As for the game, another great win by the Boston Red Sox over the New York Yankees. Injuries should never be wished upon but the Sox took advantage of the hand injury to Hiroki Kuroda to defeat the Yankees 7-4 at Yankee Stadium.
Jacoby Ellsbury led the game off against Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda by popping up to Eduardo Nunez at short. Daniel Nava hit one through the hole at short then Dustin Pedroia poked a single into right. Mike Napoli flied out to center but Nava moved to third. Jarrod Saltalamacchia put the Sox on the board with a base hit that scored Nava, moving Pedroia to third. Will Middlebrooks whiffed to end the inning.
Brett Gardner tried to catch the Red Sox asleep in the bottom of the first with a bunt, but Middlebrooks sniffed it out and thew him out. Ichiro Suzuki walked on a borderline pitch but Robinson Cano flied out to left. Kevin Youkilis singled but Travis Haffner flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the second. Shane Victorino singled off the hand of Kuroda and Jackie Bradley Jr was plunked as Jose Iglesias hit a swinging bunt but it forced Victorino at third. Ellsbury walked to load the bases. Nava was plunked to bring home Bradley as well and analysts wondered if Kuroda was hurt after the line drive. Yankees manager Joe Girardi made the call to remove Kuroda and just like that, the starter was gone in the second inning. Cody Eppley was brought in and induced a double play from Pedroia to end the inning, but the Sox led 2-0.
Vernon Wells led off the bottom of the second with a base hit but Lyle Overbay banged into a double play. Eduardo Nunez popped up to end the inning.
The Sox iced the game in the top of the third as Napoli grounded out to begin. Saltalamacchia singled and took second on the passed ball by Chris Stewart. Middlebrooks struck out but Victorino singled home the hustling Salty to make it 3-0 Boston. Victorino swiped second base and scored on the single by JBJ to make it 4-0. That was Bradley's first major league hit. Iglesias doubled to chase Eppley. Adam Warren came in and Ellsbury singled up the middle to score both runners to make it 6-0. Nava Grounded out to end the inning with the Sox in command.
Buchholz returned for the bottom of the third and got Stewart to pop up to Ellsbury. Gardner struck out and Ichiro popped up to end the inning
Pedroia reached on a swinging bunt to open the top of the fourth but Napoli bounced into a double play. Saltalamacchia whiffed to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fourth. Cano grounded out to Iglesias and Youkilis struck out, but Haffner hit a solo shot to cut the lead 6-1. Wells singled past the diving Middlebrooks but Overbay grounded out to end the inning.
Middlebrooks flied out to begin the top of the fifth and Victorino struck out. JBJ flied out to end the inning. Nunez singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth but Stewart flied out to deep left. Gardner popped up but Nunez swiped second. Ichiro flied out to Ellsbury to end the inning.
Iglesias continued to be a pain in the ass to Yankees pitching with a single down the left field line to start the top of the sixth. Iglesias was erased at second as Ellsbury beat out a double play ball. Nava doubled Ellsbury to third, who scored on the ground out by Pedroia to make it 7-1. Napoli ate up Nunez at short, reaching on a single.Saltalamacchia struck out to end the inning. Buchholz returned for the bottom of the sixth inning and got Cano to fly out. Youkilis grounded out to Iglesias and Haffner looked at strike 3 to end the inning.
Middlebrooks jacked one deep out to left but the ball died at the wall to open the top of the seventh. Stewart reached into the Sox dugout to catch a pop up from Victorino. JBJ popped up to end the inning. Buchholz returned for the bottom of the seventh. Wells grounded out but Overbay reached on an infield single. Iglesias nearly had him at first. Nunez walked and Brennan Boesch pinch hit for Stewart. Boesch struck out and Gardner flied out to end the inning. 7 innings 1 run for Buchholz, outstanding.
Fransisco Cervelli replaced Stewart behind the plate as Iglesias led off the top of the eighth with a strikeout. Ellsbury grounded out and Pedroia flied out deep to right to end the inning. Andrew Miller was the first one out of the pen in the bottom of the eighth. Ben Fransisco pinch hit for Ichiro and was plunked. Cano lined out to center and that was it for Miller. Sox manager John Farrell lifted Andrew for Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves. Youkilis greeted him with a base hit up the middle. Yankees announcer Michael Kay tried to stir the pot saying Aceves didn't get along with Bobby Valentine the year before and had an altercation in spring training this season with John Farrell. Haffner hit a swinging bunt in front of the plate and was thrown out at first, but advanced both runners. Wells then cleared the bases with a 3 run blast to put the Yankees back in it 7-4. Overbay grounded out to end the inning.
Shawn Kelley replaced Warren for the top of the ninth. Napoli whiffed, Saltlamacchia flied out but Middlebrooks walked. Victorino ate up Nunez at short for a double. JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning. Sox closer Joel Hanrahan came on to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Nunez singled but was erased on the force by Cervelli. Gardner whiffed and Fransisco popped up to end the inning. The Red Sox had won 7-4.
Hero of the night is Clay Buchholz. He went 7 innings and allowed just 1 run on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.
The Good:
Daniel Nava was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi, a run scored and was hit with a pitch. Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 5 with a run scored and rbi. Shane Victorino was 3 for 5 with a walk and run scored. Jose Iglesias was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Joel Hanrahan worked a scoreless 9th for his first save of the year.
The Bad:
Andrew Miller faced 2 batters and one of them came around to score. Alfredo Aceves gave up the 3 run bomb to Wells in the bottom of the eighth.
The Ugly:
Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 but walked, scored a run and drove in 2. Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5. Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 4 with a walk. Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but was a hit by pitch, came around to score twice and drove in a run.
Final Thoughts:
Two in a row over the Yankees is a good start to the year. Scoring 7 runs without David Ortiz is even better. Buchholz did well in his season debut and Jose Iglesias is proving he's not just an all glove, no bat player. As sad as it sounds, the Sox looked great in the first two games even though they were designed to lose with dignity, unlike last year. Amazing as it sounds, the Sox look for the series sweep tomorrow as Ryan Dempster takes on Andy Pettite.
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