Yanks rule rivalry, win 9th straight over Sox

NEW YORK -- Mike Ford’s path toward the dugout bat rack leads past several teammates who might be frontline starters elsewhere in the league.

As the Yankees continue to lean on their depth, the big-swinging first baseman is proving that he belongs in that group. Ford became the latest member of the Yankees’ so-called ‘B-squad’ to enjoy a big offensive night, homering as part of a three-RBI performance as the Yankees continued to beat up on the Red Sox in a 4-2 victory on Sunday evening at Yankee Stadium.

• Box score

“I think we have a ton of depth,” Ford said. “We have a lot of guys that could play elsewhere right now and help teams win. It's just nice when us fill-in guys can come up and have some success.”

It was the Yanks’ ninth straight win over Boston dating to last September, their longest such winning streak over their division rivals since 1952-53. New York is also 9-0 at Yankee Stadium, marking just the third time in franchise history it has started that well on its home turf (1951, 1987).

• Judge: Negro Leagues Museum 'special'

“We have really good players and guys that are confident in their ability, no matter what the role,” manager Aaron Boone said. “When they're in there, they're going to be counted on to produce in a big way. They're prepared for that.”

Taking a cue from strong performances earlier in the series by supersubs Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman, Ford said he stepped to the plate hunting fastballs against Boston’s Chris Mazza.

The strategy worked: Ford knocked in a run with a first-inning single, then mashed a 421-foot shot to the right-field seats in the third inning. Aaron Hicks also had an RBI double off Mazza, who permitted four runs and eight hits over three innings.

“It's one of those games that we can all get up for pretty easily, them being our rivals,” Ford said. “We've just been doing a good job of putting the gas on early and our pitchers have come up big for us. It just seems like each day, a new guy comes out of nowhere.”

Sultans of swat
It may have been the most flattering comparison of Ford’s career to date. Providing commentary for Sunday’s ESPN broadcast, Alex Rodriguez watched a replay of Ford’s mighty left-handed swing and remarked: “Mike Ford, with a little bit of a Babe Ruth look to him!”

“We're both hefty guys, I guess,” Ford said, with a laugh. “The mold kind of fits there, but I’ve got a long way to go to be in that conversation. I appreciate the compliment.”

Back on track
J.A. Happ was not pleased to learn that his spot was being skipped in the rotation earlier this week, with the club opting to start Jordan Montgomery against the Braves instead. Happ expressed that to Boone in two conversations; the veteran said that one of those chats went well, and the other did not.

“Nobody wants to get skipped,” Happ said. “I want to be out there and pitch every five days. I feel like I should be. There was no argument [with Boone] and nothing bigger than that. It was just, I didn't expect it.”

Happ’s performance will encourage the Yankees to hand him the ball more often. Making his first start since Aug. 5, Happ held Boston to Kevin Pillar’s third-inning solo homer over 5 2/3 frames. The left-hander scattered three hits with two walks, inducing a pair of double-play balls to squelch budding rallies.

“He was great. I thought he was aggressive in the strike zone,” Boone said. “I thought it was probably the best life we've seen at the top of the zone since even going back to spring. He was into that sixth inning and really dictating the pace of everything. I thought he was terrific.”

There is an unresolved financial component to each of Happ’s starts. His contract includes a $17 million option for 2021 that was supposed to kick in if Happ made either 27 starts or 165 innings. Those incentives are not being prorated with the shortened season, and the matter could eventually be settled by an arbitrator.

“That's a subject I think I'm just going to stay away from right now,” Happ said. “I'm trying to just focus on the baseball part when I am out there. All in due time on that front.”

Closing it out
Nearly all of the scoring was completed in the first three innings. Adam Ottavino relieved Happ to record two outs and Chad Green provided 1 2/3 innings of scoreless work, having permitted two hits with 17 strikeouts across 12 2/3 frames this season.

Boston brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth against Zack Britton, who pitched around a wild pitch, a passed ball and his own fielding error to record his eighth save in as many opportunities. Britton’s time in the closer’s role is likely to end on Monday, when left-hander Aroldis Chapman is expected to be activated from the injured list.

“It's going to be huge for us,” Britton said. “When I signed here, it was to win and not feel like I need to be tied to a specific role. If closing is something I want to do in the future, I do like it, but I like winning more.”