NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Gardner capped a slump-busting performance with a go-ahead, two-run triple off Craig Kimbrel in the eighth inning, Aaron Judge followed with a homer and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-6 Wednesday night for their 17th victory in 18 games.

Kimbrel (1-2) entered with two on and one out to face Gardner seeking the first five-out save of his career. Gardner drilled a full-count pitch into left-center, well over the head of center fielder Mookie Betts, who was playing shallow. Neil Walker scored easily from third and rookie Gleyber Torres raced from first and slid past a lunging tag attempted by catcher Christian Vazquez.

Judge followed with a line drive to center measured at 117 mph off the bat, his ninth homer of the season. He had three hits and three RBIs as New York won its eighth straight overall and 11th in a row at home.

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his ninth save. J.D. Martinez got a hit off Chapman and ran into the closer trying to round first base. Martinez argued for interference, but the umpires held him at first on a grounder hit inside the bag. Chapman struck out Mitch Moreland to end it.

Gardner doubled and scored twice earlier in the game after manager Aaron Boone predicted he would soon break out. The Yankees’ speedy leadoff man had batted .147 without an extra-base hit over his previous 19 games, but Boone was confident Gardner would contribute soon based on his exit velocities and other internal metrics.

New York (26-10) broke a tie with Boston for first place in the AL East and has sole possession of the best record in the majors for the first time since July 27, 2012. The Yankees are on a 35-8 tear in the Bronx since Sept. 2, including the postseason, and at 16-5 have the best home record in the majors this year.

The Yankees had walk-off wins in three of their previous five home games. This rally came an inning earlier.

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ASTROS 4, A’S 1

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Gerrit Cole struck out nine to raise his major league-leading total to 86, and the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 4-1 Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

Max Stassi and Derek Fisher hit consecutive home runs with two outs in the seventh off Daniel Mengden (2-4) for a 2-1 lead. Yuli Gurriel added a two-run double against Yusmiero Petit that extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

REDS 2, METS 1

CINCINNATI (AP) — The New York Mets wasted a first-inning rally by batting out of turn, and Adam Duvall led off the 10th with a homer to win it for Cincinnati.

Duvall connected for his first career game-ending homer, a drive off A.J. Ramos (1-2).

INDIANS 6, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Carlos Carrasco struck out 14 in a complete game and Tyler Naquin and Francisco Lindor homered for Cleveland.

Carrasco (5-1) gave up five hits, walked one and threw 117 pitches in his second complete game this season. He also hit an RBI single.

CUBS 13, MARLINS 4

CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant hit his 100th career homer, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell connected in an eight-run third inning, and Chicago routed Miami.

Rizzo also had a pair of doubles and finished with five RBIs as the Cubs outscored the Marlins 31-9 in a three-game sweep after dropping a season-high five in a row.

ANGELS 8, ROCKIES 0

DENVER (AP) — Rene Rivera homered with a sore right hand, Jaime Barria threw efficiently into the sixth inning and the Angels ended Colorado’s six-game winning streak.

Barria (3-1) allowed five hits and struck out seven over 5 1/3 innings.

RANGERS 5, TIGERS 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nomar Mazara led off the 10th inning with his second homer of the game, giving Texas its first winning home series this season.

Mazara pulled a 1-0 pitch into the right field seats off Warwick Saupold (1-1), the sixth Detroit pitcher. It was his first career game-ending homer. He has 10 home runs this season, seven in May.

PIRATES 6, CHISOX 5

CHICAGO (AP) — Colin Moran hit a two-run homer that capped a four-run rally against Nate Jones in the ninth inning, and Pittsburgh sent the White Sox to their fifth straight loss.

Starling Marte and Josh Bell singled off Jones (2-1), Elias Diaz had a two-run double and Moran homered.

Richard Rodriguez (1-1) got the win and Felipe Vazquez pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save in seven chances.

ORIOLES 5, ROYALS 3

BALTIMORE (AP) — Mark Trumbo delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, Chris Davis homered and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 Wednesday night to end a seven-game losing streak.

Jonathan Schoop had two hits and scored twice for the Orioles, who lost 18 of their previous 21 games.

Lucas Duda homered and drove in three runs for the Royals.

With two outs in the eighth, Manny Machado legged out a slow roller to third base for an infield single and Schoop sent him to third with a double. Trumbo then hit a liner up the middle that knocked Kansas City pitcher Kevin McCarthy (3-1) off his feet.

Richard Bleier (3-0) worked two innings and Brad Brach got three outs for his fourth save, striking out Jon Jay to end it with runners on second and third.

Orioles starter Andrew Cashner gave up three runs and six hits in six innings, his sixth straight outing without a victory.

Kansas City rookie Eric Skoglund allowed three runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings in his 11th career start.

Unlike on Tuesday night, when the first eight Royals reached base in a 10-run first inning, Cashner kept Kansas City hitless into the fourth. With two outs, Salvador Perez singled and Duda ripped an 0-1 pitch over the center-field wall.

In the bottom half, singles by Adam Jones and Schoop preceded a two-out, opposite-field shot to left by Davis. It was his second homer in two nights after he connected only twice through his first 31 games.

Kansas City tied it in the sixth when Jorge Soler doubled and scored on two-out bloop single by Duda. The Royals then loaded the bases before Cashner retired Alcides Escobar on a comebacker.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: CF Abraham Almonte left in the sixth with an illness. … RHP Justin Grimm (lower back stiffness) is getting closer to starting a rehabilitation assignment. On the DL since April 22, he threw live batting practice on Tuesday. “Felt really good, looked really good,” manager Ned Yost said.

Orioles: Relief pitcher Darren O’Day was placed on the 10-day DL with a hyperextended right elbow. … Baltimore closer Zach Britton (Achilles tendon) threw a bullpen. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Bundy could pitch in a minor league game before the end of the month, but “probably” not before May 28.

LOSING HURTS

Baltimore’s rocky start has been tough on everyone in the organization, including Showalter. “This game can beat up on anybody,” he said. “I didn’t need to have the period we’re in right now to remind me of that.”

UP NEXT

Royals: Ian Kennedy (1-3, 2.92 ERA) starts Thursday for the Royals, who will seek to win their second series of the year. Kennedy is 0-2 with a 6.98 ERA in five career appearances against Baltimore.

Orioles: Chris Tillman (1-5, 9.24) has yielded at least four runs in four of his five starts. In his last outing, the right-hander gave up seven runs and seven hits in one inning against the Angels.

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