Yankees go up in flames for crushing loss to Red Sox

Yankees go up in flames for crushing loss to Red Sox

BOSTON — After Domingo German flirted with history, the Yankees went up in flames again in a 5-4 loss to the Red Sox on Sunday at Fenway Park, as the Yankees continue to find ways to top themselves with crushing losses.

Following a thrilling comeback win Saturday, German took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, with the Yankees seemingly ahead comfortably by four runs.

But after Alex Verdugo’s leadoff double to right ended German’s outing, Jonathan Loaisiga allowed all four batters he faced to reach and left with runners on second and third and no one out.

Zack Britton entered to face pinch-hitter Kevin Plawecki.

With the infield in, Plawecki grounded out slowly to short, allowing Franchy Cordero to score the tying run and Kiké Hernandez to move to third.

Xander Bogaerts, again with the infield in, hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Hernandez with the go-ahead run.

Giancarlo Stanton singled with two outs in the ninth off Matt Barnes and pinch-runner Tyler Wade stole second before Rougned Odor popped out to end it.

The collapse meant the Yankees lost three of four in the series and fell back to nine games behind Boston in the AL East.

The result seemed hard to imagine given how well German pitched.

Domingo German sits alone in the dugout after exiting Saturday's game.Domingo German sits alone in the dugout after exiting Saturday’s game.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

He gave up just a walk and struck out 10 before Verdugo’s double, with the Red Sox overmatched for much of the day.

And again, the Yankees’ offense was unable to tack on more runs when they had the chance.

The Yankees wasted a leadoff double by DJ LeMahieu in the first, with Stanton and Odor striking out and Gary Sanchez lining out to left.

They broke through in the third, as Greg Allen walked with one out and Stanton drew a two-out walk. Odor then flared a single to center to score Allen for the game’s first run. Sanchez whiffed to end the inning.

German retired the first six batters he faced before a leadoff walk to Hunter Renfroe in the bottom of the third.

Gleyber Torres started the fourth with a double to left, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brett Gardner and scored on a single off the Green Monster by Gio Urshela to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

As German cruised, Odor continued to hurt Boston pitching, hitting his 12th homer to lead off the sixth to make it 3-0.

Yacksel Rios replaced lefty Martin Perez to start the seventh and the Yankees loaded the bases with one out before the Red Sox went to lefty Josh Taylor to face Stanton, who whiffed again as his woes against Boston continued. Odor flied to right and the Yankees failed to pad their lead.

German retired 12 straight batters following that third-inning walk to Renfroe before Bogaerts reached on a passed ball, when Sanchez let a third strike get by him with one out in the seventh.

German then fanned Devers.

J.D. Martinez came up and lined an 0-2 pitch down the left-field line that went just foul before striking out swinging on German’s 90th pitch of the afternoon — nine short of his season-high. He hadn’t thrown more than 72 pitches in a game since June 19.

Sanchez tripled for the second time in his career to lead off the eighth and Torres drove him in with a single up the middle. Torres then swiped his fourth bag in three games.

Torres was picked off second base and the Yankees didn’t score again in the inning.

Verdugo led off the bottom of the inning by drilling a line drive over Allen in right. Allen initially came in on the ball and then got turned around, but it would have been a tough play regardless.

Aaron Boone immediately went to Loaisiga, who gave up an RBI double to Renfroe for the Red Sox’ first run.

Christian Vazquez followed with a bloop hit to center to drive in Renfroe and cut the Yankees’ lead to 4-2.

Franchy Cordero followed with a line shot up the middle before pitching coach Matt Blake went to the mound as Britton warmed in the bullpen. Hernandez belted a double to left to get the Red Sox to within a run.