NEW YORK – Heliot Ramos beamed with joy as he skipped toward home plate, thumping the front of his pinstriped jersey with his right hand. He’ll never forget his first home run as a member of the Yankees, and should it figure prominently into the postseason schedule, neither will his teammates.
Ramos pounced on a hanging Ranger Suarez curveball for a big three-run homer, part of a five-run fifth inning that powered a 16-1 victory over the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Will Warren held Boston to one run over seven-plus sharp innings to pick up the win, which secured the season series for the Yankees, 7-6. That serves as a tiebreaker to decide home-field advantage should the rivals – who faced off in last year’s American League Wild Card Series – meet again in the postseason.
Austin Wells homered twice in the same inning and drove in five runs, and Paul Goldschmidt went back-to-back with Wells' first homer in the nine-run eighth. Wells became the sixth Yankee to homer twice in an inning, and the first since Gleyber Torres on Sept. 21, 2022.
Ramos was imported from the Giants ahead of the Trade Deadline with hopes of boosting a flagging offense, but results have proven sparse through his first several weeks with his new club. Ramos entered Sunday in a 7-for-59 (.119) funk, but the Yankees continue to believe in his track record, especially against left-handed pitching.
With the lefty Suarez on the mound, Ramos was back in the lineup. It proved to be the right call.
The five-run frame was set into motion when Boston center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela’s diving attempt for a Jazz Chisholm Jr. single was ruled a trap, prompting howls from Rafaela after the call was determined to stand upon review.
After a sacrifice bunt, Goldschmidt punched a soft single through the infield, chasing home two runs. Two hits later, Ramos launched a Statcast-projected 416-foot drive into the left-field seats. A 2024 National League All-Star, Ramos hit nine homers in 74 games for San Francisco this season.