So much for the good feel of yesterday's win for the Boston Red Sox. After the Sox broke their 6 game losing streak, they reverted back to their losing ways against the New York Yankees. Clay Buchholz (0-2, 7.20) was hammered for 5 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Felix Doubront and Alfredo Aceves also got tagged as the Yankees cranked out 4 home runs, 13 total hits and 9 runs. The Red Sox offense had men on base all game but could rarely drive them in, exactly the opposite of the Yankees. The Sox starting pitching has been abysmal the first two weeks of the season and it cost them another game as the Yankees won it 9-4 at Fenway Park.
The Yankees struck in the top of the second as Alex Rodriguez hit a routine grounder to Jed Lowrie. Lowrie picked up the ball and laughed at it for an error to put Rodriguez on first. Robinson Cando doubled A-Rod to third and Rodriguez scored on the grounder to second by Nick Swisher. Curtis Granderson walked and Eric Chavez doubled home Cano. Rusell Martin hit a ground ball to third but Youkilis fired home to get Granderson. Gardner took strike three to end the inning but the Yankees were up 2-0.
The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as JD Drew hit a roller up the middle for a base hit to start. Lowrie atoned for his error with a base hit to right but Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out swinging. Jacoby Ellsbury popped up to left and Crawford grounded into a force to end the inning.
The Yankees threatened in the top of the third as Jeter flied out to right to start. Teixeira grounded out to first but A-Rod singled to left. Cano singled to right but Swisher flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Pedroia doubled down the left field line to start. Pedroia moved to third on a grounder to second by Gonzalez and scored on the grounder to short by Youkilis. Ortiz grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.
The Yankees broke the game open in the top of the fourth as Granderson walked to start. Chavez doubled to left and Martin hit a home run all the way to the Baltic Sea to put the game out of reach. Gardner grounded back to the mound but Jeter hit a grounder up the middle for a base hit. Sox pitching coach Curt Young came out to tell Buchholz that Larry Hagman played Major Nelson on I Dream of Jeannie and Clay was so inspired he got Teixeira to fly out to right. Unfortunately A-Rod singled to left and Sox manager Terry Francona had seen enough. Clay was finished after allowing 5 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Felix Doubront came in and struck out Cano swinging to end the inning but the Yankees were ahead 5-1.
The Sox did pull off a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Drew was plunked to start. Lowrie singled to right to move Drew to third but Saltalamacchia took strike three. Ellsbury beat out a double play ball to score Drew and Crawford singled to center to move Jacoby to third. Pedroia cleared the bases with a double off the centerfield door to cut the lead. Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning but the Sox had clawed back down 5-4.
The Yankees took momentum back in the top of the fifth as Swisher singled to left and Granderson hit a home run to Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to ice the game. Chavez singled to right but Martin flied out to right. Gardner lined out to left and Jeter grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 7-4 Yankees.
The Sox finished off Nova in the bottom of the fifth as Youkilis dropped a base hit to left to start. Ortiz flied out to right and Drew walked to chase Ivan. David Robertson came in and Lowrie took strike three to kill the rally. Saltalamacchia grounded out to first to end the inning.
Alfredo Aceves came in for the top of the sixth and the Yankees tagged him too. Teixeira grounded out to second but A-Rod popped up to short. Cano then hit a home run all the way to San Juan, Puerto Rico to increase the lead. Swisher walked but Granderson struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 8-4.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Ellsbury grounded out to first to start. Crawford grounded out to short and Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning.
The Yankees struck again in the top of the seventh although Chavez was finally retired with a fly out to right. Martin then hit a 50,000 foot home run to wrap up the scoring. Gardner grounded out to second and Jeter struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 9-4.
Joba Chamberlain came in for the bottom of the seventh and Gonzalez grounded out to second to start. Youkilis and Ortiz both went down swinging to end the inning.
Tim Wakefield came in for the top of the eighth and Teixeira flied out to center to start. A-Rod popped up to second and Cano grounded out to short to end the inning. Luis Ayala came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Drew struck out swinging to start. Lowrie and Saltalamacchia stroked back to back base hits but Ellsbury flied out to center. Crawford flied out to right to end the inning and the Sox had left 9 men on base so far.
Wakefield returned for the top of the ninth and Swisher grounded out to second to start. Granderson struck out swinging and Chavez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ayala returned for the bottom of the ninth and Pedroia doubled to right to begin. Gonzalez moved him to third with a grounder and Youkilis walked. Ortiz banged into a double play to end the game. The Yankees had won it 9-4.
Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't get out of by allowing 5 runs in 3 2/3 innings.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis, a walk and a run scored.
JD Drew was 1 for 2 with a walk, hit by pitch and a run scored.
Jed Lowrie was 3 for 4.
Tim Wakefield pitched 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
David Ortiz was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
Felix Doubront got tagged for 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Alfredo Aceves gave up 2 runs in 2 innings.
The Ugly:
Carl Crawford was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.
Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 4 but walked.
Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.
Final Thoughts:
Losing six straight to start the season was bad enough but losing to the Yankees is even worse. The Sox had their chances to come back in this one but couldn't get the clutch hit from any of their stars. Apart from Pedroia it seemed that Ortiz, Gonzalez and Crawford just couldn't deliver when it mattered. Obviously that's going to change as the season goes on but for now, that looks very bad. The starting pitching woes continued as Buchholz got smacked around and so did the bullpen. Doubront and Aceves were serving up longballs like concession stands serve bad food and overpriced drink. Amazing to think Buchholz was one of the best pitchers in the league last year when he's crapped himself in two straight starts this season. The worst part was once Nova was out of the game, the Yankees bullpen shut down the Sox the entire rest of the way. Chamberlain faced the 2-3-4 hitters and blitzed right through them. Why couldn't the Sox do that? The less said of this disaster, the better. The Sox and Yankees return tomorrow night to play the rubber game of this three game set. Josh Beckett (0-1) takes on Yankees ace CC Sabbathia on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. The game begins at 8:10 PM at Fenway Park.
Losing six straight to start the season was bad enough but losing to the Yankees is even worse. The Sox had their chances to come back in this one but couldn't get the clutch hit from any of their stars. Apart from Pedroia it seemed that Ortiz, Gonzalez and Crawford just couldn't deliver when it mattered. Obviously that's going to change as the season goes on but for now, that looks very bad. The starting pitching woes continued as Buchholz got smacked around and so did the bullpen. Doubront and Aceves were serving up longballs like concession stands serve bad food and overpriced drink. Amazing to think Buchholz was one of the best pitchers in the league last year when he's crapped himself in two straight starts this season. The worst part was once Nova was out of the game, the Yankees bullpen shut down the Sox the entire rest of the way. Chamberlain faced the 2-3-4 hitters and blitzed right through them. Why couldn't the Sox do that? The less said of this disaster, the better. The Sox and Yankees return tomorrow night to play the rubber game of this three game set. Josh Beckett (0-1) takes on Yankees ace CC Sabbathia on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. The game begins at 8:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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