Yankees Bullpen Hold Off Sox (6/1/19)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox announced Steve Pearce was placed on the 10 Day Injured List with a bad back. Guess he won't be recapturing the October magic he had last season. In his place Sam Travis has been recalled from Pawtucket.

OUT

                                                                           IN

The good news was the Boston Bruins won Game 3 of their NHL  Stanley Cup Finals series with the St Louis Blues but the bad news was the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox. Its a new month but the same old story for the Red Sox. This team just simply does not come back when they trail in the later innings. The New York Yankees behind Gary Sanchez took a 5-3 lead in the 5th inning and it stayed that way. "Slick" Rick Porcello (4-5, 4.76 ERA) got tagged for all 5 runs although the Sox chased Yankees starter Domingo German in the top of the fourth inning. Unfortunately the vaunted Yankees bullpen slammed the door and the Yankees pushed the Sox 9 1/2 games back with a 5-3 win at Yankee Stadium.

                                                   The Sox put their own fans to sleep

The Sox did nothing in the top of the first inning against German as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to center to start. Andrew Benintendi whiffed before JD Martinez walked. Rafael Devers whiffed to end the inning. Porcello started off strong in the bottom of the first inning as DJ LeMahieu grounded out to second to start. Luke Voit singled to right but Aaron Hicks flied out to left. Gary Sanchez whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning as Xander Bogaerts got the rally started with a base hit to left. Brock "The Hitman" Holt lashed a base hit to right but Michael Chavis whiffed. Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed but Sandy Leon singled home Bogaerts to give the Sox the lead. Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                     Leon drives in a run

The Yankees exploded on Porcello in the bottom of the second as Gleyber Torres got the rally started with a base hit to center. Kendrys Morales singled him to third but somehow Porcello froze Clint Frazier for strike three. Gio Urshela singled home Torres to tie the game and Brett Gardner singled to right to load the bases. LeMahieu singled to center to score both Morales and Urshela to give the Yankees the lead. Voit took strike three and Hicks lined out to center to end the inning but it was 3-1 Yankees.

                                                           That damn LeMahieu again

Boston failed to respond in the top of the third inning as Benintendi swung and missed for strike three to start. Martinez grounded out to second and Devers swung at air to end the inning. Porcello recovered to get the Yankees to beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third inning. Sanchez grounded out to third, Torres also grounded out to third and Morales grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth as Bogaerts pounded his 11th home run of the year to cut the lead. Holt struck a base hit to right and Chavis walked, but JBJ whiffed again. Leon singled home Holt to tie the game. The Yankees caught a break when Mr. Mookie popped up to second and that was it for German. Chad Green came in and Beintendi lined out to center to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                      Bogaerts hits one out

Porcello cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Frazier whiffed to start. Urshela grounded out to short and Gardner struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a golden chance to take the lead in the top of the fifth as Martinez singled to right to begin. Devers flied out to center but Bogaerts doubled Martinez to third. The rally ended as Holt and Chavis both whiffed to end the inning. The Yankees took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth although LeMahieu flied out to center to start. Voit singled and moved to second on the grounder by Hicks. Sanchez then pulvarized a 50,000 foot home run to put the Yankees on top. Torres walked and Morales singled to chase the incompetent Porcello. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings and gave up 5 runs, heart of a lion that one. Marcus Walden came in and hit Frazier to load the bases, but Urshela grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-3.

                             "Gimmie that ball...AND..AND GET OUTTA HERE!" - AC

Frazier had to be hauled off in an ambulance after the hit by pitch so Cameron Maybin took over in right with Tommy Kahnle on the mound for the top of the sixth. JBJ whiffed but Leon and Mr. Mookie stroked back to back singles. Benintendi flied out to center and Adam Ottavino came in to face Martinez....striking him out to end the inning. Walden finished strong in the bottom of the sixth as Gardner flied out to center to start. LeMahieu took strike three but Voit singled to right. Hicks grounded out to first to end the inning.

Jonathan Holder cruised in the top of the seventh as Devers flied out to left to start. Bogaerts flied out to center and Holt took strike three to end the inning. Brandon Workman came in for the bottom of the seventh and Sanchez popped up to third to begin. Torres whiffed but Morales singled to right. Maybin whiffed to end the inning.

Zack Britton punched out Chavis to start the top of the eighth as Eduardo Nunez pinch hit for JBJ. Nunez drew a walk and Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Leon....only to ground into a double play to end the inning. Benintendi took over in center with Holt moving to left and Nunezs taking over at second to start the bottom of the eighth with Matt Barnes on the mound. Urshela whiffed before Gardner was rung up for strike three. LeMahieu grounded out to second to end the inning. At least the bullpen stepped up after Porcello was gone....but so did New York's.

Aroldis Chapman came in for the top of the ninth and the Sox tried to rally when Mr. Mookie walked to start. Benintendi singled to right but the rally came to a crashing halt when Martinez banged into a double play. Devers grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had lost 5-3.

                                                            Damn Yankees



Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings and allowed all 5 runs the Yankees scored.

                                                        Jackass Porcello



The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a home run.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Eduardo Nunez walked as a pinch hitter.

Sandy Leon was 3 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Marcus Walden tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.



The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Christian Vazquez banged into a double play as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Michael Chavis was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.




Final Thoughts:

This is domination by the Yankees not seen since 2017. The Yankees aren't just beating the Sox, they're pulvarizing them this season. The Sox have looked lifeless all season but especially against New York. Porcello got rocked again but the bullpen held strong. Unfortunately so did New York's and the Sox just couldn't get the clutch hit to tie the game or take the lead. They had their chances but they squandered them all. The less said about this disaster the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 29-29, 9 1/2 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox look to avoid a sweep when David Price (2-2) gets the start against CC Sabbathia at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium