BOSTON _ A hopeful and more youthful Yankees club had arrived at Fenway Park on Thursday with all their wildest October dreams intact.
They departed Sunday night thoroughly defeated, and already feeling winter's chill.
Hanley Ramirez was most responsible for shoving the Yankees toward the offseason, clubbing two more home runs in a 5-4 Red Sox's win before 37,306 fans.
For the first time since 1990, the Red Sox (85-64) swept a four-game series from the Yankees, losers of five straight games and seven of their last eight _ with just 13 games left to play.
The Yankees (77-72) remained four games back of the last AL wild-card spot, but with four teams to climb. And after being one out away from pulling within three games of first-place Boston, Joe Girardi's club is a distant eight games out.
Ramirez's game-winning homer Thursday off Dellin Betances had capped a five-run ninth, giving Boston a 7-5 win in the series opener. And he struck first Sunday against starter CC Sabathia, whose critical error opened the gate.
Working with a 4-0 lead, Sabathia blew a chance to escape unscathed in the fifth inning. Sabathia snared Mookie Betts' one-out line drive, but he overthrew first baseman Billy Butler and missed completing an easy, inning-ending double play.
That brought up Ramirez, who punished a 3-and-1 pitch _ Sabathia's 100th of the night _ over the Green Monster, cutting the lead to 4-3.
Despite his heavy pitch count Sabathia started the sixth and could not record an out.
Jackie Bradley Jr. collected the last of three straight singles, tying the game and chasing Sabathia. But reliever Blake Parker entered and pitched out of the jam with a groundout and two strikeouts _ including pinch-hitter David Ortiz, who whiffed on three pitches.
In the seventh, Ramirez barely missed hitting single off Tyler Clippard. The hard shot was called foul by third base umpire Bill Welke, sending Ramirez back to the batter's box.
On a full-count pitch, Ramirez destroyed a Clippard fastball well over the Monster for a 5-4 lead that sent Fenway into a frenzy.
For the series, Ramirez went 9-for-16 against the Yanks with four homers and nine RBIs.
"We know we're making it tough on ourselves, but I don't expect this group to give up until we're eliminated said reliever Adam Warren, who absorbed Saturday's loss. "I don't think anybody here thinks we're completely out of it now but we know it's going to be tough.
"We know we're going to have to win almost every game just to get back in this thing."
After Monday's off day, the Yankees' 11-game road trip resumes Tuesday against the last-place Rays, followed by a four-games series against the Blue Jays.
The Yankees arrive home for two final series against the Red Sox and Orioles.
Sanchez's two-out, solo home run over the Green Monster was his 16th of the year in just his 41st game, and it gave the Yanks a 2-0 lead.
"People have gotten very excited about him, but it's a message to our players in the minor leagues. You can come up and be really successful," Joe Girardi said before the game of Sanchez, who served Sunday as the designated hitter. "Come up, do your job and play really well and you can have a big impact."
Mason Williams seemed to get the message.
Starting in center field for Jacoby Ellsbury (bone bruise, right knee), Williams' bat and legs contributed to a two-run fourth.
Just called up for the injured Starlin Castro (strained hamstring), Donovan Solano opened the fourth with an infield hit and moved to third on Williams' double off the lower part of the left-center field wall.
Boston unsuccessfully challenged the close play at second and after Brett Gardner's groundout pushed Solano home from third.
Williams gambled on a Ronald Torreyes tapper to third base. As third baseman Aaron Hill threw to second for a force play, Williams came charging home from third _ sliding in just ahead of the tag for a 4-0 Yankees lead.
Gardner had opened the game with a double and scored on a two-out Didi Gregorius single.
