As for the game, uh oh. That's all that can be said after the New York Yankees stomped a mudhole in the suddenly ineffective Chris Sale (15-7, 2.85 ERA) and crushed the Red Sox in a 9-2 beat down in Yankee Stadium that gave the Yankees new life in the battle for the division title.
Severino began the top of the first by getting Eduardo Nunez to ground out harmlessly to short. Andrew Benintendi grounded out meekly to second and Mookie Betts popped up weakly to end the inning. Sale began his valiant effort by somehow retiring Brett Gardner on a ground out to second. Chase Headley got the rally started with a base hit up the middle. Gary Sanchez hit a rocket to Rafael Devers who threw wide of first and everyone was safe. Things got even worse as catcher Sandy Leon dropped a strike that allowed both Sanchez and Headley to advance. Sale did blow away Starlin Castro with a 98 mph fastball and then Aaron Judge with another fastball to end the inning.
Things looked promising in the top of the second when Mitch Moreland smacked a ground rule double just out of the reach of Gardner but things quickly soured when Dustin Pedroia waived at a pitch in the dirt. Devers hit a weak ball to short but Moreland moved to third. Hanley Ramirez didn't even get the bat off his shoulder, looking at strike three to end the inning. Sale labored in the bottom of the second as Didi Gregorius flied out to center to start but Matt Holliday walked. Holliday was erased on a force by Todd Frazier. Jacoby Ellsbury took a 2-2 pitch down the middle called a ball then singled to center, moving Frazier to third. Gardner hit a comebacker to Sale to end the inning but Sale had thrown nearly 50 pitches already.
The Sox continued to suck hard in the top of the third inning as Leon grounded out meekly to the pitcher. Jackie Bradley Jr got a lucky single to left but Nunez watched strike three go by. JBJ then took off for second....and was out. But wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call and it was correctly overturned, safe. It didn't matter as Benintendi looked at a 99 mph fastball down the middle to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the third inning when Headley blasted a solo home run just over the wall in left to give the Yankees the lead for good. Sanchez grounded out to short, Castro whiffed and Judge looked at strike three to end the inning. The Yankees were ahead for good 1-0.
Mookie Betts did what he's done all year in the top of the fourth, pull a pitch headed for the outside corner to ground out to short. Moreland grounded out weakly to second and Pedroia whiffed at a pitch up in his eyes to end the inning. Sale came back for another beating in the bottom of the fourth although he got Gregorius to hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Holliday then blasted a 400 foot bomb to center to extend the insurmountable lead. Frazier then homered to left as the crowd went wild, taunting Sale and the Sox fans. Ellsbury drew a walk and swiped second although Gardner looked at strike three. Headley grounded out to end the inning but the Yankees had a commanding 3-0 lead.
The Sox stopped trying at this point as Severino struck out Devers, Ramirez and Leon easily to begin and end the top of the fifth inning in short order. For some ungodly reason Sox manager John Farrell sent Sale back to the mound in the bottom of the fifth even though the game was already over. He did manage to get Sanchez to strike out but Castro singled to chase him. Joe Kelly was brought in to pitch and Castro was erased on the force by Judge. Gregorius grounded out to end the inning but the ace of the Red Sox lasted just 4 1/3 innings against the Yankees and gave up 3 runs. What a mess.
The Sox needed the Yankees to throw up on themelves to score in the top of the sixth inning as JBJ grounded out to second. Nunez only reached due to Frazier booting a ball. Benintendi flied out harmlessly and Frazier made another error to allow Betts to reach second with Nunez going to third. A passed ball on Sanchez scored Nunez and Moreland whiffed to end the inning. The Sox were down 3-1 but nobody had any faith they would come back since the Yankees threw up on themselves only to allow just one run.
As usual when the Sox scored, the Yankees answered in the bottom of the sixth as the suddenly red hot Holliday walked. Frazier whiffed and that was it for Kelly. Robby Scott came in and poured gas on the fire by allowing a single to Ellsbury before walking Gardner. 2 and out for Scott as Addison Reed came in for the biggest cataclysm yet. Headley whiffed to bring up Sanchez. Reed threw a pitch that was on the inside corner...ball. Sandy Leon looked up and chirped at the home plate umpire, and the ump got his revenge two pitches later. The next pitch was fouled off and the third pitch was right down the middle...ball 2. Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis then threw a water bottle from the dugout right at home plate umpire Sam Holbrook's head. Willis shouted more invectives at Holbrook as he was given the heave-ho from the game. Reed then had no choice but to throw every pitch right down the middle and Sanchez hit a grounder to third....Devers fires to first and YERR OUT! But wait! Yankees manager Joe Girardi challenged the call amd sure enough, Sanchez was ruled safe and the inning continued. Capitalizing on the break, Castro cleared the bases with a double and Judge absolutely blasted a 500 foot home run as Yankee Stadium reportedly roared louder than it has in YEARS. That was it for reed who spat at Holbrook on his way out and would have been tossed if he wasn't already leaving. Matt Barnes came in and walked Gregorius before Holliday looked at strike 3 to end the inning. What was in reach was now a 9-1 Yankees massacre. Unreal.
Tommy Kahnle got the call for the top of the seventh and Pedroia worked a walk. Deven Marrero pinch ran for Dustin as Devers singled to left. The rally died as Ramirez and Leon whiffed before JBJ popped up to end the inning. Heath Hembree was brought in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and got Frazier to fly out to left. Ellsbury singled but Gardner whiffed. Greg Bird pinch hit for Headley and struck out to end the inning.
Chasen Shreve got the ball in the top of the eighth and made it look easy. Nunez whiffed, Benintendi popped up to short and Betts whiffed badly to end the inning. The bench emptied in the bottom of the eighth as Tzu-Wei Lin replaced Nunez, Rajai Davis came in for Betts and Sam Travis replaced Moreland. Blaine Boyer took the mound and struck out Sanchez to start. Castro singled but Judge flied out to center. Austin Romine pinch hit for Gregorius and struck out to end the inning.
Ronald Torreyes moved to short with Giovanny Gallegos now pitching the top of the ninth. Travis singled and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Marrero struck out. Travis moved to third on the Devers ground out as Blake Swihart pinch hit for Ramirez, and walked. Leon singled in Travis just to piss the fans off a bit. JBJ struck out to end the game but the Yankees sent a message by taking 3 out of 4, the season series 11 games to 8 and this game 9-2.
Jackass of the Night is Chris Sale. The supposed ace failed to make it out of the fifth inning and forced the bullpen to throw 5 innings including the revolting 6th inning. He's not only been bad, but HORRID the last 2 weeks.
The Good:
Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3.
Sam Travis singled and scored as a pinch hitter.
Blake Swihart pinch hit for Ramirez and walked.
Matt Barnes got the final out of the 6th inning.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Blaine Boyer pitcheda scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Deven Marrero was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Joe Kelly allowed a run in an inning of work.
Robby Scott allowed both of his men to reach and score.
Addison Reed gave up the three-run double and two run home run
The Ugly:
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 4 but scored a run.
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 2 but walked.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.
Honorable Mention:
Tzu-Wei Lin played second base in the eighth inning.
Rajai Davis played right field in the eighth inning.
Final Thoughts:
Everyone is starting to hit the panic button and thwy may be right to do it. Going into last night's game the Sox had a 5.5 game lead after Doug Fister beat Sonny Gray, but its been all Yankees before and after. Chris Sale may have hit the second half wall that expert said he would but the Red Sox denied. He was mostly unhittable all year but recently has stunk. That is terrible news for a team that's already struggling to score runs with starters 2 (Rick Porcello) and 4 (Eduardo Rodriguez) inconsistent. It seems like the Red Sox are crumbling at the wrong time and reminding fans of the 2011 team. The only difference is the 2011 team was actually likable to a point, this team is not. Between Pablo Sandoval, David Price and the ongoing wretchedness of the offense, this team is about as likable as moldy diarrhea. The Yankees not only beat the sox, they DOMINATED them. In the 11 wins the Yankees held the Sox to 2 runs or less in NINE of them. That wasn't baseball, that was a mugging with an audience. I've seen completely inferior Red Sox team lose to the dynasty Yankees, I've seen the injured 2010 team lose to the Yankees and I've seen the 2012 team tank on Bobby Valentine against the Yankees.... but I have never seen a fully healthy, equal team on paper get dominated so badly before. The only good news is the season series with the Yankees is over and they never have to see them again this year. The bad news was the loss dropped the Sox to 77-60, only 3.5 games ahead of the very much alive Yankees for first place in the AL East. The only thing to look forward to is the last-place Toronto Blue Jays are coming to Fenway for a three-game set. Tomorrow night Rick Porcello (9-15, 4.45 ERA) looks to get the Sox back on track up against JA Happ. One year ago these two were battling for the AL Cy Young Award and both of them have sucked this year. The game starts at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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