G57: Yankees 4, Red Sox 1

Red Sox - 010 000 000 - 1  5  0
Yankees - 003 010 00x - 4  8  0

The Red Sox's bats were lifeless on Friday night as they dropped the first game of a three-game series against the AL East-leading Yankees.

Boston is now 29-28 and a season-worst 8.5 games out of first place. (The Red Sox were also 8.5 GB after losing to the Yankees on April 17.)

Chris Sale (6-7-4-1-10, 108) struck out the side in the bottom of the first and Rafael Devers led off the top of the second with his eighth home run of the season.

The happy feelings did not last very long. Four of the seven hits allowed by Sale came in the third. Gio Urshela grounded a single to center. After Cameron Maybin struck out, Brett Gardner dropped a single into short center. D.J. LeMahieu drilled a double off the base of the wall in right-center, tying the game at 1-1. Luke Voit whiffed, but Aaron Hicks hit a two-run double to left. Gary Sánchez struck out to end the inning. (If anyone is wondering, Sale did not strike out the side in this inning. (But no one should be wondering.))

LeMahieu's seemingly routine fly ball to right-center in the fifth sailed over the fence.

Yankees pitchers threw only three pitches with more than one Boston runner on base. Those three pitches (which ended up not being recorded even as a plate appearance) came when Eduardo Núñez led off the fifth with a single and Mookie Betts was walked intentionally with two out. With Andrew Benintendi at the plate, Sánchez picked Núñez off second base.

Alex Cora:

It can't happen. Seems like the last seven, eight days we regressed back to being sloppy around the bases. That can't happen. ... I know on a daily basis we've got talent. Keep teaching principles, keep coaching them, and they're going to be fine. They'll find ways to start winning games on a consistent basis.

The Red Sox had a two-out single in the sixth (but Devers popped to third), a two-out single in the seventh (but Christian Vázquez lined to center), and a one-out walk in the eighth (but J.D. Martinez hit into a double play). Aroldis Chapman pitched a clean ninth, striking out the last two batters.

Chris Sale / J.A. Happ

Betts, RF
Benintendi, LF
Martinez, DH
Bogaerts, SS
Devers, 3B
Pearce, 1B
Núñez, 2B
Bradley, CF
León, C

Word is Eduardo Rodriguez would be available out of the bullpen tonight for two innings. He's scheduled to start on Tuesday in Kansas City.