Chris Sale (0-1, 3.18 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox are legitimate cursed. He was out with a fractured rib since Spring Training then returned five days ago. Then in the first inning of today's first half finale against the New York Yankees, he takes a line drive off his pitching hand, breaking his pinkie finger just six batters into the game. The Yankees feasted on the Red Sox bullpen and added to Boston's AL East misery by pounding out 14 hits with 13 runs. Meanwhile Gerrit Cole stymied the shell-shocked Boston bats for just 2 runs in 7 innings. The Yankees relentless attack pounded the Sox in the last game before the All-Star break 13-2 at Yankee Stadium.
Cole got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Rafael Devers also went down hacking and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. The game and the season fell apart in the bottom of the first inning as DJ LeMahieu doubled to right to start. Aaron Judge was hit with a pitch and both runners moved over on the Anthony Rizzo grounder to first. Gleyber Torres hit a routine grounder to Devers who turned and threw the ball into the left field bleachers for an error to score LeMahieu. Matt Carpenter grounded out to short but Judge scored another run. Hicks then hit a bullet off the hand of Sale into right to score Torres and knock Sale out with a broken finger. He lasted just 2/3 of an inning and charged with 3 runs. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch and Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-0.
JD Martinez struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Alex Verdugo lined out to right. Christian Vazquez lined out to right to end the inning. Tim Locastro singled to center to start the bottom of the second before Kyle Higashioka popped up to short. Locastro stole second and LeMahieu walked. Judge lined out to third and Darwinzon Hernandez came in to pitch to Rizzo. Naturally he hit Rizzo to load the bases but Torres flied out to right to end the inning.
Franchy Cordero struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Jackie Bradley Jr singled to center. Jeter Downs then clubbed his first career home run to cut the lead. Duran struck out swinging and Devers lined out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.
Carpenter struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Hicks walked to chase Hernandez. Ryan Brasier came in and got Kiner to ground into a double play to end the inning.
Bogaerts grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Martinez took strike three. Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees exploded in the bottom of the fourth as Locastro singled to left to start the inning before stealing second. Higashioka singled in the hole at short and LeMahieu singled to right to score Locastro. Judge singled to left to chase Brasier and Jake Diekman came in to pour gas on the fire. Rizzo walked to load the bases but Torres struck out swinging. Carpenter doubled to right to score LeMahieu and Judge and Hicks singled to right to score Rizzo. Carpenter moved to third on the Hicks single and scored on the Kiner sac fly to left. Locastro hit the exclamation point with a two run home run. LeMahieu took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees scoring eight runs to take an 11-2 lead.
Vazquez grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth before Cordero struck out swinging. JBJ popped up to short to end the inning. Tanner Houck came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth with Kevin Plawecki now behind the plate. Judge began with a base hit to left but Rizzo flied out to left. Torres flied out to right but Carpenter walked. Hicks grounded out to first to end the inning.
Downs doubled to left to start the top of the sixth but Duran struck out swinging. Devers went down hacking and Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Bogaerts. Dalbec took strike three to end the inning. Connor Wong took over for Devers with Garrett Whitlock now on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Kiner flied out to left to start and Locastro struck out swinging. Higashioka went down hacking to end the inning.
Joey Gallo came in for Judge and Marwin Gonzalez came in for Rizzo to start the top of the seventh. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Martinez and took strike three before Verdugo got a base hit to right. Plawecki grounded into a double play to end the inning. John Schreiber came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the seventh as LeMahieu singled to right to start. Gallo hit a home run all the way to Pasadena to increase the lead. Gonzalez flied out to left, Torres grounded out to third and Carpenter lined out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 13-2.
Lucas Luetge came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Cordero struck out swinging to start. JBJ grounded out to first and Downs took strike three to end the inning. Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Hicks took strike three to start. Kiner singled to left but Locastro flied out to left. Higashioka walked and LeMahieu was hit with a pitch to load the bases, but Gallo flied out to right to end the inning.
Jonathan Loaisiga came in to close out the top of the ninth and Duran struck out swinging to begin. Wong singled to right and Dalbec took strike three to end the game. The Yankees had won it 13-2.
"We suck" - Bogaerts
"Yeah you're out, Jackass, now beat it!" - Cora
Jackass of The Night is Ryan Brasier. He let the flood gates open by allowing 4 runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Good:
Connor Wong got a base hit in his only at-bat.
Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 2.
Jackie Bradley was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Jeter Downs was 2 for 3 with a 2 run home run.
Hiro Sawamura pitched a full scoreless inning.
Darwinzon Hernandez tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Tanner Houck tossed a full scoreless inning.
Garrett Whitlock tossed a full scoreless inning.
The Bad:
Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with the golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with an error and 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 2.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.
JD Martinez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 2.
Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 1.
Franchy Cordero was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Chris Sale was knocked out of the game after being charged with 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Jake Diekman got lit up for 4 runs in 1 full inning.
John Schreiber allowed 2 runs in an inning.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Final Thoughts:
If you thought this season couldn't get more embarrassing, think again. Not only can the Boston Red Sox not beat the AL East, they're not even competitive. The Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays and the Yankees not just beat them, but feast on them. The Sox starting rotation is decimated by injury but at the same time, they're not supposed to be THIS bad against the AL East. On top of that, whatever deal John Henry made with the devil for 15 years of success has expired because now they can't do anything right. Their entire rotation got hurt, but here comes Chris Sale. Now Sale is hurt again with a broken pinkie and who knows when he'll be back. Its just more bad vibes in a season full of them that's spiraling down the drain. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 48-45, 16.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox are now off for four days for the MLB Draft and will face the Toronto Blue Jays when action resumes this Friday night. It looks like Nathan Eovaldi will be getting the start for the Sox and Kevin Gausman for the Blue Jays at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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