Sunday, May 1, 2016

Red Sox Sweep New York, 8-7

     Maybe the team happiest to say goodbye to the month of April, the 8-14 Yankees played their first game of May tonight in game three of the three-game set in Boston. Tonight's pitching matchup between Nathan Eovaldi and David Price saw two pitchers who were both coming off their best outings of their seasons. Price dominated Atlanta, striking out 14, and Eovaldi pitched six perfect innings against Texas in route to the Yankees most recent victory. However, Boston ranks first in the American League in runs scored (129), where New York has scored just 12 runs in their previous seven games. Something would have to give tonight.
    The Yankee offensive woes showed up early on, beginning whren Jacoby Ellsbury lead off the game with a double to left-center, and was bonded over to third-base by Brett Gardner. However, Elsbury would not score as he was thrown out at home plate by third baseman Travis Shaw on a fielders choice off the bat of Alex Rodriguez. Like Price, Eovaldi found himself in early trouble, giving up base hits to the first two men in the Red Sox order, Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia. Betts would score on a RBI fielders choice by shortstop Xander Bogarts, 1-0 Boston.
     Then, in the top of the third, price allowed a leadoff single to back up infielder Ronald Torreyes, who was bunted to second base on the Yankees second sacrifice bunt of the night. Jacoby Ellsbury doubled yet again, this time down the right-field line, scoring Torreyes, 1-1 game. Two batters later, Alex Rodriguez continued to stay hot, launching a Price fastball over the left-field wall, giving the Yankees a 3-1 lead.
     The Yankees would not hold onto that lead for long. After recording the first out, Eovaldi gave up back-to-back singles to Pedroia and Bogarts. After walking Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez tied the game on a bases-loaded two RBI single up the middle. And then, Brock Holt gave the Red Sox a 4-3 lead with a single to center field, scoring Ortiz but ending the inning as Ramirez was thrown out attempting to advance to third base. But, like the Yankees, the Red Sox would not hold onto the lead for long. In the top of the fifth, Ellsbury was hit by a pitch, followed by a Brett Gardner walk. With two men on, the hero of the day so far for the Pinstripers, Alex Rodriguez launched a double off of the green monster, scoring both Ellsbury and Gardner, putting the score at 5–4 in favor of New York. Immediately following the Rodriguez clutch at-bat, Teixeira drove Alex in on a single to left field, 6-4 Yankees.
     No matter what he did, it seemed like Eovaldi found himself in trouble every inning. In the bottom of the fifth, the right-hander served up yet another hit to DH David Ortiz, who was replaced at first by Hanley Ramirez, after his ground ball forced Ortiz out at second base.The following hitter, Travis Shaw, launched a two-run homer just inside the right-field foul pole, tying the game at six.
     Ivan Nova would replace Eovaldi in the bottom of the sixth,leaving Nathan with a final line of 5 IP, 6.ER and 3 K's. The right-handed reliever would work himself in and out of trouble, making it through the sixth inning without allowing a run. However, In the bottom of the seventh, Nova allowed a one-out single to Travis Shaw and was pulled in favor of Delin Betances with two outs and Shaw on base. The rookie Christian Vasquez hit a first-pitch fastball over the green monster, giving the Red Sox a two run lead and setting up Ivan Nova to be the losing pitcher of record.
    Replacing Price in the top of the eighth, Koji Uehara served up a one-out double to Starlin Castro, who moved up to third base on a Chase Headley ground-out to first baseman Hanley Ramirez.  Castro would eventually score on a wild pitch to Brian McCann, inching the Yankees closer, 8-7. But, as has been the case, the Yankees were unable to tie the game and were swept right out of Fenway.
     The Yankees have a much needed day off tomorrow, meant as a travel day but, hopefully used to clear their heads. They begin a three game series in Baltimore on Tuesday, starting at 7:05 PM ET.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)