First Tanner Pearson Jersey , it was third-string catcher Kyle Higashioka getting the silent treatment in the dugout after a home run. Then, the same for Aaron Hicks when he hit homer No. 3.

On a 91-degree night with the pennant race heating up, the New York Yankees enjoyed some more yucks against their biggest rival.

Hicks launched three home runs and the Yankees pummeled David Price again, connecting five times in the first four innings Sunday on the way to an 11-1 rout of the Boston Red Sox.

”It feels awesome,” Hicks said. ”I blacked out after the third one. Kind of didn’t know what to do. But I mean, it’s exciting.”

Luis Severino became the first 13-game winner in the majors, cruising through 6 2/3 shutout innings of two-hit ball after the Bronx Bombers quickly built him a big cushion. With the teams trading blowouts all weekend, the Yankees (54-27) took two of three from Boston to regain baseball’s best record and first place in the AL East.

”It’s going to be a dogfight. We have a good team, they have a good team,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ”A weird series, honestly. It was very weird. Weird games.”

Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres also homered for New York, which leads the 19-game season series 5-4. The next time the teams meet is early August at Fenway Park.

”I’m sure it’s going to be a fun few months,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

The first Yankees leadoff batter to hit three home runs in a game, Hicks connected twice from the right side of the plate and once from the left. He smacked a two-run shot to right field in the second inning and a solo drive to center in the fourth that chased Price (9-6) and made it 8-0.

Hicks pulled his 14th of the season into the right-field stands in the eighth off Hector Velazquez. It was the first three-homer game by a Yankees player since Alex Rodriguez, part of the ESPN broadcast crew Sunday Miles Wood Jersey , accomplished the feat at Minnesota in July 2015.

The only other Yankees hitter to go deep three times at the current Yankee Stadium was Curtis Granderson in April 2012 against the Twins.

Judge had three hits and scored three times. Torres socked a three-run shot that gave New York a 4-0 lead in the first, and the Yankees finished with a season-high six homers to boost their major league-leading total to 137, setting a franchise record for before the All-Star break.

Exactly halfway through its season, New York is on pace to surpass the 1997 Seattle Mariners’ mark of 264 homers.

”That’s probably as good a night as we’ve had all year,” Boone said. ”Obviously, a big series to grab it on Sunday here. That’s a peak at what we can do.”

Higashioka homered into the second deck in left field off Price for his first major league hit after an 0-for-22 start to his career. Higashioka, wearing No. 66 in pinstripes, received the silent treatment when he returned to the bench before happy teammates finally engulfed him.

”The feeling is indescribable,” Higashioka said at his locker, the team’s championship belt for the night draped over his chair. ”I laughed. I didn’t expect that, but I mean, obviously it was amazing. It was just a great feeling.”

Price was rocked for eight earned runs – matching a career high – and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings, his latest flop against the Yankees. He had never given up more than three homers in a game.

Severino (13-2) lowered his AL-leading ERA to 1.98 and improved to 8-0 at home this season. He walked off to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 46,795 and tipped his cap , right on track to become the first Yankees pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roger Clemens in 2001.

”It means a lot Juuse Saros Jersey ,” Severino said. ”Facing the Red Sox is one of the best things in baseball.”

Boston (56-29) was outhit 16-4 and didn’t score until the ninth.

THE PRICE IS WRONG

Making his 40th career appearance (39th start) vs. the Yankees, Price fell to 2-6 with an 8.43 ERA in nine starts against them since signing a $217 million contract with Boston before the 2016 season. He has faced New York twice this year, allowing 12 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, and is 0-5 with a 10.44 ERA in his last five starts at Yankee Stadium.

”Honestly, I felt fine. They put some good swings on what I felt like were pretty good pitches,” said Price, who entered 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA in nine starts since being diagnosed with a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome that caused him to miss a scheduled turn at New York in May. ”I’ve faced the Yankees many times. It’s time for me to kind of go back to that drawing board.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg is expected back this week after rehabbing from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome last June.

