s never easy to hear that,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora stated between games.

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In the nightcap, Judge slugged a 2-0 pitch from Brennan Bernardino over the wall in center field with the bases loaded in the second inning to make it 5-2.

It was his 32nd homer of the season and sixth career grand slam.

“Just got in a good count. Had a couple of opportunities over the past few days and didn’t come through,” Judge said.

Rafael Devers hit his 31st homer in the third to get the Red Sox within 5-3. Boston added a run in the fifth, and in the seventh, Triston Casas’ RBI groundout made it 5-5.

LeMahieu hit the go-ahead double off Mauricio Llovera (1-2).

“Good to see him go out there and do what he does at the top of the order,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Wandy Peralta (4-2) pitched the seventh for New York and Tommy Kahnle worked the final two innings for his second save.

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt worked 5 1/3 innings, permitting four runs, three earned, on seven hits. New York turned three double plays behind him.

“Continued to stay locked in and be present and make the big pitch when I needed to,” Schmidt said. “Getting them to put the ball on the ground was the mentality throughout the game.”

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