BOSTON – Entering his first career start at Fenway Park, Sunday night “felt like a big one,’’ said Will Warren, with the Yankees “trying to get a sweep’’ against their old rivals.
But the first inning became an extension of Boston’s batting practice.
Advertisement
“Wasn’t missing any bats there,’’ manager Aaron Boone said of the Red Sox’s six-run opening frame against Warren, fueling a 6-4 series-salvaging Boston win.
Still, Warren “buckled down and let us hang around,’’ Boone said of a “really good effort’’ to last five innings, giving the Yanks “a chance there, keeping the pressure on them.’’
Boston’s ace lefty Garrett Crochet matched his season high with 12 strikeouts, but he yielded a two-run homer to Amed Rosario and a solo shot by Aaron Judge before exiting after six innings.
At the end, ex-Yankee Aroldis Chapman – having a renaissance season – closed out the Yanks in fast order for his 30th save and closed the 2025 regular season chapter on The Rivalry.
Advertisement
If there’s to be a postseason wild card rematch – well that’ll be determined over these interesting final two weeks.
How Yankees fared in challenging 12-game stretch
Sep 14, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Sunday concluded the Yankees’ Defining Dozen stretch, with a respectable 7-5 record against current AL playoff teams.
The Yanks went 2-1 against the Astros, Blue Jays and Red Sox, and 1-2 versus the Tigers, though Boone shut down any deeper meaning to it.
“I don’t evaluate it,’’ said Boone, already on to the next series – three games at Minnesota, against a Twins franchise that has historically been dominated by the Yanks.
Yankees schedule for final two weeks of season
This road trip concludes with four games against the last-place Orioles, who were 8-1 in September before being swept over the weekend by the Jays – with a four-game AL East lead on the Yanks.
Advertisement
In the season’s final week, the Yankees finish with home series against the White Sox (57-93) and O’s (69-80), and their current standing as the top AL wild card would allow complete home field advantage in a best-of-three series.
Jose Caballero called these last dozen games “a good stretch for us, especially facing four good teams in a row,’’ adding: “We’re ready for the playoffs.’’
Jose Caballero making case as Yankees’ starting shortstop
Sep 14, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) reacts after hitting. Solo home run against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Anthony Volpe was available off the bench Sunday night, but he hasn’t played the last five games – mostly due to a partial tear of his left labrum which required another cortisone shot last week.
Advertisement
Over that span, Jose Caballero has made a stronger argument to remain at shortstop over the struggling Volpe.
In Sunday night’s seventh inning, Caballero rocketed a solo homer off lefty Steven Matz that cleared the Green Monster – mimicking his batting practice shots this weekend.
“He can really put on a show,’’ Boone said of Caballero hitting them “where the big boys go in BP, so when he steps on one like that (in a game), it’s not surprising.’’
Boone repeated that his starting shortstop is a daily decision, but Caballero contributed an extra-base hit in each of the three games at Fenway and played well defensively – including a whirling play to his left against Ceddanne Rafaela that robbed a hit and saved an eighth inning run.
Advertisement
“That helps a lot, the consistency and getting the reps every day,’’ said Caballero, batting .314 (16-for-51) in his last 16 starts (since Aug. 9), with three homers and eight of his MLB-leading 46 steals.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what I do, it’s what the team does,’’ said Caballero. “As long as we keep winning games, I’m going to be really happy.’’
Aaron Judge blasts two homers as DH vs Red Sox
Sep 14, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Communicating daily with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, Boone ultimately decided not to play Judge in the shorter left field at Fenway Park.
Judge spent the weekend as the DH, going 5-for-10 with two homers and four walks.
Advertisement
After belting his 48th homer of the year, a fifth-inning solo shot Sunday off Crochet, Judge lashed a single against the Monster off Garrett Whitlock.
Judge’s homer on Friday night moved him past Joe DiMaggio (361) into sole possession of fourth place on the Yankees’ all-time home run list.
“But just like all those guys in front of me and on those lists, they weren’t playing for records, they were playing to win,’’ said Judge. “I’m just trying to put this team in position to win every night.’’
A strong September could cement Judge’s repeat candidacy as the AL MVP, over Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh. The Yanks’ captain is batting .362 with a 1.312 OPS over his last 17 games (21-for-58) with eight homers.
Advertisement
Will Warren makes 31st start of season
Who had Will Warren making 31 starts for the Yankees this season?
Warren has more than helped stabilize a rotation that lost Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt for the season and didn’t have Luis Gil until August.
Entering Sunday, the Yanks’ starters posted a 2.25 ERA in 19 starts (since Aug. 24), and Warren had a 2.81 ERA over his last nine starts.
And then, the first five Red Sox rapped hits off Warren – starting with Jarren Duran’s triple.
Carlos Narvaez’s solo homer to center capped a six-run first inning, as the aggressive-minded Red Sox batted around (Warren threw 29 pitches).
Advertisement
Warren might figure in a bullpen role during a first-round playoff series, with the ascension of rookie Cam Schlittler. But his ability to stay in rotation has been an extreme value to the ’25 Yanks.
Better showing from Yankees’ bullpen
Sept. 3, 2025; New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) gives the ball to manager Aaron Boone during a pitching change in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.
That was Camilo Doval delivering a fast, clean sixth inning – with two strikeouts – in relief of Warren on Sunday.
“I loved what I saw,” Boone said of the right-hander’s “electric stuff,” though it’s been largely a struggle for Doval since arriving via trade from San Francisco at the MLB deadline.
As to Doval’s 6.59 ERA over his first 16 games as a Yankee, GM Brian Cashman mentioned the adjustment from being the Giants’ closer and being in a new environment.
Advertisement
For the bullpen as a whole, “We’ve got a little time to see if it can click in,” Cashman said Friday. “Meantime, we’ve got to win our games regardless of performance.”
Devin Williams contributed with key scoreless innings in wins on Friday and Saturday, but Fernando Cruz is still working through some command hiccups – yielding a run both Friday and Saturday but striking out five batters in two innings.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees takeaways: Should Jose Caballero stay in lineup at shortstop?