Chris Sale wasn't his usual brilliant self. CC Sabathia, meanwhile, looked like his former self.
Sale allowed two homers -- a three-run shot in the second and a solo blast in the sixth -- while Sabatahia yielded just four hits over six innings as the Yankees held off the Red Sox 4-3 Saturday to pull back within four games of the A.L. East lead.
A three-run homer by Tyler Austin accounted for as many runs with one swing as Sale had allowed in three previous outings against New York this year. Sale was saddled with his first loss since July 6.
The Sox were held scoreless until the fifth off Sabathia, who was coming off a DL stint, having suffered from some inflammation in his right knee. Finally, the Sox scratched out a run in the fifth with a walk, a single by Rafael Devers and an infield groundout. A run-scoring single by Jackie Bradley Jr. scored Devers with Boston's second run.
Todd Frazier golfed a slider into the first row of the Monster Seats with two outs in the sixth, marking the fifth time this season that Sale had allowed two home runs in the same game.
With Sabathia done for the night, Rafael Devers answered with a solo homer of his own -- his 9th blast in 20 games -- against Adam Warren as the Sox pulled to within a run.
They loaded the bases against David Robertson in the eighth but Robertson fanned Xander Bogaerts on three straight curveballs to end the threat.
GAME NO.: 122
WHO: Red Sox (70-51) vs New York Yankees (65-56)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
TV: NESN
RADIO: WEEI (93.7 FM)
PITCHERS: Chris Sale (14-4, 2.51) vs. CC Sabathia (9-4, 4.05)
BOX SCORE: MLB Gameday
SERIES TO DATE: The Yankees lead the season series to date, 7-6, but with Friday’s win, the Red Sox have taken three in a row between the teams. The Sox won the series at Yankee Stadium last weekend, with the Yankees having won two of the first three and another ending in a split. The clubs will play one more series, in New York, on Labor Day weekend.
WHERE THINGS STAND: The Sox have won three straight, four of five and 13-of-15 since August began. They’re also a season-best 19 games over .500. The Sox also own the best winning percentage at home (.650) in the A.L. The Yankees are coming off a four-game interleague sweep of the Mets. This series is the middle of a three-series, eight-game trip.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Sale is not only having the best season of any American League starter, but also has been brilliant against the Yankees, allowing three earned runs in 22.2 innings. His 1.18 career ERA against them is the lowest by any active pitcher against any single opponent. Aaron Hicks (7-for-19, .368) is one of the few Yanks to have had any success against Sale. Sabathia is fresh off the disabled list (right knee inflammation). This will be his third start of the season against the Sox. In the previous two, he pitched a combined 14 innings without allowing them a run.
STAT OF NOTE: Craig Kimbrel needs one more save to become the sixth pitcher to record 30 or more saves in at least seven straight seasons. The others: Mariano Rivera; Trevor Hoffman; Jonathan Papelbon; Troy Percival; and Robb Nen.
LINEUPS:
Red Sox
Nunez 2B
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Ramirez 1B
Young DH
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Leon C
Bradley Jr. CF
Yankees
Gardner LF
Hicks CF
Judge RF
Sanchez C
Headley 1B
Gregorius SS
Frazier 3B
Austin DH
Torreyes 2B
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- Drew Pomeranz, who came out of Friday's game in the fourth inning with back spasms, was improved Saturday, though still experiencing some soreness on the right belt-line area. "He's of the mindset that he's going to be ready for his start (scheduled Wednesday in Cleveland),'' said John Farrell. "He typically throws a side on Day 3 (after previous start), so that will have a lot of bearing. We're in a day-to-day situation, but optimistic he'll made his next start.''
- Since returning from a DL stint for a pulled hamstring, Joe Kelly has struggled. He was tagged for three runs in just one-third of an inning Friday night and in his four appearances since being activated, has allowed five earned runs in three innings pitched, while opposing batters are hitting .467 against him. "I think when you combined the amount of time missed with the inconsistent work,'' said Farrell, 'they add up. He was on a pretty regimented usage pattern prior to the hamstring injury. It was pretty much every other day. He's the one reliever who had the most structure around him -- he flourished with it -- and trying to get back to that has been a challenge.''
- Mitch Moreland, who chipped in with a huge two-run single as a pinch-hitter Friday night, sports a .459 batting average (17-for-37) as a pinch-hitter since the start of 2014, the highest average for anyone with at least 40 plate appearances. Farrell suggested he's a good candidate to get a hit off the bench. "I think what makes a good pinch-hitter is a more aggressive (hitter),'' said Farrell. "You don't have time to come up and work a count (in those spots); you've got to be ready right from jump street. And he's capable of doing that. I think he's got a fairly low maintenance swing. So, when it's compact and it's aggressive, he's probably giving himself a chance than a guy who needs to be in the flow of the game.''
- David Price did not throw again for a fourth straight day due to some soreness and stiffness and is still undergoing treatment.
- Another day, another homer for Rafael Devers, who know has eight in 20 games. Like most of his homers in his first month in the big leagues, this one was not cheap. He drilled a slider into the triangle area to the deepest part of the ballpark. And the swing made it look effortless.
- Assuming that's it for Sale at 117 pitches. Hardly his best start -- the Yanks managed more runs off him tonight than they had in three previous starts against him this season -- but still pretty good - one walk, nine strikeouts and four runs allowed. Tonight was a reminder that one bad pitch can make a huge difference. The fastball Sale left up in the zone to Tyler Austin in the second is the story so far, producing three runs with one swing. The homer to Frazier wasn't a bad one -- a slider that Frazier managed to golf into the air and deposit into the first row of the Monster Seats.
- Not only has CC Sabathia been effective, he's also been very efficient, with 80 pitches through six innings. He could have another two innings in him, which would leave Joe Girardi only having to worry about the ninth. The Yankee bullpen got a decent amount of work last night, and Girardi clearly doesn't want to go to Chapman after his recent struggles and removal from the closer's role.
- Todd Frazier, who was plunked in the shin earlier in the night by Sale, got his revenge in the sixth when he golfed a slider into the first row of the Monster Seats. That's probably a flyout in any other MLB ballpark, but it counts here and gives the Yanks' a two-run lead after the Sox had scored twice in the bottom of the previous inning.
- Sabathia has been brilliant, mixing a 92 mph two-seamer with his changeup, and occasionally, a slider, to keep the Red Sox off-balance. He's not overpowering, but his command has been impressive. It was interesting to see him try to get Rafael Devers to chase breaking pitches in the dirt and way outside the zone. But Devers stayed on a slider and lined a sharp single to right.
- Another Jackie Bradley Jr. catch for the ages was made in the fourth inning, robbing Tyler Austin of extra-bases with a leaping grab against the garage door in center field. It's always amazing that Bradley quickly puts himself in position to make strong throws back into the infield after such plays.
- Brutal scoring decision on the "base hit'' by hit awarded to Gary Sanchez in the third inning. I'd expect that to get changed. UPDATE: The call was indeed reserved and Xander Bogaerts was charged with an error.
- Sale missed his spot in a big way to Tyler Austin, with a four-seamer at the top of the strike zone. It resulted in a three-run homer. With one swing, Sale had allowed as many runs as he had in his previous 23.3 innings against the Yankees this season.
- It have "only'' been an 82 mph slider from Sale that struck Frazier -- former teammates in Chicago in the second inning. But it got right in the shin. Breaking pitch or not, that direct impact had to hurt.
- CC Sabathia is coming off a DL stint with some right knee inflammation. Wonder if that was behind Andrew Benintendi's decision to lay down a bunt in front of the mound in the first inning. The Sox might want to test how agile Sabathia is in his first start back.