New York Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi went to work in the top of the first inning, getting Mookie Betts to ground out. Dustin Pedroia stroked a single but David Ortiz looked at strike 3. Hanley Ramirez singled and Pablo Sandoval scored Pedroia with a single. Mike Napoli flied out to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.
Wade Miley made his season debut for the Sox and struck out old friend Jacoby Ellsbury to lead off the bottom of the first. Brett Gardner grounded out to second and Alex Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the frame.
Daniel Nava got the start in right field and he was plunked to begin the top of the second. He was stranded as Xander Bogaerts flied out to right and Sandy Leon made his season debut by grounding into a double play to end the inning.. Miley pitched a scoreless second by getting Mark Teixera to ground out to short to start. Brian McCann took strike three and Chase Headley grounded out to short to end the inning.
Mr. Mookie grounded out to lead off the top of the third befor Pedroia lined out to right. Ortiz singled to left but Ramirez grounded out to short to end the threat. Miley remained red hot in the bottom of the third by striking out Chris Young to start. Old friend Stephen Drew grounded out to first and Gregorio Petit took strike three to end the inning. 9 up 9 down for Miley.
Sandoval led off the top of the 4th with a groundout to short to begin. Napoli grounded out to second but Nava stroked a seeing eye single to right. Bogaerts lined out to right to end the inning. Miley got Ellsbury to fly out to begin the bottom of the fourth but Gardner doubled to left. A-Rod watched strike three go by and Teixera flied out to left to end the inning.
Moving right along, Leon flied out to begin the top of the 5th. Betts doubled to left but was stranded when Pedroia flied out to center and Ortiz popped up to third to end the inning. McCann singled to left to begin the top of the fifth but was erased on the force by Headley. Miley picked off Headley but a Bogaerts blunder allowed Young to reach on the error. Drew flied out to center to end the inning.
Ramirez grounded out for the second time to open the top of the sixth but the Sox put Eovaldi on the ropes with a Sandoval single. Pablo advanced to second on a wild pitch before Napoli walked. Another wild pitch moved the runners up 90 feet when Nava singled them both home to chase Eovaldi. That would be the last Sox hit for nearly 5 innings. Former Red Sox prospect Chris Martin relieved Eovaldi and struck out Bogaerts. Petri booted a grounder allowing Leon to reach first and Betts walked to load the bases.....but Pedroia grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
Miley ran out of gas in the bottom of the sixth as Petit walked to start. Ellsbury singled before he was erased on a force by Gardner. A-Rod cut the lead with single that scored Petit. Teixera walked to load the bases and that was it for Miley. Miley ended up allowing 2 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, sad part was he was dominant through 5.
Robbie Ross Jr relieved Miley and allowed a sac fly by McCann to cut the lead 3-2. Headley popped up to second to end the inning but the Yankees were back in it 3-2.
Justin Wilson took over for the top of the 7th and struck out Ortiz swinging to begin. Ramirez grounded out to short and Sandoval popped up to first to end the inning. Alexi Ogando was brought in to pitch the bottom of the 7th and got pinch hitter Carlos Beltran (for Young) to pop up to himself. Drew popped up to short and pinch hitter Didi Gregorious (for Petit) flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox failed to score in the top of the eighth as Napoli flied out to right to start. Nava grounded out to second and Dellin Betances came in for Wilson. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa took over for the bottom of the 8th and got Ellsbury to ground out to second to start. Gardner caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single but catcher Sandy Leon made up for it by gunning down Gardner at second trying to steal. A-Rod struck out swinging to end the inning.
Leon led off the top of the 9th with a walk. Betts struck out swinging but Pedroia walked. Could the Sox capitalize? NO! Ortiz struck out swinging and Ramirez grounded out for the FOURTH time tonight. Just 3 outs away from a win, Edward Mujica came on to close it out. Teixera? Struck out looking. McCann? Flied out to centr. Chase Headley? BANGGGGG! A home run tied the game and just like that the Sox had their first blown save of the season. Beltran grounded out o first to end the inning but it was on to extra innings as the Yankees tied it 3-3.
