NEW YORK _ Luis Severino was on the verge of escaping the jam.
The Yankees' right-hander had just issued a pair of one-out walks in the third inning when he induced a grounder to third off the bat of Eduardo Nunez for what could've been a double play. But Todd Frazier bobbled the ball as he transferred it from his glove to his throwing hand. Nunez reached on the error to load the bases and send Severino into deeper trouble.
Severino's outing spiraled out of control.
The Red Sox went on to score five runs in the inning, including the first of two three-run homers from Andrew Benintendi, and continued knocking Severino around on the way to a 10-5 win over the Yankees before 47,241 at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
Boston upped its lead in the AL East back to 4{ games over the Yanks with the victory.
The Yankees' offense showed some life in the ninth as Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury hit back-to-back homers off reliever Robby Scott, but the comeback attempt fell far short.
It was an all-around rough day for the Yankees.
Before the game, they placed Masahiro Tanaka on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.
And while he was signing autographs down the right-field line as the Red Sox took batting practice before the game, Jordan Montgomery was struck by a fly ball.
He walked off the field with the help of bullpen catcher Jason Brown and sat in the dugout with a towel on his head for several minutes before returning to the clubhouse.
The Yankees later announced Montgomery was in uniform for the game and was still scheduled to start Sunday's series finale.
Severino had been pitching brilliantly as he continued to cement his status as the ace of the Yankees' rotation. He had won four straight starts entering Saturday with an ERA of just 0.70 during that stretch.
But that run of excellence came to a crashing halt, although the Yankees' defense certainly didn't help him.
After allowing a three-run homer to Benintendi in the fifth, Mitch Moreland hit a one-out double. An error by shortstop Didi Gregorius then put runners at the corners for Giovanny Gallegos, who was called on to clean up the mess.
But he instead gave up a two-run double to Rafael Devers that gave Boston a 10-3 lead.
It also completed Severino's ugly line. He gave up 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits while walking two and striking out four in 41/3 innings.
After mounting a comeback on Friday, the Yankees' offense didn't rally on Saturday.
Aside from a two-run homer by Gary Sanchez in the first and an RBI groundout by Jacoby Ellsbury in the fourth, the Yankees couldn't get much going against Red Sox starter Drew Pomeranz.
