Red Sox 4, Yankees 3
BOSTON -- David Ortiz inched closer to the 500-home run club with his 495th career homer and Mookie Betts added a two-run blast as the Boston Red Sox squeaked out a 4-3 win over the rival New York Yankees in the opener of a three-game series Monday evening at Fenway Park.
Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius was 4-for-5, and he flied out to the warning track in right with the bases loaded for the final out of the game, barely missing a grand slam.
Red Sox closer Jean Machi pitched the ninth and picked up the save despite allowing a hit and three walks and forcing in a run with a bases-loaded walk in his one inning of work.
Ortiz, the designated hitter, now has three homers in four games and 29 in 2015 while young center fielder Betts increased his season home run total to 13 as Boston (61-70) ended the month on a high note.
The last-place Red Sox went 15-12 in August, only their second winning month of the season.
Ortiz and Betts each had two hits and Red Sox left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was 3-for-3. Boston third baseman Pablo Sandoval added some insurance with his RBI groundout in the seventh.
Eduardo Rodriguez (8-5) got the win in a brief five-inning outing, as the Red Sox left-hander allowed just two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits and three walks while striking out four.
Ivan Nova (5-7) didn't make it out of the fourth for New York (72-58), which failed to gain ground in the AL East pennant race after the first-place Toronto Blue Jays lost Monday.
The right-hander gave up three runs on seven hits and struck out three in 4 2/3 innings.
Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran and third baseman Chase Headley each had one RBI for the Yankees, who stranded 14 runners on base.
New York loaded the bases three times in the first five innings, but had little to show for it.
Beltran's sacrifice fly was all the Yankees could muster in the first after loading the bases on back-to-back errors and a single by designated hitter Alex Rodriguez to open the game.
Gregorius singled in a run with the bases jammed and nobody out in the fourth. But Boston skirted danger again after a groundout and Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury's line out to left fielder Bradley, who nailed the runner trying to score from third after the catch for the inning-ending out.
A pair of home runs gave the Red Sox their leads as Betts' two-run blast in the third landed in the Green Monster seats and Ortiz's go-ahead solo shot barely cleared the wall in left an inning later.
NOTES: Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira (right shin bruise) was sent back to New York for additional testing and will miss the series against the Red Sox. Greg Bird started in place of Teixeira, who has now missed four straight games. ... Yankees starter RHP Ivan Nova had allowed three or fewer runs in four of his last six starts against Boston coming in. ... LF Hanley Ramirez (right shoulder fatigue) was not in Boston's lineup. Ramirez fielded ground balls at first base before the game. Jackie Bradley Jr. started in left field. ... Boston C Ryan Hanigan started after missing two games with a tight calf muscle. ... Red Sox RHP Rick Porcello (6-11, 5.47 ERA) will face Yankees RHP Michael Pineda (9-8, 4.19) on Wednesday. ... New York had won eight of 12 games against Boston this season entering Monday.