Boston's Cedanne Rafaela reacts after striking out during Friday night's game vs. the Yankees at Fenway Park. (AP photo)

BOSTON (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his 362nd career homer to pass Joe DiMaggio on the Yankees’ all-time list, and Luis Gil pitched six no-hit innings to beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Friday night and help New York expand its edge in the race for home-field advantage in the American League playoffs.

Gil (4-1) left with a no-hitter intact after six innings and 93 pitches, but reliever Fernando Cruz gave up a home run to Nate Eaton with one out in the seventh — one of Boston’s two hits. There has not been a no-hitter in the majors this season.

The Yankees opened a 1 1/2-game lead over the Red Sox in the race for the AL’s top wild-card berth, which would give them potential home-field advantage over the Red Sox in the first round of the postseason.

A day after hitting two homers to tie DiMaggio for fourth on the Yankees’ career home run list, Judge hit a 468-foot solo shot in the first inning that was the longest home run at Fenway Park since his 470-foot shot last July.

“It’s special, but just like all those guys in front of me on those lists, they weren’t playing for records. They were playing to win,” Judge said. “I’m just trying to follow in their footsteps. I’m here to win.”

New York made it 2-0 in the third after Ben Rice was awarded first base on catcher’s interference. Cody Bellinger followed with an RBI single to score Judge, who had walked.

“I’m trying to help put this team in the best position every single night,” Judge said. “That comes with homers, that comes with big moments like that. It’s pretty cool. But I think all those guys in front of me — and especially DiMaggio — all those guys they played to win in New York and and win for this team. So I’m going to keep trying to do that. And we can talk about the milestones at the end.”

Gil struck out four and walked four. He also had two wild pitches and a balk. David Bednar pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.

Lucas Giolito (10-4) allowed two runs — one earned — in 5 2/3 innings.

Key moment

Boston put runners on first and second with nobody out in the fifth — still without a hit. With one out, they moved up on a double-steal attempt that forced Gil into a balk. But Gil struck out Ceddanne Rafaela and then got Jarren Duran to line out to end the inning.

Key stat

Carlos Narváez has been called for catcher’s interference six times, the most in the majors. Yankees manager Aaron Boone thought he might have committed one in the first inning as well, but the umpires ruled that Boone waited too long to ask for a review.

Up next

Yankees LHP Max Fried (16-5) will face Boston RHP Brayan Bello (11-6) on Saturday.