BRONX, NY — Venezuelan left-hander Ranger Suárez, allowing one run or fewer in seven outings this season, got the start for the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon. On the other side, Yankees’ Cam Schlittler, who is the leading favorite to win the 2026 American League Cy Young Award.
Too early to distribute early season awards, though Red Sox-Yankees is perhaps best in baseball as the history speaks for itself as AL East division rivals. Though the intensity has been diminished a bit. The Red Sox dismal start to 2026 has them last in the division as the Yankees are battling Tampa Bay for the lead.
Cam Schlittler and Ranger Suárez were each on their A game Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, resulting in a pitchers’ duel at Yankee Stadium – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
And with another New York team getting more attention, the Knicks, up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, two ballgames of Red Sox-Yankees this weekend was second fiddle in early June. A three-game series abbreviated with a rainout Saturday evening.
Regardless, it was Red Sox-Yankees in the Bronx Sunday with a sellout crowd of 46,144, a typical fullhouse when these two rivals meet. Less intensity and no drama in this one while the Yankees, with two outs, produced a five-run eighth inning to secure a 6-1 win and split of two games.
And there was Jazz Chisholm Jr. who borrowed the bat of injured Yankees captain Aaron Judge and hit a three run home run in that inning. The bat became a story in an important win for a Yankees team that is attempting to spread some distance between them and the Rays.
The Red Sox are trying to creep back into contention, currently 10-games behind the Rays and Yankees and 4.0 games back for an AL Wild Card spot. Again, plenty of baseball to be played and a trade deadline still two months in the distance that can change the complexion of teams as buyers or sellers.
For interim manager Chad Tracy, he is awaiting a significant bullpen piece back this week as the Red Sox and Rays meet for three at Tropicana Field, with setup man Garrett Whitlock returning from a knee injury. Closer Aroldis Chapman, a two-time LatinoMVP Reliever of the Year, can’t be constantly used to preserve a win or keep a game close in the late innings, though is successful in his last 28 save opportunities.
Aroldis Chapman, a two-time LatinoMVP Reliever of the Year, recorded his 13th save of the season this past Friday night in the Bronx as the Red Sox won the series opener over the Yankees by a score of 5-3 – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
And despite the ‘pen allowing the Yankees to have that big inning, the Red Sox have been tough to beat late in games, stacking up a 25-0 record when leading after seven. Suárez went for 6-⅓ innings and allowed one run on six hits. Then appearing as the setup man, Justin Slaten, containing left-handed hitters consistnely throughout the first stretch of the year, was met by Cody Bellinger who had other ideas, taking a 1-0 cutter to right for a home run that broke a 1-1 tie and led to a five-run inning.
No talk of the rivalry or intensity of previous Red Sox-Yankees series. More on a pitch Slaten did not locate as he said, “****** pitch. Didn’t locate the cutter there I wanted to, it got hit hard.”
Cody Bellinger broke the 1-1 tie in Sunday afternoon’s Red Sox-Yankees series finale by hitting a go-head solo home run in the eighth inning off of Boston’s reliever Justin Slaten – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
He was intense, perhaps a cutter did get away. Then again, the Red Sox could not keep it close and hand the ball to Chapman. Slaten said he will be ready next time he gets the ball. Tracy was prepared to go with Slaten in the eighth and Chapman to close.
“We’re going to get on a plane, get to Tampa, and try to win a series and say it’s a good road trip against a tough AL East stretch,” said Tracy. “That’s how you have to look at it. So that’s what we’ll do.”
Suárez said, “I felt good. The fifth, sixth and seventh, I felt good and strong.” But after 90 pitches and Tracy having his plan drawn out, Suárez was lifted. Remember it was a similar setup role back then for the Yankees versus Red Sox. Manager Joe Torre had a plan and at the end, he gave the ball to the greatest closer to ever do it: Mariano Rivera.
Ranger Suárez, recording six strikeouts across 6.1 innings in Sunday’s Red Sox-Yankees series finale, lowered his 2026 ERA to 3.18 – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Not this time for the Red Sox in a rivalry that will continue later this month at Fenway Park. Schlittler (5.2 IP, one run on four hits) had the fastball along with his command working, now allowing one run or fewer in 10 of his starts on the year. Additionally, his 1.87 ERA is third in the league.
“We gave ourselves some opportunities,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “And obviously really got it going there in the eighth. Ranger did a very good job with his four-seamers. It was more the different face of his fastball, four-seamer and cutter and he commands the ball pretty well.”
Said Suárez about the matchup with Schlittler, “It’s kinda moving fast and Schlittler is doing his thing. They are doing their thing. It’s kind of going back and forth through everything. It’s like every time we go out there that you almost have to be perfect. And there’s not a lot of margin for error.”
Cam Schlittler, recording five strikeouts over 5.2 innings on Sunday against the Red Sox, dropped his season ERA to an impressive 1.87 – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
That margin of error was part of the setup plan that didn’t work for Tracy and the Red Sox on Sunday. A part of the rivalry but not as intense as it once was and a Judge bat that Chisholm borrowed to seal it.
“I like when he does that,” Boone said about the bat.
Rich Mancuso is senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, boxing, and MLS – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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