Josh Donaldson’s walk-off gives the Yankees victory over the Red Sox

The Yankees didn’t get what they wanted before their game on Friday when they failed to sign Aaron Judge on a long-term extension ahead of his opening day.

On the field, however, they delivered a dramatic win over the Red Sox early in the season when Josh Donaldson hit a game-winning singles to head Ghost Runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa for a 6-5, 11-inning win at Yankee Stadium.

Michael King threw a perfect shot in 11th before Kiner-Falefa came on as a ghost runner. Donaldson, taking on right-hander Kutter Crawford, who was only in his second game of his MLB career, went in the middle to lead from the bottom of 11th place, drove into Kiner-Falefa and gave the Yankees the win on his debut with the franchise.

General manager Brian Cashman announced before the game that the Yankees and Judge could not agree on a long-term extension and the star right fielder would face arbitration. Then, in front of a sold-out crowd of 46,097, the Yankees fell 3-0 when the Red Sox’s Gerrit Cole was beaten to three runs up top of the first.

The Yankees ace led Kiké Hernandez to four pitches to start the game and then allowed a two-barrel home run into the second deck to Rafael Devers right to put the Yankees in an early hole. It was Devers’ fourth homer ahead of Cole in 20 career at-bats.

Xander Bogaerts followed with a laser off the wall to the left for a long single. He hit a right with a double from JD Martinez, which caused the stadium crowd to erupt in boos as the Yankees fell 3-0 behind.

Cole eventually took first from the game on a comeback by Alex Verdugo, prompting a mock cheer. He finished the inning and eventually allowed those three runs over a four-inning outing before being removed after 68 pitches.

It was another poor outing for Cole against the Red Sox. He was also hit hard at the wild card game in Boston last year when he didn’t make an out in the third inning before being eliminated in the Yankees’ season-ending loss.

The Yankees got back into play at the end of the first when Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer to hit Nathan Eovaldi with right center after Judge selected with an out.

Giancarlo Stanton leveled the score at 3-3 with a leadoff homer late in the fourth.

Chad Green replaced Cole and threw a scoreless fifth before the Yankees almost took the lead at the end of the inning.

Donaldson led with a single and moved up to second when Rizzo was wrist drilled by a 97 mph fastball from Eovaldi. However, Stanton struck and DJ LeMahieu’s liner to the left was caught by a diving Verdugo.

Clay Holmes stepped up to start the sixth and immediately allowed Bogaerts to double down the line.

Bogaerts advanced with a grounder in second from Martinez in third and scored on a Verdugo single through the tucked infield to give the Red Sox the lead again.

Holmes was snapped by Bobby Dalbec after a two-out single. Miguel Castro stepped in and walked Jackie Bradley Jr. before defeating Christian Vazquez to end the inning.

LeMahieu tied it with a homer to right center of former Yankees prospect Garrett Whitlock at the bottom of eighth.

Aroldis Chapman finished the team at the top of the order in ninth place.

Bogaerts batted an RBI single and carried the Red Sox to the top of 10th with a run before Gleyber Torres’ pinch-hit victim fly evened the score.