BOSTON (Interstat) — Connelly Early pitched six strong innings and Caleb Durbin delivered a two-run homer in a four-run fifth inning as the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 6-3 on Thursday night at Fenway Park before 36,307 fans.

The game lasted 2 hours, 58 minutes.

Early, who improved to 7-5, allowed five hits and two earned runs while striking out nine. He walked one. The left-hander rebounded from a rough outing June 14 against Texas, when he gave up 11 hits and six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. Early had won his previous start at Seattle on June 20, throwing six innings of one-run ball.

Cam Schlittler took the loss for New York, falling to 8-4. He pitched five innings, allowing five hits and no earned runs — all four Boston runs in the fifth were unearned after a fielding error by third baseman Amed Rosario — while striking out nine and walking two. Schlittler had been sharp through four innings, holding the Red Sox scoreless on two hits.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 15th save, working a scoreless ninth inning despite allowing two hits. He induced a groundout to end the game with the tying run at the plate.

The Yankees struck first, scoring a run in the opening inning. Paul Goldschmidt led off with a double to center field off Early. After Ben Rice flied out, Amed Rosario singled to left, moving Goldschmidt to third. Cody Bellinger struck out, but Jasson Domínguez singled to center, scoring Goldschmidt. Rosario advanced to second, but Anthony Volpe struck out to end the inning.

New York extended its lead in the fourth. José Caballero led off with a home run to left-center field, his eighth of the season, making it 2-0. The Yankees had a chance for more when Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked in the seventh and Austin Wells singled, but the only run scored on a Goldschmidt groundout that plated Chisholm.

The decisive moment came in the bottom of the fifth. Schlittler had been in control, but the inning began with a walk to Masataka Yoshida. Ceddanne Rafaela singled to center, putting runners at first and second. Wilyer Abreu struck out, but then Willson Contreras reached on a fielder’s choice. Yoshida scored when Rosario’s throw to second was errant, allowing Contreras to advance to second while Rafaela went to third. Jarren Duran followed with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Rafaela and tying the game at 2-2.

With two outs, Durbin stepped in and launched a fly ball to left field that cleared the Green Monster, giving Boston a 4-2 lead. Anthony Seigler struck out to end the inning, but the damage was done.

The Yankees pulled within a run in the seventh, but Boston answered with two more in the eighth. Durbin walked to start the inning, then Seigler singled to right. Carlos Narváez attempted a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error by reliever Yerry De los Santos loaded the bases with no outs. After Marcelo Mayer popped out, Nate Eaton was hit by a pitch on a play that Boston challenged and won, forcing in Durbin. Rafaela then grounded into a force out that scored Monasterio, giving Boston a 6-2 lead.

New York mounted a threat in the ninth. With one out, Chisholm walked and Caballero singled, putting runners at first and second. But Chapman struck out Max Schuemann and got Rice to ground out to end the game.

The Yankees out-hit Boston 8-7, but the Red Sox capitalized on two New York errors, both of which proved costly. Schlittler’s line was marred by the unearned runs, while Early’s ability to limit damage after the first inning kept Boston in striking distance.

Durbin went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Caballero was 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI for New York. Goldschmidt doubled and singled, scoring once and driving in a run.

Boston’s bullpen combined for two scoreless innings. Danny Coulombe retired the only batter he faced in the seventh, and Garrett Whitlock struck out one in a perfect eighth. Chapman worked the ninth.

New York’s relievers also performed well. Ryan Yarbrough pitched two-thirds of an inning, Paul Blackburn struck out one in a perfect seventh, and Tim Hill threw a scoreless eighth. But the damage had been done in Schlittler’s fifth.

The victory improved Boston to 33-46. New York fell to 48-32, still holding the best record in the American League.

Boston had lost four of its previous six games entering Thursday. The Red Sox had dropped a 6-5 decision at Colorado on Wednesday, though they won 5-2 and 6-2 at Seattle earlier in the week. The Yankees came into the game having won two straight at Detroit, including a 4-2 victory Wednesday, after dropping three of four against Cincinnati.

The series continues Friday, with the Yankees and Red Sox meeting again at Fenway Park. The Yankees then return home to host Detroit, while Boston welcomes Washington.

In a game that featured a combined 26 strikeouts — 13 by each team — the Red Sox made the most of their opportunities. Boston’s pitchers threw 20 strikes, 45 balls and 20 balls in play. New York’s pitchers threw 21 strikes, 47 balls and 21 balls in play.

The most important sequence occurred in the fifth inning, when a throwing error by Rosario turned a potential inning-ending groundout into a run-scoring fielder’s choice, opening the door for Boston’s four-run outburst. Without that miscue, Schlittler likely escapes the inning unscathed and the Yankees maintain a 2-0 lead. Instead, Durbin’s homer changed the game’s complexion completely.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New York 6, Boston 4, and the ELO system gave the Yankees a 57.80 percent probability to win. New York had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of nine runs went under the over-under line of eight.