The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres in Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff series to the Philadelphia Sixers and the New York Yankees shut out a lifeless Boston Red Sox team. Luis Gil held the Sox to just 2 measly hits in 6 1/3 innings. Meanwhile Connelly Early (1-1, 2.88 ERA) once again ran out of gas in the sixth inning, leaving trailing 3-0. The Yankees got a run against Jack Anderson as the Sox bats did nothing against the Yankees bullpen. It all added up to a 4-0 win by the Yankees at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox get, John Cena?
Early got the ball in the top of the first inning and Amed Rosario grounded out to short to start. Aaron Judge grounded out to short and Ben Rice took strike three to end the inning. Gil got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roman Anthony took strike three to start. Willson Contreras got a base hit to left and moved to second on the Masataka Yoshida grounder to second. Wilyer Abreu popped up to third to end the inning.
The Yankees ended the game in the top of the second when Giancarlo Stanton hit a home run into the Charles River to put the Yankees up for good. Cody Bellinger grounded out to second but Randal Grichuk got a base hit to left. Jazz Chisholm singled to left but Jose Caballero grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game over 1-0 Yankees.
The Sox rolled over in the bottom of the second as Trevor Story flied out to center to start. Ceddane Rafaela grounded out to short but somehow Marcelo Mayer hit a ground rule double into the left field stands. Naturally Caleb Durbin struck out swinging to end the inning.
Austin Wells lined out to left to start the top of the third and Rosario grounded out to short. Judge grounded out to third to end the inning. Carlos Narvaez lined out to right to start the bottom of the third but somehow Anthony walked. Naturally Contreras flied out to left and Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning.
Rice was hit with a pitch to start the top of the fourth but Stanton struck out swinging. Bellinger grounded into a double play to end the inning. Abreu grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth and Story grounded out to third. Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning.
Grichuk grounded out to second to open the top of the fifth and Chisholm struck out swinging. Caballero singled in the hole at short but Wells grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Mayer was plunked to start the bottom of the fifth but naturally Durbin grounded into a double play. Narvaez flied out to center to end the inning.
The Yankees iced it in the top of the sixth as Rosario walked to start. Judge walked but Rice struck out swinging. Stanton doubled to center to clear the bases and Bellinger walked to chase Early. Once again Early ran out of gas being charged with 3 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. Jack Anderson came in and Grichuk got Stanton thrown out at third on a grounder to Durbin. Chisholm caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down the third base line to load the bases but Caballero was rung up for strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 3-0.
The Sox rolled over and died in the bottom of the sixth as Anthony lined out to short to start. Contreras popped up to first and Yoshida grounded out to short to end the inning.
Wells flied out to center to start the top of the seventh and Rosario grounded out to third. Judge ripped a base hit to left but Rice took strike three to end the inning. Ryan McMahon came in for Rosario to start the bottom of the seventh and Abreu flied out to center. Somehow Story and Rafaela drew back to back walks to chase Gil after 6 1/3 shutout innings. Brent Headrick came in to face Mayer but Sox manager Alex Cora defied all logic by pinch hitting Andruw Monasterio. Monasterio flied out to right and Durbin took strike three to end the inning.
Stanton flied out to center to start the top of the eighth but Bellinger singled to left. Grichuk doubled to center to score Bellinger to wrap up the scoring. Tyler Samaniego came in to pitch to Chisholm and he hit a bullet to Contreras. Willson doubled off Grichuk at second to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-0.
Trent Grisham took over for Grichuk for the bottom of the eighth and Narvaez singled to right. Tim Hill came in to pitch to Anthony and Roman grounded out to short to move Carlos to second. Contreras grounded out to third to end the inning.
Caballero struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth but Wells singled to right. McMahon struck out swinging but Judge walked. Rice took strike three to end the inning. David Bednar came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Abreu grounded back to the mound to start. Story grounded out to third but Rafaela beat out a roller to third. Jarren Duran pinch hit for Monasterio and struck out swinging to end the game. The Yankees had won 4-0.
Jackass of the Night is a tough one because the whole offense took the night off. Still, Caleb Durbin failed with a runner on second, grounded into a double play and took strike three with two men on.
Rally killing Jackass
The Good:
Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Marcelo Mayer singled and was hit with a pitch.
Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3.
Tyler Samaniego tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4.
Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4.
Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Jarren Duran struck out as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Roman Anthony was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4.
Trevor Story was 0 for 3 but walked.
Connelly Early was the hard luck loser tossing 5 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs off 5 hits and 3 walks.
Jack Anderson allowed a run in 2 innings.
Final Thoughts:
Its getting ridiculous as this point but there might be some changes coming. Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner have been spotted at Fenway more times in the last week than they've been in years. They're seeing their failure first hand and maybe they'll make a change. Its clear that GM Craig Breslow failed big time to put a roster together and its clear as day Alex Cora has totally lost it. This isn't the 2018 or 2022 Red Sox, this is a brand new team with younger players that he's not getting the most out of. Luis Gil was considered the easier of the three pitchers the Sox were going to face and they look completely helpless. Gil also induced very few swing and misses so the Sox just kept beating the ball in the dirt. It raises questions on what exactly the coaching staff does game to game if the players consistently get shut down by mediocre pitchers. Not to mention on what planet is it a good idea to pinch hit Mayer for Monasterio. It shows Cora has either zero confidence in the number 4 overall pick or is a slave to analytics. Either way its an extremely bad look and toxic toward Mayer's development. Its an entire organizational failure from top to bottom and maybe hitting rock bottom will make some changes. If the Yankees shut down the Sox the next two games, someone has to go. Cora, Breslow, Pete Fatse, all of them, somebody. The Sox look to buck the trend tomorrow night when Ranger Suarez (1-1, 3.22 ERA) takes on Yankees ace Max Fried. The game begins at 6:45 PM at Fenway Park.
