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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 11:14:33 GMT -5
Red Sox vs. Yankees Series Preview Looking for revenge. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Jul 22, 2021, 12:01pm EDT
The opponent in one sentence
The Yankees have had just about everything go wrong this season and are still dealing with injury and COVID issues as it is, but they are still managing to hang around the AL playoff picture for the time being. Record
50-44 Head-to-head record
Red Sox 7, Yankees 2 Trend
Up. Despite a barrage of injuries and COVID issues serving to deplete areas of their roster, the Yankees have come out of the break playing good baseball. They took two of three against the Red Sox last weekend, and then won both games against the Phillies this week. Overall, they come to Fenway having won four in a row. Pitching Matchups
7/22: Tanner Houck vs. Jordan Montgomery, 7:10 PM ET (MLB Network for out-of-market)
The Red Sox had been planning to add Houck to their rotation at least sporadically in the second half for a little while now, and his first start was pushed back thanks to the rain out on Tuesday. So he’ll make the spot as a sixth starter against the Yankees instead, which plays to his strengths given how right-handed they are. I’m really interested to see how they use Houck here, especially since they used Whitlock on Wednesday, which would presumably remove him as a multi-inning possibility on Thursday. Houck’s fastball and slider are ready to dominate in the bigs, but his success as a starter still comes down, at least in part, to the development of his splitter. He grabbed a three-inning save without allowing a run against the Yankees last weekend.
A few years ago it looked like Montgomery was emerging as a long-term fixture in this Yankees rotation, but injuries halted that track and he spent a couple years mostly out of the picture. He’s been back for a couple of years now, but he’s been more solid than good. The southpaw has some pretty good stuff and strikes out a batter per inning, but his command can get away from him at times and he is currently sitting with an ERA over 4.00. The Red Sox saw him in that series last weekend, scoring three runs over six innings. They did the same in a separate outing against him at the end of June as well. Montgomery will feature his secondaries heavily, pairing two different fastballs with a changeup and a curveball. Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images
7/23: Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Gerrit Cole, 7:10 PM ET (MLB Network for out-of-market)
Rodriguez could sneakily be the key for the Red Sox in the second half. There is some expected regression coming from the rest of the rotation, at least from a consistency standpoing, but Rodriguez is due some regression coming from the other direction. And in his last start, he appeared to be making good on that. In that first start of the second half the lefty shut the Yankees down for 5 2⁄3 shutout innings that included eight strikeouts. He’ll need to string a few of those kinds of starts together before we can really buy in, but it was exactly the start to this half he needed.
And the Red Sox will need Rodriguez to be good because they’re going up against probably the best pitcher in the American League. Cole showed that he is still dominant in his last start against the Red Sox. That game was marred mostly by frustration around the management of the rain in the Bronx and a fan throwing a ball at Alex Verdugo, but Cole also just flat dominated. He’s good for one of those starts just about every time out, so Boston’s offense needs to be in attack mode early and try and stop him from finding a groove. Cole will feature a high-90s fastball with a slider, curveball and changeup.
7/24: Nathan Eovaldi vs. Jameson Taillon, 4:05 PM ET (FS1)
In the absence of Chris Sale and with Rodriguez spending all season fighting the BABIP monster, it’s been Eovaldi who has settled in atop this Red Sox rotation. The righty has certainly not been perfect and is not turning into a True Ace before our eyes, but he’s been limiting the free passes which is usually enough for him to at least be solid. Although his team would lose the game against New York his last time out, Eovaldi only allowed one run over five innings. The results haven’t always been consistent, but over his last six starts he has 36 strikeouts and four walks over 36 innings of work.
Taillon was a really interesting acquisition by the Yankees this past winter, with real upside but also plenty of injury downside. As it turns out, he’s been just okay. There have been bright spots, but as with Montgomery he combines good stuff with command issues that often serve to distract from that first part. Taillon in particular has had a problem with the long ball, allowing 16 this season. Boston wasn’t able to get any off him last time out as he got through 5 2⁄3 shutout innings, so look for them to be aggressive here and set a ton early. Taillon will mostly lean on his mid-90s fastball, slider, and curveball.
