For 7 innings the Boston Red Sox were cruising toward their fifth straight win and third in a row over the New York Yankees. Nathan Eovaldi was pitching a shutout and the Sox had a 3-0 lead. Then it all fell apart in the eighth inning as Eovaldi ran out of gas and the Yankees bats came to life against Adam Ottavino. Brett Gardner hit a two out, 0-2 count single to chase Nathan and the Yankees rallied for 3 runs against Ottavino. The Sox had just 6 hits in the entire game as Jameson Taillon and the Yankees bullpen almost effortlessly shut them down. It was a stunning collapse by the Red Sox who went from 4 outs away from victory to a bitter 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Yankees at Fenway Park.
Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first inning and retired DJ LeMahieu on a grounder back to himself to start. Brett Gardner ate up Rafael Devers on a grounder and Devers threw wide of first for a base hit. Giancarlo Stanton struck out swinging on a nasty splitter and Rougned Odor also went down hacking to end the inning. Taillon got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez led off with a little league home run off the top off the Monster when Odor threw the ball into the dugout to give the Sox the lead. Jarren Duran popped up to Chris Glittens, Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging and Rafael Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Eovaldi struck out Gleyber Torres swinging on a slider to start the top of the second before Greg Allen took a curveball for strike three. Chris Glittens flied out to right to end the inning. JD Martinez led off the bottom of the second with a double just over the head of DJ LeMahieu into the left field corner. Alex Verdugo popped up to Gardner but Kevin Plawecki doubled off the top of the Monster to score Martinez. Franchy Cordero drew a walk but Michael Chavis struck out swinging on a high fastball. Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
The Yankees rallied in the top of the third as Estevan Florial ate up Michael Chavis at second on a grounder and Rob Brantly singled to left to begin. LeMahieu grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to put Florial at third and Gardner whiffed on a nasty curveball to end the inning. Duran ate up Odor on a grounder for an error and Jarren used his speed to make it to second to start the bottom of the third. Durran made it to third on a grounder to second by Bogaerts and scored on the Devers sac fly to right. Martinez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
Eovaldi got Stanton swinging on a curveball to start the top of the fourth before Odor hit one up the elevator shaft. Torres struck out swinging on a nasty splitter to end the inning. Verdugo was originally ruled safe by first plate umpire Chris Guicione on a grounder to Odor but Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged the call. Verdugo was correctly called out to begin the bottom of the fourth but Plawecki got a base hit to left. Cordero banged into a double play to end the inning.
Durran almost lost a pop up by Allen but recovered to begin the top of the fifth inning. Glittens popped up to Hernandez and Florial popped up to center to end the inning. Eovaldi was through 5 innings at just 53 pitches, outstanding. Chavis was rung up for strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Hernandez grounded out to third. Duran flied out to deep right to end the inning.
Brantly grounded into the shift to start the top of the sixth before LeMahieu doubled off the top of the Monster. Gardner struck out swinging and Cordero made a great catch on a Stanton line drive to end the inning. Taillon cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Bogaerts popped up to Odor to start. Devers popped up to LeMahieu in foul territory but Martinez walked. Verdugo popped up to LeMahieu to end the inning.
Odor grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh before Cordero made a great sliding catch to rob Torres of a hit. Allen blooped a base hit to right but Chavis made a great pick on a bad throw by Bogaerts on a grounder by Glittens to end the inning.
Plawecki led off the bottom of the seventh by striking out on an elevated fastball before Cordero drew a walk. Cordero was thrown out trying to steal second and Chavis flied out to left to end the inning.
Eovaldi ran out of gas in the top of the eighth as Florial doubled into the centerfield gap to start. Brantly popped up to Devers and LeMahieu popped up to center to bring up Gardner. Eovaldi had Gardner down 0-2 but naturally Gardner poked a single to right score Florial. That was it for Eovaldi who would be charged with 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings, he deserved better. Adam Ottavino came in and crapped his pants, allowing a ground rule double to Stanton into the right field seats. Tyler Wade ran for Stanton and Odor effortlessly doubled to left to score both runners to tie the game. Torres ripped a base hit to left to score Odor and complete the comeback. Torres swiped second and Allen was pitched as thunderous boos rained down on Ottavino. Torres and Allen pulled off a double steal but Glittens was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-3.
Yankee fans gloated saying the game was in the bag with Jonathan Loaisiga on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. They were right as Hernandez grounded out to first to start. Duran grounded back to the mound but Bogaerts beat out a roller to short. Devers got a base hit to left to move Bogaerts to third but Martinez blew it by popping up to right to end the inning.
Yankee fans danced in the Fenway stands as Josh Taylor came in to pitch the top of the ninth. Florial walked on four pitches not even close but Brantly forced him at second. LeMahieu hit a rocket to Durran who doubled off Brantly to end the inning. Yankee fans celebrated as Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with ease. Verdugo grounded out to second to start before Plawecki struck out swinging. Hunter Renfroe pinch hit for Cordero and drew a walk before Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Chavis. More Yankee luck occurred when Vazquez pounded a ball to right but it hopped into the stands for a ground rule double that prevented Renfroe from scoring. Naturally Hernandez struck out swinging to end the game. The Yankees stole it from the Sox 4-3.
Jackass of the Night is Adam Ottavino. He allowed an inherited runner to score and 2 of his own to take the loss.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with an rbi.
JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Kevin Plawecki was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Franchy Cordero walked twice in three plate appearances.
Hunter Renfroe walked as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez doubled as a pinch hitter.
Nathan Eovaldi tossed 7 2/3 innings of 2 run ball. He struck out 8 batters and allowed 7 hits.
Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 but scored a run and threw out a runner at first.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Final Thoughts:
Similar to the Phillies game when they scored 8 runs in the top of the eighth back on July 10th, the real key to this game was the Sox only had 4 hits on offense. They led 3-0 after 3 innings but did NOTHING the rest of the way. Cora made the right move to let Eovaldi start the eighth and Ottavino should have protected the lead like he's done mostly all season. The worst part is the Sox had two guys on in the bottom of the eighth and another two in the ninth but couldn't drive any of them in. The Yankees looked like the Jeter Yankees, down for the whole game and rallied when they had to. The Sox desperately need a bat at the trade deadline because their problem all season is getting a lead then sitting on it rather than add to it. Last night was the anomaly rather than the norm. The worst part is the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Indians AGAIN to catch the Sox in a virtual tie. The Sox have a lot of work to do in the second half of the season and Sox GM Chaim Bloom better make the right moves or else the Rays are going to blow right past them. Its a shame the Sox couldn't pull this one off but the Yankees wanted it more, making the plays they needed to on both sides of the ball. The loss dropped the Sox to 60-39, tied for first place with the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound by trying to take 3 out of 4 from the Yankees tomorrow afternoon. Martin Perez (7-6, 4.16 ERA) takes on Domingo German of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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