Yanks Salvage Game Three: Tanaka, No Runs DMC Hold Boston to Three Hits, 3-1

The Yankees pulled out game three against the Red Sox tonight, and I feel like I've written this sentence a couple dozen times this year, as they pole back to within a game of .500. Taking the ball for New York tonight was not only their best pitcher but also one of the best pitchers in the American League, Masahiro Tanaka, who improved to 7-2, lowering his ERA to 3.15 with his stellar performance this evening. Taking the ball and the loss for Boston tonight was ace David Price, who falls to 9-7, 4.36 ERA with the loss tonight that basically stemmed from a rough fourth inning.

The Red Sox hit the scoreboard early tonight, and by early I mean second batter of the game. Former MVP Dustin Pedroia smashed a hanging Tanaka splitter into the seats in left field, pushing Boston ahead 1-0. But, the Japanese Ace's struggles wood and there as he went on to pitch six brilliant innings, allowing just three hits while walking one and striking out seven. More often than not this season, Tanaka has been there to stop the bleeding when the Yankees needed him most, and tonight was another perfect example of that.

The Yankees took the lead and the game and never looked back in the fourth inning against David Price. The fourth started off with a Chase Headley line out to Betts that could've made the damage even worse for Price if it would have got down. As it went. Gregorius followed with a line drive single to center and scored when the next batter Starlin Castro ripped a double down the left-field line that bounced off the wall, tying the game at one. After a Rob Refsnyder strikeout, Austin Romine laced a liner that went off of the glove of a diving Pedroia that shot off into centerfield, scoring Castro and giving the Yanks a 2-1 lead. Brett Gardner followed with a soft single to left that advanced Romine to second. After a brief visit from the pitching coach, Price served up another soft single, this time to Jacoby Ellsbury that sank into centerfield, scoring Romine and pushing the Bomber lead to 3-1, where the score would remain for the rest of the game.

All three members of No Runs DMC pitched tonight, with each pitcher tossing a hitless frame, combining for just two walks and two strikeouts. Aroldis Chapman earned his 18th save in pinstripes as he got Hanley Ramirez to ground into a game ending double-play.

The Pinstripers welcome in the division leading Baltimore Orioles for a four-game set, with first pitch scheduled tomorrow night for 7:05 PM ET.