Bellinger’s four RBIs and Fried’s six innings carry Yankees past Red Sox 9-2

Cody Bellinger’s three-run homer capped a six-run sixth inning, and Max Fried allowed one run over six innings as the Yankees beat the Red Sox 9-2 on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. New York completed a two-game AL Wild Card Series sweep and advanced to face Tampa Bay in the AL Division Series.

That series begins Saturday at Tropicana Field, according to MLB’s game report. The Yankees followed Tuesday’s 9-0 opener with another nine-run performance, but Game 2 stayed close until their sixth-inning rally turned a 2-1 lead into an 8-1 advantage.

Fried gave New York room to build that lead. He allowed three hits, walked one and struck out six in 98 pitches. Boston’s only run against him came on Willson Contreras’ sixth-inning homer. Contreras finished 2-for-2 with two walks, but the Red Sox had only two other hits all night.

Luis García Jr. opened the scoring with a fourth-inning home run to right-center off Sonny Gray. García finished with three hits in five at-bats, including the solo shot that put New York ahead 1-0.

Bellinger made it 2-0 with an RBI single in the fifth, driving in Austin Wells after Erik Miller replaced Gray. Gray’s outing ended after 4⅔ innings, six hits and two runs. Contreras’ homer in the next half-inning briefly brought Boston within a run.

The bottom of the sixth started with an unusual opportunity. Spencer Jones struck out against Garrett Crochet but reached first on a wild pitch after a Yankees challenge overturned the initial out call. Jones stole second and continued to third on catcher Adley Rutschman’s throwing error.

George Lombard Jr. singled him home. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham then reached on singles, loading the bases. Wells’ sacrifice fly scored Lombard, and Ryan McMahon’s groundout brought home Chisholm. With first base open, Boston intentionally walked Ben Rice.

Bellinger answered with his drive to right-center off Garrett Whitlock, scoring Grisham and Rice. He finished with two hits and four RBIs. The inning produced six runs despite Jones striking out both at its beginning and its end.

Nick Sogard homered off Will Warren in the seventh, but Wells restored the seven-run margin with an RBI single in the bottom half. Wells had two RBIs, while Chisholm scored twice. The Yankees collected 14 hits to Boston’s four.

Warren, Brent Headrick and David Bednar covered the final three innings. Bednar worked a scoreless ninth, allowing one walk and striking out one. New York needed no third game to settle the series: Fried kept the early stages under control, and Bellinger’s swing supplied the separation.