Old friend Andrew Miller was brought in to pitch the top of the 10th. Sandoval popped up to second and Napoli struck out swinging but pinch hitter Shane Victorino (for Nava) walked. Bogaerts also walked but Leon struck out swinging to end the threat. Anthony Varvaro took over for the bottom of the 10th and dominated. Drew flied out to left and Gregorious flied out center before Ellsbury grounded out to first to end the inning.
David Carpenter relieved Miller in the top of the 11th. Mr. Mookie flied out to right but Pedroia singled to left. Ortiz walked and then Hanley Ramirez grounded out for the 5TH time tonight...only this one was a rally killing double play to end the inning.
The Sox refused to roll over after the missed opportunity. Varvaro returned for the bottom of the 11th and got Gardner to ground out to short to begin. A-Rod doubled to center and Garrett Jones ran for him before Teixeira was intentionally walked to chase Varvaro. Tommy Layne was brought in to face McCann and managed to strike him out looking. Headley grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox continued to do nothing in the top of the 12th against Chasen Shreve. Sandoval whiffed and Napoli watched strike three go by before Victorino popped up to the pitcher to end the frame. Things got crazy in the bottom of the 12th. The power blew in one of the towers, delaying the game for 16 minutes. When play resumed, Beltran and Drew both looked at strike three. Gregorious singled off the glove of Bogaerts but Ramirez made a running, diving catch to rob Ellsbury of a hit to end the inning.
Bogaerts singled to right to open the top of the 13th and Leon dropped his first sac bunt in his career to advance him to second. Could the Sox finally take the lead?? NO! Mr. Mookie struck out swinging and Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning. The supposedly rebuilt offense had scored ZERO runs in the past 7 innings off the Yankee no-name bullpen. Craig Breslow took the mound for the bottom of the 13th and got Gardner to ground back to the mound to begin. Jones grounded out to first and Teixera flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox offense was still dead in the top of the fourteenth as Ortiz grounded out to second to begin. Ramirez managed to single to left but Sandoval flied out to left. Napoli whiffed again to end the inning. The Sox offense had been shut completely down for 8 innings by the no-name Yankees bullpen. Breslow returned for the bottom of the 14th and McCann was hit by a pitch to start. Headley struck out swinging and Pedroia botched a double play, but was able to get McCann at second on the force by Beltran. Drew flied out to right to extend the torture.
Could the Sox offense FINALLY wake up? Hell no! Victorino flied out to right to begin the top of the 15th inning. Bogaerts singled to left after the umpire blew a strike 3 call. Allen Craig pinch hit for Sandy Leon, mostly because Leon had caught 14 straight innings. Yankees manager Joe Girardi pulled Shreve after 54 pitches and 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Esmil Rogers came on and got Craig to ground out, sending Bogaerts to second. Betts struck out swinging to end the inning. That's 9 scoreless innings by the Yankees bullpen with 11 strikeouts, unbelievable. In the bottom of the 15th, Steven Wright (1-0) took the mound and Ryan Hanigan took over behind the plate. Gregorious struck out swinging and Bogaerts snared a liner off the bat of Ellsbury. Gardner walked but Young flied out to center to prolong the agony.
Dustin Pedroia whiffed to lead off the top of the 16th inning but David Ortiz said enough was enough, crushing a 400 foot bomb to center to give the Sox a 4-3 lead. Ramirez flied out to right but Sandoval singled to left. Napoli earned the golden sombrero by striking out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
Now could Wright finish the bottom of the 16th? NO! Teixera swatted a home run on a 1-2 count to lead off the bottom of the 16th. McCann flied out to right but Headley walked. Beltran flied out to center but Drew singled Headley to third and took second on DI. Would the torture finally end? No, Gregorious grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied again 4-4.
