BOSTON -- Rick Porcello set the bar pretty high for Nathan Eovaldi on Friday night, but Boston's new power right-hander almost reached it with a worthy Saturday encore that once again completely shut down the Yankees.
Behind Eovaldi's mastery (eight shutout innings, three hits), the Red Sox came through with a 4-1 victory at Fenway Park that opened up a whopping 8 1/2-game lead over their slumping rivals in the American League East.
Boston (78-34) will go for the four-game rivalry sweep on Sunday night, when lefty David Price takes the mound.