7/25: Martín Pérez vs. Domingo Germán, 1:05 PM ET (TBS for out-of-market)
Pérez Days are starting to come with a little less excitement of late as there is a seemingly equal chance that he won’t make it through four innings as there is of him just having a solid start. He’s allowed three runs in each of his last two starts, including one against New York, but he’s combined for only 7 2⁄3 innings in those outings. Alex Cora has not been afraid to pull Pérez early in these games, especially against teams like the Yankees that feature some right-handed power. They’ll need some deep outings in the earlier games in order to use Pérez how they like.
For a while there from late April through early June, Germán looked like one of the better options in this Yankees rotation and appeared to be a key piece to any potential playoff run. Then he hit a wall, and spent most of July in the bullpen before rejoining the rotation in their last series against the Phillies. The Red Sox did see him for an inning out of the bullpen in which they didn’t score a run. They had seen him twice prior to that as well, with Germán having one strong start and another shaky one against the Sox. Overall, there’s just been a bunch of hard contact against the righty this year which has led to the uneven performances. Germán will actually lead with his curveball while also featuring a pair of low-to-mid-90s fastballs and a changeup.
Ryan LaMarre had a storied career with the Red Sox that featured all of six plate appearances. He’s up with the Yankees now as they deal with a depleted roster, and he contributed to last Sunday’s win for New York. Notable Position Players
DJ LeMahieu has been a bit of a disappointment atop the Yankees lineup this year after coming back on a big contract in free agency this winter. He’s still making contact and drawing walks, but there’s been absolutely no power to add in so far this season.
Giancarlo Stanton has provided plenty of power, and overall his season has been solid with a 127 wRC+. This month has been a different story, though, with his strikeout rate up above 30 percent which has made it harder to tap into that power.
Gary Sánchez is basically having the same story as Stanton, except his struggles in July are less about a lack of power and more about terrible luck on balls in play.
Gleyber Torres has had a disappointing year, particularly in the power department, but more recently he’s gotten the home run swing going.
Rougned Odor is somehow the hottest hitter in this lineup, hitting seemingly everything hard.
Greg Allen has only played four games, but they’ve been four good games.
Brett Gardner probably shouldn’t be in an everyday role at this point, as there’s just little authority behind his contact these days.
Estevan Florial was once a top prospect for the Yankees, and was just recently called up to help out this depleted outfield. Bullpen Snapshot
Aroldis Chapman hit a well-publicized and very extreme wall recently, but it seems like he’s turning things around now, at least from terrible to decent.
Zack Britton hasn’t really been able to pitch much this year, and when he has gotten on the mound he’s struggled mightily in hitting the strike zone.
Chad Green has been New York’s best reliever, working around some home run problems to be otherwise dominant.
Injuries
Aaron Judge was one of a handful of players placed on the COVID list last weekend, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be able to come back for this series.
Luke Voit is dealing with a bone bruise on his knee that put him on the IL when the COVID issues were arising as well. Voit’s timeline to return is not clear.
Luis Severino underwent Tommy John surgery around the same time as Chris Sale, but he had a setback in his rehab so his timeline could be pushed back a bit more.
Corey Kluber went down with a significant shoulder injury in May, and while originally he was expected to be out until September, and August return could now be in the cards.
Gio Urshela was another one of the players to hit the COVID IL.
Clint Frazier left a game with dizziness back at the end of June, and while he’s doing some workout stuff again it’s still not entirely clear what the problem is.
Aaron Hicks underwent surgery on his wrist that will likely keep him out all season.
Jonathan Loaisiga was another player put on the COVID list, with his absence starting at the end of the first half.
Darren O’Day never really got to get going this season and underwent season-ending surgery on his hamstring.
Kyle Higashioka was yet another player affected by the COVID outbreak.
Miguel Andújar went down with a wrist injury earlier this month, and while he’s still not back there was optimism that it wasn’t anything too serious.
Trey Amburgey came up after the COVID outbreak, but quickly tweaked a hamstring that landed him on the injured list.
Tim Locastro was recently acquired in a trade, but then tore his ACL last weekend against the Red Sox and will miss the rest of the season.
Clarke Schmidt has been out all season dealing with arm issues, but he’s working his way back soon and could be a swingman option for the Yankees down the stretch.
Nestor Cortes was also part of the COVID outbreak, though it seems like he could potentially be back sooner than the others.
Michael King hurt his finger lifting weights, and it’s not clear when he’ll get back on the mound.
Wandy Peralta was the final member of the COVID outbreak. Weather Forecast
There are a couple of games that are worth keeping an eye on from a weather perspective, with rain in the forecast for both Friday and Sunday. It’s not so bad that we can assume they will be postponed, but it’s borderline right now.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 13:06:06 GMT -5
oh great
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 17m Franchy Cordero expected to join Red Sox today, source says. No move official yet.
Red Sox are evaluating Danny Santana to see if he needs an IL stint this afternoon.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 13:09:02 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 24m The Red Sox have hit 4+ HR in 5 of their last 19 games. In that span (beginning 6/27), they lead the AL with 36 HR.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 13:24:23 GMT -5
Game 97: Yankees at Red Sox lineups and pregame notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated July 22, 2021, 2 hours ago After winning both games against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo and going 3-2 on their five-game road trip, the Red Sox return to a Fenway Park to begin a four-game series with the Yankees on Thursday. In fourth-place in the American League East coming out of the All-Star break, the Yankees breathed life into their season by winning four in a row to move up to third, but still trail the Red Sox by seven games. Here are the standings. Eduardo Rodriguez will go up against Gerrit Cole Friday evening, followed by Nate Eovaldi vs. Jameson Tallion, and Martín Pérez vs. Domingo German. The Sox will then host the Blue Jays for a four-game series next week. Lineups YANKEES (50-44): 1. DJ LeMahieu (R) 1B 2. Brett Gardner (L) LF 3. Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH 4. Rougned Odor (L) 2B 5. Gleyber Torres (R) SS 6. Rob Brantly (L) C 7. Greg Allen (S) RF 8. Estevan Florial (L) CF 9. Tyler Wade (L) 3B Pitching: LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-5, 4.18 ERA) RED SOX (58-38): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 5. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 6. Christian Vazquez (R) C 7. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 8. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 9. Michael Chavis (R) 2B Pitching: RHP Tanner Houck (0-2, 3.38 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Yankees vs. Houck: Greg Allen 1-1, Brett Gardner 0-4, Chris Gittens 0-0, DJ LeMahieu 0-3, Rougned Odor 0-1, Giancarlo Stanton 0-3, Gary Sánchez 0-3, Gleyber Torres 0-3, Tyler Wade 1-1 Red Sox vs. Montgomery: Xander Bogaerts 9-19, Michael Chavis 1-8, Bobby Dalbec 1-4, Rafael Devers 3-13, Kiké Hernández 0-3, J.D. Martinez 1-13, Kevin Plawecki 0-2, Hunter Renfroe 3-6, Alex Verdugo 1-11, Christian Vázquez 5-12 Stat of the day: The Red Sox scored 20 runs and belted 11 home runs in their last two games. Notes: Houck is making his first start since April 18. In his only start against the Yankees as a rookie last year, he allowed one run in six innings to get the win … Montgomery is 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA in eight career starts against the Red Sox, and is 0-4 in seven starts since June 2. He allowed three runs on three hits over six innings in a 4-0 defeat to the Red Sox last week. Houck got the save in that game, pitching three scoreless innings. Song of the Day: AC/DC "Jailbreak"www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8xScxmekQk
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 14:50:48 GMT -5
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 14:57:40 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 10m Danny Santana going to the IL.
Cora says corresponding move coming later.
It's Franchy Cordero, who is en route to join the Red Sox, per source.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 15:10:17 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 22m "I think you guys have a pretty good idea of what we're going to do." -- Cora. Franchy would seem to be next in line here.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 15:19:01 GMT -5
so far the big news is that Red Sox and Marcelo Mayer agreed on a contract at slot, which is little more than $6.6 million. and the Santana to IL, and Cordero is coming up
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 15:37:01 GMT -5
just wonderful
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 7m Franchy Cordero is out on the field at Fenway, so he will be activated.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 15:47:36 GMT -5
Yankees are in town and the big news and only pre game news is the #1 kid signs his deal.....
all rightie
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 22, 2021 16:02:49 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 8m #RedSox announce Danny Santana (left groin strain) to the 10-day IL. Franchy Cordero recalled from Triple-A Worcester.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 23, 2021 2:32:40 GMT -5
New York Yankees reliever Brooks Kriske throws 4 wild pitches in 10th; Boston Red Sox rally to win 3:32 AM ADT
ESPN News Services
BOSTON -- It took most of a rainy night at Fenway Park for the Red Sox to find their offense. It took one wild inning by reliever Brooks Kriske for the Yankees to squander an opportunity to gain valuable ground on their longtime rivals.
Enrique Hernandez hit a two-run double that tied the game with two outs in the ninth inning, and Boston took advantage of a record four wild pitches by Kriske in the 10th to rally past New York 5-4 on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT
Kriske (1-1) allowed Boston's final two runs for a blown save, becoming the first major leaguer to throw four wild pitches in a single extra inning, according to STATS. His four wild pitches are tied for the most in any inning and for the most in a game by any pitcher this season.
All of them came on splitters that bounced.
"It was just pure execution," said Kriske, optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the loss. "It's part of the game. I've got to do a better job."
New York took a 4-3 lead in the 10th on a sacrifice fly by Brett Gardner that scored Tyler Wade. But Boston quickly tied it in the bottom half thanks in large part to Kriske's quartet of wild pitches. His first one moved automatic runner Rafael Devers to third base, and a second pitch in the dirt allowed him to score.
After Xander Bogaerts walked, Kriske's control issues continued. Two more wild pitches got Bogaerts to third, setting up Hunter Renfroe's game-ending sacrifice fly to right.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 23, 2021 2:35:16 GMT -5
How wild does Fenway get? Ask Hernández Red Sox tie game in 9th before rival Yankees uncork 4 wild pitches in 10th 2:41 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- As Kiké Hernández pulled into second base late Thursday night after delivering the biggest hit of his first season with the Red Sox, he pumped his fist repeatedly, shouted with excitement and took in the roars from a packed house of 34,761 at Fenway Park.
Over these couple of months, since Fenway opened back to full capacity, Hernández thought he had learned the meaning of loud.
But aside from October, Fenway never reaches the decibel level of a thrilling comeback against the Yankees. And this 5-4, 10-inning win in the opener of a four-game series between the rivals would not have been possible without Hernández.
“It was pretty cool,” said Hernández. “That’s the first time I’ve done something offensively for the crowd to get that pumped up. Definitely as loud as I’ve heard Fenway this year. The crowd was into it. Of course, they don’t like those guys. But it was nice to do something to help the team.”
Without question, Hernández's game-tying two-run double to the gap in left-center with two outs in the bottom of the ninth was the biggest hit of Boston’s 30th comeback win, which is tied with the Rays for most in the Majors this season.
The American League East standings are not tied thanks to this memorable victory, which kept the Sox a game ahead of Tampa Bay and eight in front of the Yankees.
