NEW YORK -- With nobody out in the bottom of the sixth inning Monday, New York Yankees catcher John-Ryan Murphy stopped at second base and asked for time to remove his shin guard -- a move that was unnecessary because Boston Red Sox left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. had robbed him of extra bases by making an acrobatic catch.

This was a microcosm of a night the Yankees' offense just couldn't get on track in a 5-1 loss to the Red Sox.

"I asked him for time and he said you're out," Murphy said. "I went to the dugout and watched the video. I had my head down and Jackie got there and he caught it."

"I had to be told that he was standing on second and a lot of people got a kick out of it" Bradley said.

Three innings earlier when the Yankees held a 1-0 lead, Bradley made a leaping catch on the warning track in front of the scoreboard to rob third baseman Chase Headley of at least a double. When Murphy hit his drive, Bradley raced back, leaped and made an over the shoulder play.

"Twice, he did it, and it was pretty amazing to see the footwork and see the reaction and see the route to the ball," Boston interim manager Torey Lovullo said. "I know on one of them Murphy thought he had a double. Jackie's amazing."

When he made his second catch, Bradley protected a 2-1 lead. The Red Sox had the lead when first baseman Travis Shaw drove a 2-1 fastball from right-hander Ivan Nova into the right field seats with two outs in the sixth.

"First one, I just wanted to get back there in time," Bradley said. "I had him played to pull. He hit it in the gap a little bit so I knew I had to take off and try to time my steps to make a leap and then prepare myself to hit the wall. Second catch was one of those shots that are right at you, but it's over your head. One of those balls where I can't take my eyes off it because it's hit so low and I just tried to time it out and made a leap just in time."

An inning later, Bradley hit a 1-0 fastball far enough to clear the left field wall for a 4-1 lead. With two outs in the ninth, third baseman Devin Marrero added insurance with his first career home run.

Aided by Bradley's catches, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (10-6) made it stand up. He allowed a sacrifice fly to designated hitter to Alex Rodriguez in the first along with seven hits in six innings.

The second time he faced the 40-year-old slugger, Rodriguez struck him out with a full count and a fastball with the bases loaded in the second.

"I tried to throw what I want and get a strikeout," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez's pitching out of trouble, the catches and home runs prevented the Yankees from edging closer to the postseason for the first time in three years.

"What's important is to play good baseball" Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran said. "Playoff games, it's not about hitting, it's about pitching. Right now we have to fight, we have to be able put good at-bats together and feel good about ourselves."

The Yankees (86-70) still need to win at least two of their final six games to get in for the first time in three years. The combination of one more loss and one more Toronto Blue Jays win will officially eliminate the Yankees from the AL East race.

After going 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position during a 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, the Yankees were hitless in seven at-bats in those situations and did not get a hit during their final 14 at-bats with men on base, leaving the potential tying run in the on deck circle in the ninth.

"I thought we swung the bats pretty good," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "We just didn't get a hit with runners in scoring position and their outfielders made some pretty good plays tonight behind their starting pitcher. I thought we hit the ball pretty hard tonight. We just didn't get the hits when runners were on."

Nova (6-10) allowed four runs and seven hits in seven innings.

NOTES: The Yankees announced RHP Masahiro Tanaka (hamstring) will rejoin the rotation Wednesday, potentially putting him in line to start the wild-card playoff game Oct. 6. ... New York RHP Nathan Eovaldi (right elbow inflammation) played catch for the third straight day but is unlikely to be available in the bullpen for a wild-card game. ... OF Rusney Castillo (strained right quad) was out of Boston's lineup and is day-to-day. Manager Torey Lovullo said he thinks Castillo would be able to play Tuesday. ... Boston LF Hanley Ramirez (right shoulder inflammation) did not accompany the team to New York. After the game, Lovullo said Ramirez will begin rehabbing in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. with his personal trainer and physical therapist Tuesday. ... Boston is staying in the same Manhattan hotel as President Obama, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly.