Dobbins finished with six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out five. "The stuff was good," Alex Cora said.

Red Sox rookie Hunter Dobbins made news earlier this month when he said he hated the Yankees so much that he would retire if his only other choice was to play for them. At this point the Yankees would welcome that. They’ve seen enough of the 25-year-old righthander.

Like Dobbins, the Red Sox as a whole are trending in the right direction. Saturday’s win brought them back to .500 and back in the mix in the AL East. Once all of Boston’s pitchers are healthy, having Dobbins in the organization as a reliable extra arm wherever Cora needs him will be handy late in the season.