“It’s huge. It took us a while to score some runs, to put ABs together, and that’s why you play until the last out is made,” said Hernández. “Pitching did a great job keeping us in the game. We left some runners on base, and it was just a matter of getting that big hit. Really good win. It kept us in first place, too, by ourselves, so that’s good.”
Hernández, who has eight RBIs in his past three games, got ahead in the count 1-0 against Yankees reliever Chad Green before turning on a 96.2 mph heater and scorching it 104.2 mph.
The ball one-hopped the scoreboard and took a generous carom as Alex Verdugo came in from second base and speedy prospect Jarren Duran roared all the way around from first. Duran, inserted as a pinch-runner, wasted no time scoring his first run at Fenway Park.
“You go up the gap and then you start pointing at him, like look at him fly. That was amazing,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He can do all that stuff. He got a good primary lead. As soon as the ball was hit in the gap, we knew he was going to score. The energy he brings on a daily basis, it's been fun, and he'll be ready to [start] tomorrow.”
After muscling their way to a pair of wins in Buffalo, N.Y., over the Blue Jays, the Red Sox sputtered offensively for the first seven innings on Thursday before turning the tables just in time.
“Got a fastball over the heart of the plate, and I was able to stay short, get the head out,” said Hernández. “And if we were in Buffalo, it probably would’ve ended the game. But it just tied it tonight.”
The Yankees briefly untied the game in the top of the 10th inning as the automatic runner, Tyler Wade, advanced to third on a soft grounder and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brett Gardner.
Red Sox closer Matt Barnes, who wound up with the win, made sure things didn’t escalate any further from there.
It turned out that in the bottom of the 10th, the Yankees basically gift-wrapped the win for Boston. Making his 11th career appearance, Yankees righty Brooks Kriske uncorked four wild pitches -- the most by one pitcher in a single extra inning in MLB history (and tied for the most in any inning).
Rafael Devers scored on one of those wild pitches for the tying run. Xander Bogaerts walked, then moved to second and third on two more wild pitches.
Hunter Renfroe ended the festivities with a sacrifice fly to right, with Bogaerts scoring easily with the winning run.
The lasting image from this win will be the clutch knock by Hernández.
“That was cool, because it's his biggest hit so far here,” said Cora. “I know the leadoff home runs he’s hit and all that stuff. But packed house, loud place, the music was great, just the moment [was great]. It was a fun atmosphere. It's not a Friday night at Fenway, but it was a great Thursday night.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 23, 2021 2:58:04 GMT -5
Four extra-inning wild pitches (no, really) key Red Sox beating Yankees at Fenway By Julian Benbow Globe Staff,Updated July 23, 2021, 12:00 a.m.
The past month, as New York watched closer Aroldis Chapman melt in moments he once mastered, reliever Chad Green gave the Yankees plenty of reasons to believe he could close out games if called upon.
Clinging to a two-run lead Thursday against a Red Sox lineup stuck in the mud all night, Yankees manager Aaron Boone called on Green to shut the door.
But where the Yankees saw a shutdown arm out of the bullpen, the Sox saw an opportunity. The Sox stung Green for two runs in the ninth to force extras, then stole a win, 5-4, in the 10th thanks in large part to four wild pitches from reliever Brooks Kriske.
A month ago, the Sox tagged Green for four runs in the eighth inning of a 7-3 comeback. Thursday, Kiké Hernández followed one-out singles by Alex Verdugo and Bobby Dalbec with a two-out, two-run double to tie the game at 3 and give the Sox new life.
“That was cool because I think this was his biggest hit since he was here,” manager Alex Cora said. “We were kind of enjoying that. Just the moment, it was a fun atmosphere.”
Matt Barnes gave up a hard-luck run in the 10th thanks to the automatic runner at second, New York retaking the lead on a ground ball back to the pitcher and a routine fly ball to left. But the door was already open and the Yankees pitching was already coming apart at the seams.
