BOSTON — Manager Joe Girardi was well aware of the ramifications of using Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller in a game that was out of hand early and made close by inept relief pitching.
“We are hoping not to use them, that’s the hope,’’ Girardi said after Betances and Miller cut off a late surge by the Red Sox to help the Yankees to a 13-8 victory in front of 34,416 Wednesday at Fenway Park. “In a sense, we had to stop each inning. We didn’t want it to get out of hand. You are hoping if you stop one inning you wouldn’t have to use the other two guys, but it didn’t work that way.’’
Betances was summoned in the eighth after Bryan Mitchell gave up two runs that cut the Yankees’ lead to 13-7 and left the bases loaded.
After throwing 16 pitches Tuesday night, Betances caught Pablo Sandoval looking and retired Xander Bogaerts on a grounder to strand three.
Caleb Cotham started the ninth but when he surrendered consecutive doubles to open the frame, Girardi went to Miller and then held his breath when the closer took a line drive off the inside of his right leg.
“I’ll be fine,’’ said Miller, who was hobbling a bit moving around the clubhouse. “No big deal.’’
Using your late-inning stud relievers in what was a blowout game is a big deal because Betances and Miller will be needed as the Yankees attempt to catch the Blue Jays in the AL East and secure a wild-card spot.
“A win is a win and we have an off day [Thursday] and they can rest but preferably you would rather not use them,’’ Girardi said of Betances and Miller, who have appeared in 61 and 48 games, respectively.
Eight runs in the second inning when Greg Bird, John Ryan Murphy and Carlos Beltran homered were followed by three in the third thanks to the sizzling Stephen Drew’s homer. The long balls staked Masahiro Tanaka to an 11-1 lead after three and even with Fenway’s history as a hitters delight, the 10-run bulge looked safe.
Tanaka (11-6) gave up a run in the fifth and sixth and exited with one out and one on in the seventh.
“When we score that many runs I am thinking if I do my job we will have a good chance of winning ,’’ said Tanaka, who gave up four runs and six hits in 6 ¹/₃ innings.
The victory allowed the Yankees, who have won five of six, to leave Fenway 1 ¹/₂ games behind the high-flying Blue Jays in the AL East following Toronto’s victory against Cleveland.
It was a massive day for the bottom of the Yankees’ order, as the Nos. 6 through 9 hitters — Bird, Murphy, Didi Gregorius and Drew — combined for eight hits, seven RBIs and each hit homers.
Drew’s late-season surge continued with a 3-for-4 day that included his 17th homer.
“It’s good to have the confidence back,’’ said Drew, who has nine hits in the last 20 at-bats (.450). “I know what I can do. I kept my head up the whole time. It’s a good feeling to hit the ball the way I have the past week.’’
Drew is correct, but that good feeling was balanced by Girardi feeling he had to go to his late-game studs because there are only so many bullets to be fired this late in the season.