Two Comeback Wins Give Red Sox A Split In Yankees Series

Saturday

Yankees - 000 012 000 2 - 5 10  0
Red Sox - 010 001 010 3 - 6 10  0

Sunday

Yankees - 222 000 000 -  6 11  1
Red Sox - 021 031 40x - 11 11  1

In the finale, Boston trailed 0-4 and 2-6, before scoring nine unanswered runs and winning handily. Trevor Story went 2-for-4, with three runs scored and three RBI. Christian Vázquez and J.D. Martinez each scored two runs and knocked in a pair.

Vázquez (battng #2) became the first catcher in Red Sox history to bat leadoff or second and hit a double and a home run . . . which is something. And Trevor Story's three-run double was the first one hit by the Red Sox against the MFY since Brock Holt cleared the bases against Matt Tracy on April 11, 2015 (JoS report and subsequent schandenfreude).

Nick Pivetta got shelled (3.1-8-6-2-5, 90) and has allowed 13 runs in his last nine innings (starts against the Rays and Yankees). A quartet of bullpenners – Kaleb Ort, Hirokazu Sawamura, Matt Strahm, and Ryan Brasier – held the line with a combined line of 5.2-3-0-0-3, 77.

I confess to not recognizing "Kaleb Ort". It was his second major league game. His debut came last September when he faced three Mariners in Seattle.

On Saturday, the Red Sox rallied from 1-3 and 3-5 to walkoff in ten innings. Kutter Crawford had a good start (5-4-1-2-6, 88) and Alex Verdugo had three hits and three RBI.

The Red Sox are in Tampa Bay this week for four games against the Rays before playing the Yankees three times in the Bronx. Brayan Bello makes his second career start tonight.

American League Wild Card

BOS  47  39  +2.5

TBR  45  40  +1.0

TOR  45  42   ---

SEA  45  42   ---

BAL  43  44   2.0

CLE  41  42   2.0

CWS  41  43   2.5

What in the hell are the Orioles doing in there?

The Red Sox's run differential is +51, which is actually better than the Twins (+50), who lead the AL Central by 4.5 games. Geography is destiny.