As for the game, the Red Sox are in big trouble. When David Price signed his $217 million dollar contract it was supposed to help the Sox win the World Series. As of tonight he has been possibly the worst free agent signing in Red Sox history based on expectations. He had a reputation of being unable to pitch in big games and he proved it in 2016 when he got lit up by the Cleveland Indians in Game 2 of the LDS. He had a chance to redeem himself tonight by exorcising the demon of the New York Yankees but he couldn't. In yet another horrid start the Yankees lit him up for 3 runs in just 1 2/3 innings. The Sox offense failed to show up against Masahiro Tanaka and the vaunted Yankees bullpen. Eduardo Rodriguez got hammered as well and the Yankees evened the ALDS with a 6-2 victory heading back to New York.
Price took the mound in the top of the first and naturally the Yankees tagged him. Andrew McCutchen nearly beat out a grounder to third to begin the game before Aaron Judge smashed a 400,000 foot bomb to give the Yankees the lead for good two batters into the game. Luke Voit also nearly beat out a grounder to third before Giancarlo Stanton flied out to right after two blown strike three calls to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 1-0.
Tanaka begin his brilliance in the bottom of the first by getting Mr. Mookie Betts to pop up to left to begin. Andrew Benintendi flied out harmlessly to center before JD Martinez stroked a lucky single down the left field line. Naturally Xander Bogaerts lined out to center to end the inning.
Price came back for another beating in the top of the second inning as Gary Sanchez blasted a 20,000 foot blast to increase the lead. Didi Gregorius grounded out to second before Eduardo Nunez made another good play to rob Miguel Andujar of a hit. Gleyber Torres walked and the umpire missed another strike call which allowed Brett Gardner to walk. McCutchen chased Price with a single off the Monster that scored Torres and advanced Gardner to third. That was it for Price as Alex Cora took no chances with Judge coming up and pulled him. The Fenway crowd booed Price off the field for yet another post-season dud, 1 2/3 innings and 3 runs allowed. Time to opt out. Joe Kelly came in and got Judge to line out to right to end the inning but the Yankees had iced it 3-0.
The worthless bottom of the order did nothing in the bottom of the second against Tanaka as Mitch Moreland hit a pathetic grounder to second to begin. Eduardo Nunez lined out harmlessly to center and Ian Kinsler swung at a ball that bounced in the dirt for strike three to end the inning.
Kelly returned for the top of the third as Voit popped up to right to start. Stanton effortlessly singled on an 0-2 pitch right down the middle but came back to blow away Sanchez. Gregorius flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Sandy Leon grounded out to second before somehow Jackie Bradley Jr singled to left. Mr. Mookie took a 3-1 meatball and popped it up to short before Benintendi easily grounded into the shift to end the inning.
Kelly came back for the top of the fourth and Andujar grounded out to first to begin. Torres popped up to right and Gardner grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth although Martinez flied out harmlessly to right to start. Somehow Bogaerts belted a solo home run to dead center to get the Sox on the board. Moreland whiffed badly but somehow Nunez walked. Kinsler swung at another pitch in the dirt to end the inning but the Sox were down 3-1.
Ryan Brasier took over for Kelly in the top of the fifth and blew away McCutchen to start. Judge hit a routine grounder to Nunez who turned around and threw the ball into the Monster Seats for an error to advance Judge to second. The Yankees pounced as Voit walked but somehow Brasier punched out Stanton on a 96 mph fastball. Brasier told Sanchez to get in the box before blowing him away to end the inning.
Tanaka cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Leon grounded out to short to start before JBJ whiffed badly. Mr. Mookie lined out easily to center to end the inning. Tanaka wasn't intimidating at all and the Sox failed to do anything with him apart from one lucky swing by Bogaerts.
