Red Sox - 010 100 330 - 8 9 0 Yankees - 010 000 030 - 4 5 3The Red Sox bounced back from their 19-inning Friday night marathon, while the Yankee bats never got a wake-up call against Joe Kelly (7-2-1-2-8, 93).
Kelly allowed only three baserunners - all of them in the second inning - and gave the bullpen a much-needed day off. Activated from the disabled list before the game, Kelly retired the final 17 batters he faced.
Brock Holt went 4-for-5 with three RBI. Dustin Pedroia and Daniel Nava each drove in two runs. Xander Bogaerts and Ryan Hanigan each scored twice.
Mike Napoli, leading off the second inning, reached on a fielding error by Alex Rodriguez, who was making his first career start at first base. Two groundouts moved the Bearded One to third, and he scored on Nava's double to left. Brett Gardner drifted back on the ball, but he stumbled and fell down.
The Yankees, as they did twice in extra innings last night, answered the Red Sox with a run of their own. Slappy lined a single to left and, with one out, Kelly walked both Garrett Jones and John Ryan Murphy. Didi Gregorius lofted a fly ball down the left field line. Nava caught it and Rodriguez came home to tie the game at 1-1. Kelly then struck out Gregorio Petit to end the rally.
With two outs in the fourth, Pablo Sandoval singled, Allen Craig walked, and Nava rapped an RBI single to left-center. Boston led 2-1.
Boston put the game away in the seventh and eighth. Xander Bogaerts was on first with one out when he stole second and took third on Murphy's throwing error. Ryan Hanigan grounded to third, but even with the New York infield in, Bogaerts still beat Chase Headley's wide throw home. Brock Holt singled and Dustin Pedroia crushed a two-run double to dead center, the ball flying well over Young's head to the wall.
In the eighth, it looked like the Red Sox had been retired in order. But manager John Farrell challenged the third out call on Nava's grounder and the "out" call was changed, the umpires saying that Rodriguez had pulled his foot off the bag. Given a second chance, Boston took full advantage. Bogaerts lined the ball off the pitcher's foot for a hit, and Hanigan walked to load the bases. Holt then hit a bases-clearing double that should have been an E9. Jones may have been battling the sun, but he was under the ball when it clanked off the side of his glove. (Even with the generous home team scoring decisions on Nava's second-inning double and this play, the Yankees committed three errors.)
Alexi Ogando allowed a three-run homer to Chris Young before Anthony Varvaro and Robbie Ross finished up. Boston is now 4-1, while New York dropped to 1-4.
Holt, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Sandoval, 3B
Craig, RF
Nava, LF
Bogaerts, SS
Hanigan, C
I like your reports! They help settle me down when I have RS-agitation.... But I can handle my agitation as long as they keep winning a straight 80% of their games.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate them too, Allan. I've only seen pieces of all but the opener. Your summary is, as it has been for a quite a few seasons now, the first thing I want to read about the game the next morning.
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