Yankees: Higashioka started at catcher for Austin Romine, who exited Saturday’s game with tightness in his left hamstring. A precautionary MRI was negative, and Romine was available off the bench. He could return to the lineup Monday night against Atlanta. Romine has been filling in for All-Star backstop Gary Sanchez (groin), who might be able to come off the disabled list right after the All-Star break July 20-22 against the Mets. … GM Brian Cashman said if everything goes well, RHP Masahiro Tanaka (two strained hamstrings) will make a minor league rehab start this week and rejoin the Yankees early next week in Baltimore – perhaps in time to pitch in a July 9 doubleheader.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Three interleague games at Washington, where RHP Rick Porcello (9-3, 3.60 ERA) faces former Detr In his first public comments since he declined at the last minute to accept the Indianapolis Colts‘ head coaching position, Josh McDaniels denied Friday that he’d made any deal to succeed Bill Belichick as coach of the New England Patriots.

McDaniels listed several reasons for remaining in New England as Belichick’s offensive coordinator – some personal, some football-related. But he said his job is no different than it was before his near-departure for Indianapolis.

”No Johan Larsson Jersey , I mean my role is the same,” McDaniels said when asked if he’d received any assurances of becoming the Patriots’ next coach. ”Look, I think if you’re here, you have an opportunity to work with and for some of the best people in our game, maybe some of the best people that have ever done those things in our game. So I just feel like it’s a great opportunity to be here in my role.”

That role will continue to be calling plays and working with quarterback Tom Brady.

”Whatever happens in the future’s going to happen,” he said. ”I’ll be happy with whatever that is.”

McDaniels and the rest of the Patriots’ assistants spoke to reporters at Gillette Stadium on Friday for the first time since New England’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.

The Colts thought they had hired McDaniels two days later, tweeting out a welcome and even scheduling a news conference for the next day. Instead, McDaniels, who was coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009-10, changed his mind and returned to the Patriots for his 10th season as offensive coordinator.

”You know there’s a lot that goes into those things and it can be very complicated,” he said. ”I’ve stated again and again that I definitely want to be a head coach again. At the same time, I love being here.

”This is where my kids are born and raised and we’ve made a pretty special life here and that’s not an easy thing to leave. There’s a lot to consider, and certainly leaving here I don’t take lightly ever. … It was a difficult process and I’m very happy with the decision that we made.”

While McDaniels returns to his old role, linebackers coach Brian Flores’ duties will expand. Although he won’t have the title of defensive coordinator, Flores will call the plays. This isn’t a new situation for Belichick’s staff: Matt Patricia Ivan Provorov Jersey , who left to become coach of the Detroit Lions in January, called plays from 2009-11 before getting the defensive coordinator title in 2012.

The Patriots ranked 29th in yards allowed per game (366) but were fifth in points allowed (18.5) last season.

Flores doesn’t anticipate making a personal stamp on the defense just because he’ll be calling the plays.

”I think there’s a long history of this defense. Bill’s been here for a number of years, so I would say we’re going to continue to play defense like we’ve played for the last 18 seasons since he’s been here,” Flores said. ”My role in that is no different than any other coach on the team. We’re trying to put something together here and do whatever helps us win, you know. You can call it a personal imprint, but it’s a team imprint. … We’re trying to build to be as good as we can be.”

Notes: The Patriots released OL Tony Garcia on Thursday. Garcia, a third-round pick in the 2017 draft out of Troy, spent last season on the reserve/non-football injury list. … New England also signed 2018 fifth-round draft pick LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, sixth-round draft picks LB Christian Sam and WR Braxton Berrios and seventh-round picks QB Danny Etling, DB Keion Crossen and TE Ryan Izzo. Terms of the contracts were not announced. In addition, the Patriots signed nine rookie free agents.

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