Price leads shutout behind JBJ's Judge heist

BOSTON -- David Price bought the Red Sox another day to figure out their recent offensive woes. And Jackie Bradley Jr. made the tremendous performance hold up with a jaw-dropping catch to take a homer away from Aaron Judge.
Price's eight scoreless innings on Sunday Night Baseball lifted the Red Sox to a 3-0 victory over the Yankees that earned them a split of this four-game rivalry matchup as well as the day-night doubleheader. The Yankees won the first game by the same score.
• Big guy: CC delivers as Yanks take Game 1
But Price and Bradley made the nightcap one to remember for the Fenway faithful.
"[Price] was outstanding. Powerful from start to finish -- a lot of strikes, very good command," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "For Jackie, you know, a highlight-reel catch against probably the most noted power guy in the game, and timely. A big catch to the deepest part of the ballpark, preserves the shutout at that point."
The shutout was no small feat. It was the first time the Yankees' offense put up a goose-egg this season. New York had been the last remaining big league club not to have been shut out.

It wouldn't have been possible without Bradley, who made a sensational catch over the bullpen railing in right-center to rob Judge of a two-run shot in the eighth.
"It's one of those balls you just try to time up," Bradley said. "It was in the air. Those are the type of plays that rarely happen. A lot of different things have got to go the right way. Gotta be just far enough over the wall, but short enough where you can grab it. And you've got to be able to get back there in time."
Mookie Betts hit a two-run homer in the third off Masahiro Tanaka and scored the other run in the sixth, giving the Red Sox a temporary reprieve from their recent hitting funk.
"The stuff was there, but it's that one hanging slider," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "You want to take that back, but you can't. Price was pitching a heck of a game, too."

Indeed, this was Price's night, and easily his best performance in the rivalry since he joined the Red Sox last season. Over eight innings, he allowed seven hits and no walks, striking out eight.
After starting his season late due to a left elbow strain, Price is 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA in 10 starts, and he has consistently held his fastball in the mid 90s.
"I expect to go out there and get 27 outs and nine zeros every fifth day, every time I touch the mound," said Price. "That was a good win for us. We needed it."
Craig Kimbrel avenged a blown save on Saturday by getting the job done in the ninth on Sunday, working around a hit and a walk and striking out two.

With the win, the Red Sox increased their lead in the American League East to three games over the Rays and 3 1/2 over the Yankees. The next rivalry showdown will be Aug. 11-13, when the clubs play three games at Yankee Stadium.
• Despite split, Tanaka, CC step up in doubleheader
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Mookie missile ends drought: When Betts smashed his two-run homer over the Green Monster in the third, he not only broke a scoreless tie, but he ended a stretch of 24 innings in which the Red Sox were shut out. It was the longest drought the Red Sox have had since a 31-inning stretch from Aug. 7-9, 2009, which was also against the Yankees.
"On the offensive side, it was a big night for Mookie," said Farrell. "The two-run homer and then the third run he basically generated with his speed -- infield base hit, the overthrow, he's able to take second base and then we finally broke through with an RBI single with a man in scoring position."

Bradley wows Fenway, robs Judge: Judge's rocket against Price in the eighth was a perfect barrel, measured by Statcast™ with an exit velocity of 107.5 mph and a launch angle of 32 degrees. More than nine times out of 10, a ball struck in that fashion is a homer. But not this time. Not with Bradley in center. Deprived of what would have been his Major League-leading 31st homer, Judge made sure to watch the replay of Bradley's catch on the scoreboard as he left the field.
"Jackie has been making plays like that for a long time," said Judge. "I just hit it to the wrong guy and the wrong part of the park."
• Jackie stalks giant drive, robs Judge homer

QUOTABLE
"It was great. It actually made the hair stand up on my arms. It was electric. It was just a fun moment to be a part of." -- Betts, on the catch by Bradley
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
One thing that helped Bradley make the sensational grab on Judge was his positioning on the feared slugger. According to Statcast™, Bradley normally plays 320 feet from home plate at Fenway (on average). Prior to the robbery of Judge, he was stationed 336 feet from the plate.
SAVE THAT BALL
Garrett Cooper collected his first Major League hit in the fifth inning, a double to left field off Price. Cooper, a 26-year-old first baseman, was acquired by the Yankees from the Brewers on Thursday and made his big league debut on Friday.
"Those first few games, I think I was pressing a little bit too hard," Cooper said. "Tonight, I felt way more comfortable in the box. I saw Price pretty well, sat on that cutter in. I got it and put a good swing on it. That's what you dream about, and to do it off a guy like David Price is the cherry on top. That guy has been dominating this league for a while."

WHAT'S NEXT
Yankees: The Yankees will send right-hander Bryan Mitchell to the mound on Monday as they open a three-game series with the Twins at Target Field. Mitchell will be making his first start and 13th big league appearance of the season. He was 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA in nine starts at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Red Sox: Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez makes his return from the disabled list when he opens a four-game series against the Blue Jays on Monday night at Fenway Park. Rodriguez suffered a subluxation of his right knee on June 1. This is E-Rod's first start of the season against Toronto. He did throw an inning of relief at Rogers Centre on April 19.
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