The Yankees nearly struck back in the top of the sixth. Brandon Workman got Gregorius on a check swing in the dirt to begin the frame but Andujar and Torres struck back to back seeing eye singles to chase Brandon. None other than Eduardo Rodriguez was summoned and he did manage to get Gardner to pop up to short and somehow blew away McCutchen to end the inning. The Yankees turned to their feared bullpen as Dellin Betances came in with Adeiny Hechavarria in at third base for Andujar to start the bottom of the sixth. The Sox rolled over as Benintendi hit a dinky roller to first, Martinez hit a routine grounder to short and Bogaerts hit a routine grounder to third to end the inning.
The Yankees pounced in the top of the seventh on a huge mistake by Rodriguez lollygagging to first on a grounder to Moreland by Judge. Naturally Rodriguez nibbled and walked Voit before Nunez threw wide of second on a grounder by Stanton to load the bases on the error.....but wait! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call and somehow it was overturned, out at second. With runners at the corners Sanchez ended the game with a 5,000 foot bomb to ice the game. Gregorius grounded out to third and Hechavarria grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees up 6-1. Game over.
The Sox did try to fight back as Moreland singled to open the bottom of the seventh. Alex Cora continued his terrible night by letting Nunez hit against Betances and naturally Eduardo popped up. Kinsler managed to double off the Monster to score Moreland. Rafael Devers FINALLY pinch hit for Leon but whiffed. Kinsler swiped third on the whiff but it didn't matter as JBJ grounded out weakly to second to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.
Heath Hembree joined the roster today and he got the call to pitch the top of the eighth with Christian Vazquez now behind the plate and Steve Pearce taking over at first. Hembree got Torres to whiff on a pitch in the dirt but Gardner walked. McCutchen banged into a double play to end the inning. Zach Britton came in for the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie weakly grounded to third to start. Somehow Benintendi drew a walk but was erased on the Martinez force. Bogaerts grounded into a routine force to end the inning. You can crap on the pitching all you want but the offense failed to show up tonight.
Hembree returned for the top of the ninth and promptly walked Judge and Voit back to back. Stanton banged into a double play and Sanchez lined out to left to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in for the bottom of the ninth and promptly walked Pearce. Defying all logic Cora kept Brock Holt on the bench and let Nunez hit against Chapman only for him to look at strike three. Kinsler banged into a double play to end the game. The Yankees tied the series up to send it back to New York with a 6-2 win.
Jackass of the Night is David Price. As if it would turn out any different, he let his team down in October again by lasting just 1 2/3 innings, giving up 3 runs and making the bullpen toss almost 7 full innings.
The Good:
Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Steve Pearce walked as a pinch hitter.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.
Joe Kelly tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 5th inning.
Heath Hembree pitched 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 4.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 2.
Rafael Devers struck out as a pinch hitter.
Eduardo Rodriguez gave up the backbreaking 3 run home run to Sanchez
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 with a walk.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but it was a solo home run.
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3 with an error but walked.
Ian Kinsler was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and stole a base.
Brandon Workman retired just 1 of the 3 men he faced.
Honorable Mention:
Christian Vazquez caught the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox are in big trouble now. The most frightening thing isn't the horrid bullpen or the fact Price pissed himself again but apart from JD Martinez' home run the Sox offense has once again failed to show up in October. Again, forget the home run that's two runs in Game 1 and 2 runs in Game 2. The supposed MVP Betts still has no post-season rbis and the bottom of the order is completely useless. If that wasn't bad enough, Aaron Judge apparently was blasting "New York, New York" on a boom box walking past the Red Sox clubhouse. If this was a direct challenge or done in a mocking gesture, it would be nice for the Sox to respond. Remember they admitted that they were miffed when Brian Cashman opened his mouth about "doing damage" do the Red Sox before the Sox swept them out of Fenway in early August. Hopefully the Sox can go into Yankee Stadium and send a message but it may not happen. After an off-day the Sox go to New York for Game 3 on Monday Night. Nathan Eovaldi will be getting the start for the Sox opposite Luis Severino. If the Sox have any hope then they have to make a stand at 7:30 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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