Yankees' win against Boston was big in so many ways

The Yankees’ 1-0 win over the Red Sox in Friday’s opener mattered because it tightened the playoff picture in the AL East and helped preserve momentum after a late-June sweep at Fenway. With Boston posing as a top wild-card contender, manager Aaron Boone called it “a big win.” New York scored in the third on Paul Goldschmidt’s homer, his first since July 24 and just his third start since the MLB trade deadline. Cody Bellinger made key defensive plays in left, while David Bednar retired Ceddanne Rafaela after a potential tying sacrifice fly in the seventh. Tampa Bay’s win kept the division tight, but the Yankees opened a three-game lead for the first wild card.