LONDON _ A few stray "Let's Go Red Sox" chants could be heard late Sunday afternoon, delivered in distinctly British accents.
And they grew heartier around London Stadium, as the "home team" scored four times and had the tying run on deck against none other than Zack Britton.
Yet, in the end, the Yankees made themselves completely at home during this weekend's London Series.
After spotting the Red Sox four runs in the first inning, the Yankees _ boosted by Luis Cessa's four scoreless relief innings _ roared back with a nine-run seventh and completed a 12-8 win and two-game sweep of MLB's first games played in Europe.
And in a fitting conclusion, Netherlands-born Didi Gregorius _ the only current Yankee born in Europe _ extended the club's MLB record home run streak to 31 games with an eighth-inning blast.
The games were long, drawn-out affairs with a parade of hits, baserunners and pitchers coming out of the bullpens, but "it's an awesome first step for baseball to introduces themselves to Europe," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said before the game.
"I don't think you can get any bigger than Yankees-Red Sox," the GM said. "That's a rivalry that'll play anywhere."
And now the first-place Yankees hold an 11-game lead on the defending world champion Red Sox, just over the halfway point of the season.
The Yankees are now 8-0 when using an "opener," though Chad Green got the abbreviated start in the first seven such games.
With Green unavailable after going two innings in relief of Masahiro Tanaka, earning the win in the Yankees' 17-13 victory on Saturday, manager Aaron Boone turned to rookie lefty Stephen Tarpley _ who wobbled through the inning.
J.D. Martinez homered directly after Xander Bogaerts' two-run shot, and one batter later Christian Vazquez connected for a solo homer that gave Boston an early 4-0 lead.
The Yanks scored twice in the second against starter Eduardo Rodriguez, the only runs they'd get off the lefty starter in his 5.1 innings (he threw 115 pitches).
All the damage came against Boston's porous bullpen, highlighted by Gary Sanchez's go-ahead, two-run single after an RBI double by Aaron Hicks.
The Yanks sent 14 men to the plate during an attack that included a two-run single by Gio Urshela and a two-run double by DJ LeMahieu, who began the rally with a leadoff double.
Boston's late eighth-inning rally forced Boone to go to his higher-leveraged relievers toward the end, but it ended with the Yanks' fifth straight win.
"I though the atmosphere was awesome, something memorable, something neat to be a part of," Boone said of Saturday's experience, heading into Sunday. "I even caught myself a couple of times, over the course of the game, really taking it all in."
Despite the length of the opening game, "every inning, every at-bat _ it was amazing," said Gleyber Torres.
The sights and sounds were something to remember, and it was particularly "amazing" to meet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. "An experience we'll never forget."
Yet, his personal enjoyment was "just (to) win the game," Torres said. "We came here to play baseball and we've got a chance to win the series."