With Rafael Devers on second to start the inning and Xander Bogaerts at the plate, Yankees reliever Brooks Kriske imploded, tying the most wild pitches in a regular-season game in his 11th career MLB appearance.
Two of Kriske’s splitters went wild on him, moving Devers to third, then allowing him to score the tying run. Kriske walked Bogaerts, then put two more in the dirt to put him at third.
“He’s in a similar situation last night and really delivered,” Boone said of Kriske, who threw a perfect 10th inning against the Phillies on Wednesday. “It’s a tough situation for him to be in, you know, at times his issue is struggling with command.”
From the dugout, Hernández said the Sox were in disbelief.
“We were just asking for one more,” Hernández said. “That’s all we were asking for.”
Instead, Renfroe simply put the ball in the air for his fourth career walk-off RBI and Boston’s 30th come-from-behind victory.
The win was Boston’s third straight, and snapped New York’s four-game winning streak. The Red Sox (59-38), who outhit the Yankees, 10-4, maintained a one-game lead on Tampa Bay in the AL East. They’re eight up on the Yankees, and 8-2 against New York this season.
“When it mattered the most, we put some good at-bats against Green,” Cora said.
“Another gut punch,” Boone said. “Lot of good things that went on tonight. An out away there, and they put together some really good at-bats there in the ninth. It certainly stings on a long night here . . . but we also got to get over this and we’ve got a big weekend ahead of us.”
Making his first start since April, the most the Sox could’ve expected from Tanner Houck was five innings of work, and he nearly delivered it. Houck gave 4⅔ innings with eight strikeouts and just two hits allowed before rain delayed play for 55 minutes.
The only run Houck allowed came in the fourth, after he walked Brett Gardner and Giancarlo Stanton. He struck out Rougned Odor, but his slider for strike three got by Christian Vázquez. The passed ball moved the runners up, and Gardner scored when Gleyber Torres shot a ground ball to short.
Houck came back out for the fifth, struck out Greg Allen, got Estevan Florial to line out to second, then gave up a single to Tyler Wade before the rain came.
“Outstanding,” Cora said. “The rain delay killed us there. We had to go to [Josh Taylor] early. But good stuff, he made some great pitches. He made some good hitters look bad. He was good.”
Houck threw 87 pitches, 54 for strikes.
Taylor walked DJ LeMahieu coming out of the delay, but got Gardner to ground out to second to end the inning. He pitched a clean sixth, working around a single to Torres to finish off his 28th scoreless outing in his last 29 appearances.
The Sox offense couldn’t put hits together, let alone capitalize when they had runners in scoring position. Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery allowed just three hits and one walk over 5⅔ scoreless, and struck out six. Related: Shaughnessy: Late Globe writer Nick Cafardo will finally take his rightful place at Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown
Montgomery set down the first six batters he faced before Verdugo singled to start the third, breaking a personal 1-for-19 slump. The Sox squandered a scoring chance when Michael Chavis delivered a one-out single that set up a first-and-third situation. Hernández struck out on four pitches, waving at a curveball in the dirt. Devers walked, but Bogaerts lined out to short to end the inning.
The Sox didn’t have another base runner until the sixth, when Bogaerts singled with two outs. After letting Montgomery return following the delay, Boone called on Sal Romano to finish off the sixth. The Southington, Conn., product gave up a single to J.D. Martinez, which created another scoring situation for Renfroe, but he couldn’t cash in, flying out to right.
Boston tied it in the seventh, Verdugo alerting tagging up on a short Hernández fly to center and scoring with a well-executed headfirst slide, before New York went back ahead in the eighth. They scored two off former Yankee Adam Ottavino via a pair of leadoff walks, a Giancarlo Stanton single, and a Torres sac fly.
“It was a good battle,” Cora said, “and we ended up winning.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 23, 2021 3:01:10 GMT -5
Stunning victory over Yankees was either one of Red Sox worst games, or one of their best By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated July 23, 2021, 12:53 a.m.
