August 12, 2017

G116: Red Sox 10, Yankees 5

Red Sox - 005 050 000 - 10 12  2
Yankees - 200 100 002 -  5  9  2


It took about 20 pitches for the Red Sox to tee off on Luis Severino. The Yankees' top starter had retired the first seven batters on only 19 pitches. He had a bit of trouble with the next seven, however:
BB, BB, E5, 1B (2 runs), HR (3 runs), 1B, 1B
Severino struck out the side in the fourth, but Boston smacked him around again in the fifth, scoring three runs before he recorded an out. After he left, rookie reliever Giovanny Gallegos allowed a couple of inherited runners to score. His line: 4.1-8-10-2-4, 90.

Andrew Benintendi hit two home runs and drove in six runs. At 23 years and 37 days, Benintendi is the youngest Red Sox player to drive in six runs against the Yankees since RBI became an official stat in 1920. He's also the second-youngest Red Sox player since 1920 with multiple home runs in a road game against the Yankees (Mookie Betts is the youngest (22 years, 358 days; September 30, 2015)).

Since getting two days rest at the start of the month, Benintendi has multiple hits in six of his eight games and is batting .517 (15-for-29) with four home runs. He's also now 6-for-11 (.545) with two homers against Severino.

Drew Pomeranz (6.2-7-3-2-5, 111) keeps rolling along, lowering his ERA to 3.39. He's allowed more than three runs only once in his last 11 starts. In fact, in eight of those 11 starts, he's allowed two runs or fewer.

But the Yankees did nick him for a pair of first-inning runs. After Brett Gardner singled, Pom struck out Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge, and got ahead of Gary Sanchez 0-2. But Sanchez was able to poke the next pitch down the right field line for a two-run dong.

Boston took control of the game in the third. Christian Vazquez worked a nine-pitch walk with one out. Jackie Bradley fell behind 0-2 before taking four balls. An error by third baseman Todd Frazier on Eduardo Nunez's grounder loaded the bases. Betts singled to left, scoring Vazquez and Bradley. Benintendi followed with a three-run homer to right. Hanley Ramirez and Mitch Moreland both singled, but Xander Bogaerts lined into a double play, with Ramirez getting doubled off second.

Severino was on the ropes again in the fifth. Nunez singled, Betts doubled, and Benintendi hit another three-run shot to right. After Ramirez flied out, Moreland doubled and Bogaerts reached on a throwing error by shortstop Didi Gregorius. With runners at second and third, Gallegos relieved Severino. Devers doubled to deep center, scoring two runs and giving Boston a 10-3 lead.

After batting only .047 (3-for-64) with runners at second and/or third against the Yankees this year, the Red Sox went 4-for-11 today.

In the bottom of the fifth, Hicks led off with a walk, but Judge grounded into a double play. That hurt, because Sanchez promptly doubled. Gregorius flied to right to end the inning. (Oh, the mighty Judge is now batting .167 against the Red Sox (7-for-42). He also struck out in his 29th consecutive game.)

Devers singled to left to start the eighth, but was thrown out trying for a double. (The Red Sox had to have at least two guys tagged out on the bases, just to keep up appearances.) Vazquez and Bradley also singled, but Nunez and Betts could not bring them home.

Robby Scott, just recalled from Pawtucket, gave up home runs to Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury in the bottom of the ninth. The long hits were more annoying than threatening, since the Red Sox still held a five-run lead. Scott retired the next three batters: Ronald Torreyes grounded to third, Gardner lined to shortstop, and Hicks grounded out first-to-pitcher.

The Post's George A. King III put things in perspective: "They have been in business since 1903 and have delivered a lot of ugliness on the field, but the stench the Yankees produced Saturday against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium ranks among the worst performances."

The Red Sox now have a 4.5-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. And Chris Sale pitches tomorrow night - against a rookie who was drilled in the head while signing autographs during batting practice. Sandy Leon was taking his swings at the time.
Drew Pomeranz / Luis Severino
Nunez, 2B
Betts, RF
Benintendi, LF
Ramirez, DH
Moreland, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Devers, 3B
Vazquez, C
Bradley, CF
Okay, so we'll take two out of three.

Both pitchers have made five starts since the All-Star break. ERAs: Pomeranz 2.64, Severino 0.83.

Dustin Pedroia is back on the 10-day disabled list, with swelling and inflammation in his left knee. Reliever Robby Scott has been called up.

Here's some good news: On Friday, the Yankees placed starter CC Sabathia on the DL (knee). Today, Masahiro Tanaka joined him (right shoulder).

1 comment:

Jere said...

That's GOOD for Judge--he's hitting .161 since the All-Star break!