On and on they went in the top of the 17th. Victorino flied out to left but Bogaerts singled to center, his third hit since this went to extras. Hanigan grounded out to third that advanced Xander to second. Betts earned a golden sombrero with his 4th strikeout in extra innings and it was on to the bottom of the 17th. The torture continued as Ellsbury grounded out to short to start. Gardner walked but got picked off by the alert Wright. Joe Girardi challenged the call but the umps apparently want this game to continue and said OUT! Up came Teixera, the man responsible for sending the game this far....extended it to the 18th when he grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
The top of the 18th inning began with Pedroia getting plunked. Ortiz flied out to leff but Ramirez singled Pedroia to third. Sandoval singled home Pedroia but Ramirez was tagged out at third on the play. Napoli flied out to end the inning but the Sox re-took the lead 5-4.
Could Wright get 3 more outs before sunrise? NO! McCann doubled to lead off the inning and John Ryan Murphy pinch ran for him. Headley advanced Murphy to third on the ground out and Ramirez dropped a fly ball in left, scoring Murphy and allowing Beltran to reach second. Drew grounded out but advanced Beltran to third. Could Gregorious finally end the torture? NO! He grounded out to second to send this to the 19th inning with the game tied AGAIN 5-5.
The Sox offense refused to go quietly in the top of the 19th. Victorino popped up to short to begin but Bogaerts then got his 5th hit of extra innings. He swiped second as Hanigan walked. On a 1-2 count to Betts, a passed ball by Murphy advanced the runners. Betts had whiffed 4 times since the 9th inning and this time his fly ball to Ellsbury was enough to score Bogaerts from third with a sac fly. Pedroia flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead again 6-5.
Wright came out for the bottom of the 19th to try to finish it off once and for all. Ellsbury prolonged the agony by singling to lead off the bottom of the frame. Gardner flied out to left and Young.....BANGED INTO A DOUBLE PLAY! ITS OVER! RED SOX WIN!
Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He carried the Sox offense in extra innings as well as turned the game ending double play. He was 4 for 8 with a walk and scored the winning run.
The Good:
David Ortiz was 2 for 8 including a solo shot in the 16th inning that should have ended it.
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 8 with 2 runs scored and a walk.
Pablo Sandoval was 4 for 9 with 2 rbi's and a run scored, his 18th inning single should have ended it too.
Daniel Nava was 2 for 3 with an rbi before being replaced by Shane Victorino.
Wade Miley pitched 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball.
Alexi Ogando pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Anthony Varvaro pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings
Tommy Layne pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings
Craig Breslow pitched 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Edward Mujica blew the save in the 9th inning with the Chase Headley home run and forced the Sox to use their entire bullpen for the remaining TEN innings.
Allen Craig grounded out in his pinch hit appearance.
The Ugly:
Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 but with a sac bunt and a walk thrown in. He also gunned down Gardner trying to steal.
Mike Napoli was a pitiful 0 for 8 with a golden sombrero (4 strikeouts), but walked and scored in the 6th inning.
Robbie Ross Jr allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own.
Steven Wright got the win but did it after blowing two saves.
Shane Victorino was 0 for 4 but walked after replacing Daniel Nava.
Mookie Betts was 1 for 8 with a golden sombrero (4 K's) but walked and hit the go-ahead sac fly to win the game.
Hanley Ramirez was 3 for 9 but his lapse on the basepaths and on the field almost cost them.
Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 1 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
I'll take the win but that was counter productive to say the least. The Sox game ended at 2:15 in the morning and they have to play a day game, a night game Sunday and a day game Monday. The Sox bullpen was exhausted and the pitching staff blew three saves. Still, they won. Steven Wright battled his ass off and earned the win...barely. Sandoval and Bogaerts broke through which was encouraging. Tomorrow/today Joe Kelly makes his season debut for the Red Sox against Adam Warren. Both bullpens are shot so each team is banking on their starter being effective at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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