(Reuters) – The New York Yankees have responded to Baltimore’s extra-innings win over Tampa Bay to rejoin the Orioles on top of the American League East with a 2-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.
Baltimore continued their fairytale run with a 3-2 win earlier on Thursday to take top spot alone when Manny Machado hit a two-out, run-scoring single off Chris Archer in the bottom of the 14th inning to win the game.
But the Yankees continued Boston’s horror season with runs in the fourth and seventh innings at Fenway Park to join the Orioles at 81-62 and continue a thrilling chase for the division title.
The Yankees return to New York on Friday to play divisional rivals Tampa Bay, who are four games behind both the Yankees and Orioles.
“It was great to win this series (against Boston), it really was, but we start all over tomorrow when we get home,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said.
“Tampa (Bay) always plays us tough. They’re a handful, so we have to be ready to play, because the teams we’re playing want to beat us.”
Jeter claimed his 3,283rd career hit in the game, tying Willie Mays for 10th on the all-time list.
Elsewhere the World Series champion St Louis Cardinals opened their four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 2-1 win, stretching their National League wild card lead over the Dodgers to two games.
In the American League Central the top of the division clash between Detroit and the Chicago White Sox was postponed due to rain in Chicago.
(Reporting by Ben Everill in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)