Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox signed infielder Luis Jimenez off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. With Ryan Hanigan out, the Sox need someone to come off the bench and Jimenez could be that guy. He wasn't hitting well in Milwaukee but maybe a change of scenery will help.
As for the game, that was embarrassing. The Sox needed to make a statement against a New York Yankees team that missed the playoffs two years in a row and instead the Yankees came to Fenway and swept the Sox out of it. Adam Warren of the Yankees cruised through five innings while Joe Kelly (1-1, 5.72 ERA) got hammered by New York for 5 runs. Craig Breslow allowed three more before suddenly the Sox rallied for five runs in the sixth inning. That's as close as it got as the Yankees held on to beat the Sox 8-5 at Fenway Park.
Warren got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short to start. Dustin Pedroia also grounded out to short and David Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning.
Carlos Beltran led off the top of the second with a ground out to short to start. Chase Headley dumped a base hit to left but Stephen "PU" Drew grounded back to the mound to move Headley to third but Didi Gregorius grounded out to second to end the inning. Hanley Ramirez popped up to second to start the bottom of the second and Pablo Sandoval grounded out to second. Mike Napoli grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Ellsbury got a base hit to left to start. Gardner was rung up for strike three but A-Rod singled to center. Teixeira popped up to short but McCann doubled to center to clear the bases and Beltran doubled into the right field corner to extend the lead. Headley took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-0.
Yankees pour it on
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Daniel Nava grounded out to short to start. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging and Blake Swihart grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Yankees threatened in the top of the fourth as Drew grounded out to second to start. Gregorius grounded out to second as well but Ellsbury dumps a base hit to right. A wild pitch moved Ellsbury to second and Napoli booted a grounder by Gardner to send Jacoby to third. Gardner stole second but A-Rod lined out to a running Betts to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Mr. Mookie doubled to the Monster to start. Pedroia struck out swinging but Ortiz drew a walk. Ramirez looked to have grounded into a double play....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Ramirez was safe at first. Sure enough, Hanley was ruled safe to put runners at the corners. Sandoval grounded out to short on a 3-0 count anyway to end the inning.
Teixeira struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before McCann hit a 400 foot out to center. Beltran hit a pop up to shallow right and Pedroia couldn't catch it for a "single" to chase Kelly. Joe got hammered for 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings off 9 hits. Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch and Headley immediately singled to center. Drew lined out to center to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Napoli walked to start. Nava banged into a double play and Bogaerts hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.
The Yankees poured it on in the top of the sixth with Craig Breslow now on the mound. Gregorius singled to center, Ellsbury got a base hit to left and Gardner hit a home run all the way to Cancun to chase the incompetent Breslow. Edward Mujica came in to pitch and A-Rod flied out to right. Teixeira grounded out to first and McCann flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees up 8-0.
Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Swihart lined out to left to begin. Mr. Mookie popped up to first in foul territory but Pedroia lined a base hit to left. Ortiz doubled off the Monster to score Pedroia to put the Sox on the board. Ramirez was hit with a pitch and Sandoval singled to left to score Ortiz and chase Warren from the game. Esmil Rogers came in and Napoli belted his second home run of the season to cut the lead. Nava walked and Bogaerts beat out a roller to Rogers to somehow bring the tying run to the plate. Swihart struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 8-5.
Mujica cruised in the top of the seventh as Beltran popped up to short to start. Headley struck out swinging and Drew flied out to center to end the inning. Chris Young took over for Beltran to start the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie grounded out to Gregorius to start. Pedroia lined out to center and Justin Wilson came in to face Ortiz. David lined out to left to end the inning.
Gregorius flied out to center to start the top of the eighth before Ellsbury was plunked in response to Ramirez getting tagged. Home plate umpire Jeff Nelson told both benches to knock it off before Gardner singled to right to chase Mujica and move Jacoby to third. Dalier Hinojosa made his Sox debut by striking out Rodriguez swinging. Gardner stole second but Teixeira walked to load the bases. McCann flied out to right to end the inning.
"Now you knock that malarkey off!" - Nelson
Ramirez singled to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Sandoval took strike three. David Carpenter came in to face Napoli and Mike grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Young took strike three to start the top of the ninth but Headley was hit unintentionally. Drew flied out to center but Gregorius walked. Ellsbury walked to load the bases but Gardner grounded out to second to end the inning. Andrew Miller came in to close out the ninth with Allen Craig pinch hitting for Nava. Craig walked but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Swihart took strike three but Mr. Mookie walked. Pedroia hit a routine grounder to Gregorious but a bad throw for an error loaded the bases to bring the winning run to the plate. With a chance to make history....Ortiz lined out to center to end the game. The Yankees had won it 8-5.
Yankees win
Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1/3 of a scoreless inning.
Jackass of the Night is Joe Kelly. He allowed 5 runs on 9 hits to put the game out of reach early.
Unhappy Jackass
The Good:
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.
Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 3 run home run.
Allen Craig walked as a pinch hitter.
Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1/3 of a scoreless inning.
Edward Mujica tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Dalier Hinojosa pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Craig Breslow allowed 3 runs without getting an out.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but walked.
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
Pablo Sandoval was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.
Daniel Nava was 0 for 2 but walked.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Final Thoughts:
That was a hell of a rally by the Red Sox to go from down 8-0 to have the tying run at the plate in the sixth inning and the winning run at the plate in the ninth. Still, if Joe Kelly didn't suck to start the game and Breslow didn't give up the three run jack, this might have been a different game. Once again the bats produce but the pitching doesn't, the story of the season so far. Ortiz has come up big so many times, its actually shocking when he fails to deliver like in the ninth. Hopefully the hit batsmen of Ramirez and Ellsbury doesn't spark a war down the road but who knows. The Sox need to get more out of their starters because the bullpen can't be pitching 5-6 innings a game. All in all it was a bad loss and the Yankees made a statement big time. The loss dropped the Sox to 12-13, 4 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in Tampa Bay for a set with the Rays. Clay Buchholz (1-3) takes the mound against Jake Odorizzi of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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