Yankees JUST miss historic 3rd straight shutout after Fried's 8-inning gem

BOSTON – The Yankees are historically more well-known for their bats than their arms; it has been more than six decades since they last authored three consecutive shutouts. Max Fried’s splendid performance brought them within striking distance.

Carrying a three-run lead to the mound after Amed Rosario’s first-inning homer, Fried delivered eight scoreless innings in a 4-1 victory over the Red Sox on Wednesday evening at Fenway Park, leading New York to its season-high fifth straight win.

“Playing the Red Sox is always a little different; there’s a little bit more of an intensity to it,” Fried said. “Especially this early on, we want to play our brand of baseball to try to win as many games as we possibly can.”

The Yanks came within one out of a third consecutive shutout, something they haven’t achieved since June 1962. Fried’s effort built upon strong starts by Ryan Weathers and Luis Gil; then, it was Ralph Terry, Bill Stafford and Whitey Ford tossing zeroes.

Plenty has changed over that span, but this hasn’t: The Yankees still love taking care of business against the Red Sox. Wednesday’s win secured a series victory, and New York has won five of its past six against Boston dating to last season, outscoring the Sox 28-13.

“Starting pitching sets the tone for everything,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We know how tough this place is to play. Any time you can get wins early in the season, those are precious.”

Rosario continued his track record of success against left-handed pitching, launching his fourth homer of the season, a blast off Ranger Suarez that cleared the Green Monster.

The infielder has showcased an increase in bat speed and launch angle since being acquired by the Yankees last July. Rosario credited his work at Driveline, an Arizona-based lab that focuses on improving performance with advanced biomechanical info.

“I felt there was a chance to do that, if we worked on the points, you can improve on power,” said Rosario, who also lifted a third-inning sacrifice fly. “The results have been progressing, little by little.”

Rosario’s impact is felt even when he’s not in the lineup; last season, he was part of “La Esquina Caliente,” or “The Hot Corner,” a lively dugout cheering section. Rosario is also consistently one of the first players off the bench when a teammate homers.

Yet it was Rosario’s on-field performance that prompted the club to pursue him as a free agent this past offseason. As Boone put it, “He was one of those guys we wanted to make sure we brought back if we could.”

“He’s had some huge, huge games for us,” DH Giancarlo Stanton said. “He directly gave us some wins. He’s been incredible, and a nasty bat for us.”

The first-inning homer provided all the support Fried needed. He carved through a Red Sox lineup that has been largely punchless, held to one run or fewer for the sixth time this year.

Helped by a couple of dazzling Ryan McMahon plays at third base, Fried limited Boston to three hits and two walks, improving to 4-1 with a 1.88 ERA in six regular-season starts against the Red Sox.

“I definitely felt more like myself tonight,” Fried said. “I worked really well with [catcher] Austin [Wells]. He made some really great calls and some good stops. And then some really good defense as well, being able to pick me up and know that I can just be on the attack.”

Fried’s biggest challenge came in the second inning, after a walk and a Jarren Duran double placed runners at second and third with none out. Fried responded with three straight strikeouts to escape unscathed, part of a nine-strikeout effort.

That leadoff walk to Andruw Monasterio may prove to be a turning point for Fried, who has struggled with his command out of the windup.

After the inning, pitching coach Matt Blake told Fried, “Hey, it’s not working. When are you going to cut it out?” That prompted his decision to work from the set position with no runners on base.

“For whatever reason this year, I’ve walked a ton of guys in the windup and I haven’t walked anyone in the stretch,” Fried said. “You’ve got to suck up your pride and just say, ‘Whatever’s working, that’s what you’ve got to go and do.’”