The Yankees arrived at Fenway Park on Thursday with Greg Allen, Rob Brantly, Estevan Florial, and Tyler Wade in their lineup.
The first reliever out of the bullpen was Sal Romano, who was released by the Reds in May. The last was Brooks Kriske.
Injuries and positive COVID tests have forced the Yankees to make 21 roster moves since last Friday. They were fielding a team the first-place Red Sox had to find a way to beat.
They did, 5-4 in 10 innings in what was a Rorschach test of a game. You could look at it as one of the worst games the Sox have played this season given some of the mistakes they made. Or maybe it was the best given how it ended.
Having watched the whole glorious mess, I’m still not sure.
“We’ll take it,” manager Alex Cora said.
Kriske inherited a 4-3 lead in the 10th inning. The rookie has never had a save in the majors but was Aaron Boone’s choice to close as the Yankees don’t have much faith in Aroldis Chapman these days.
Kriske might have had a chance with a three-run lead in the Bronx. With a one-run lead as midnight approached at Fenway, not so much.
With Rafael Devers on second, Kriske threw two wild pitches to allow the tying run to score. That also enabled Xander Bogaerts to walk.
Two more wild pitches moved Bogaerts to third base. J.D. Martinez struck out, but Hunter Renfroe’s fly ball to right field was plenty deep enough to bring in Bogaerts with the winning run.
The four wild pitches tied a record for a regular-season game. It hadn’t been done since 2008 by knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.
“Another gut punch,” Boone said.
The unlikely victory allowed the Red Sox to remain in first place alone as the Rays won, 5-4, at Cleveland in 10 innings after obtaining difference-making designated hitter Nelson Cruz from the Twins.
Until the literally wild finish, the Sox were headed for a painful loss.
Down 1-0, they loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning. Kiké Hernández sent a fly ball to shallow center field. But Alex Verdugo broke for the plate and slid headfirst around Brantly’s tag.
What followed were a series of mistakes.
Devers grounded a ball slowly up the middle that was stopped by shortstop Gleyber Torres on the right side of second base.
So bases loaded with two outs for Bogaerts, not a bad spot. Except Bobby Dalbec tried to score from second base and was easily thrown out.
Third base coach Carlos Febles looked like he tried to stop Dalbec, but it was too late. Related: First-round pick Marcelo Mayer signs with Red Sox, gets a Fenway welcome
Cora said the Sox assumed Torres would throw to first base and were surprised when he didn’t. Dalbec was running out the play and got caught.
“It seemed like Gleyber just made up his mind he wasn’t going to throw it,” Cora said. “Always as a runner you just keep running as the throw is going to first.”
Cora said it’s a play you don’t see often, which is true. But Dalbec ran into the third out.
In a 1-1 game. Adam Ottavino started the top of the eighth inning. He walked DJ LeMahieu and Brett Gardner.
Giancarlo Stanton, who was 3 for 32 against the Sox this season, singled to left field to drive in the go-ahead run. Rougned Odor, the cleanup hitter, bunted the runners over and Torres delivered with a sacrifice fly.
That the Red Sox came back to win on a nervous rookie doesn’t erase that they nearly handed the undermanned Yankees a win. The Yankees went to Chad Green to close and he, too, failed. Verdugo and Dalbec had singles. With two outs, Hernández drove a double to the gap in left.
Verdugo scored easily, as did pinch runner Jarren Duran in his first appearance at Fenway. Duran looked like a Team USA sprinter as he raced around the bases.
“I think everybody enjoyed him scoring from first,” Cora said. “That was amazing.”
Hernández said it was the loudest Fenway has been this season before smiling a bit and acknowledging it was louder during the 2018 World Series when he was a Dodger.
“We don’t need to talk about that one,” he said.
This series still has three more games. It’ll be tough to top Thursday.
“We survived today and we get to do it all over again tomorrow,” Hernández said.
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