Yankees nip rival Red Sox 1-0 in series opener behind Goldschmidt, Bellinger and Schlittler

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt homered, left fielder Cody Bellinger threw out the potential tying run at home plate to end the seventh inning and the New York Yankees edged the Boston Red Sox 1-0 on Friday night in the opener of a pivotal four-game series.

Cam Schlittler (12-6) shut down his hometown team again, striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball. The right-hander from Walpole, Massachusetts overcame five walks, which matched a career high, as the Red Sox went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 overall.

They also cost themselves with a terrible baserunning blunder by Ceddanne Rafaela, who got doubled off first as the trail runner when Wilyer Abreu lined out to center field — ending the fifth with cleanup batter Willson Contreras on deck.

New York remained four games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved three ahead of Boston in the race for the top American League wild-card and home-field advantage throughout a potential best-of-three playoff series between the longtime rivals.

Such a matchup would be a reprisal of last year, when Schlittler pitched a Game 3 gem as a rookie to send the Yankees on. Schlittler, who leads the AL with a 2.09 ERA this season, is 3-1 with a 0.56 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over five career starts against Boston — including the postseason.

In a nip-and-tuck game with a playoff feel, Boston put runners at second and third with one out in the seventh when Rafaela singled and Abreu doubled on the first two pitches from reliever Paul Blackburn.

Contreras lofted a fly to left and Bellinger cut down Rafaela at the plate with a 99.7 mph throw.

Blackburn worked a 1-2-3 eighth and David Bednar pitched a perfect ninth for his 31st save.

With the Yankees facing a left-handed starter for the first time since Aug. 8 (excluding openers), Goldschmidt batted leadoff and launched a 430-foot homer to left off hard-luck loser Patrick Sandoval (1-3) in the third.

A day-night doubleheader Saturday to make up a June 6 rainout. Max Fried (4-4, 2.81 ERA) will come off the injured list to start the early game for the Yankees, with fellow left-hander Carlos Rodón (4-2, 3.15) taking the ball in the other. Rookie LHP Jake Bennett (8-6, 3.49) pitches the opener for the Red Sox, who had not announced a Game 2 starter.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here