The weekend brought some life back to the fourth-place Red Sox, culminating in a five-homer night and a second straight win at energized, sold-out Yankee Stadium.
Boston followed its 10-run Saturday with an 11-7 victory Sunday, taking two of three games.
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Next weekend, the rivals meet again for three games at Fenway Park, and maybe the Red Sox get a little healthier, draw a little closer in the division, and move a little further toward calling up their super outfield prospect Roman Anthony.
Yankees’ former catching prospect shines for Red Sox
Jun 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez (75) and relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) celebrate after defeating the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Yankees lefty Carlos Rodon sailed into Sunday’s start 7-0 with a 1.27 ERA over his last nine starts.
But after cruising into the fifth inning, Rodon was hurt by a two-out walk to Ceddane Rafael and yielded a game-tying homer to Kristian Campbell.
In the sixth, Rob Refsnyder walked ahead of a Carlos Narvaez three-run homer, giving Boston a 5-3 lead and ending Rodon’s night.
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After matching a season high by yielding five earned runs, Rodon should get another shot at the Sox on Saturday at Fenway, where Narvaez might continue to haunt the Yanks.
In the second straight winter trade between the rivals (following the Alex Verdugo deal), the Yanks sent Narvaez to Boston in December for a minor league pitcher.
Known for his tremendous defense in a Yanks’ system overloaded with catchers, Narvaez, 26, has gone from backup catcher in spring training to the Sox’s frequent No. 4 hitter.
“I don’t know if I saw that,’’ Yanks manager Aaron Boone said of Narvaez’s ascension as a cleanup hitter, batting .282 with six homers, 22 RBI and an .820 OPS in 50 games.
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“But I know how much I love the player and the person,’’ said Boone. “I’m not surprised that he’s having success.’’
Boston manager Alex Cora praised the Yankees’ recent development of catchers, a surplus that has led to parting with others in deals, such as the Marlins’ Agustin Ramirez and the Mets’ Luis Torrens.
“They have a great program over there,’’ said Cora, reaping those benefits now with Narvaez. However, Cora said he’d “be lying to you’’ if he foresaw Narvaez becoming an offensive force.
“(He’s) one of the best defensive catchers in the big leagues,’’ said Cora. “And offensively, he’s done an amazing job.’’
Aaron Judge’s response vs. Red Sox
Jun 4, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a single in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
How do you follow an 0-for-4 Saturday if you’re Aaron Judge?
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The Yankees’ captain belted two-run homers in the first inning and in the ninth Sunday, his 43rd career multi-homer game.
Here’s the new Yankees top four in that category:
Lou Gehrig, Aaron Judge (43)
It’s also the most multi=homer games by any MLB player through his first 1,057 games, with Ralph Kiner (36) next on that list.
The .394-hitting Judge’s first homer Sunday (he now has 23, tied with Shohei Ohtani for second in MLB) was belted off Sox rookie starter and winner Hunter Dobbins.
The right-hander caused a bit of a stir with comments to the Boston Herald leading up to his first start at Yankee Stadium.
“If the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I’d retire,’’ Dobbins, a 2021 eighth-round draft pick from Texas Tech, told the Herald.
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“I’ve only heard Ken Griffey Jr. say that,’’ Judge told reporters afterward, including MLB.com. “So, I was a little surprised.’’
Beyond that dash of spice in the renewed Yanks-Sox rivalry for 2025, the Red Sox made a classy gesture to honor the late Lou Cucuzza Sr., longtime Yankees’ visiting clubhouse manager.
According to the Boston Globe, Red Sox’s clubhouse manager Tom McLaughlin designed “Lou Sr.’’ uniform patches for his team’s players and coaching staff to wear during batting practice.
Lou Cucuzza Sr. passed away in February, and his legacy extends to the current Yankee Stadium visiting and home clubhouse managers, his sons Lou Jr. and Rob.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Red Sox find some hope during a winning weekend vs. Yankees in the Bronx