Round one to the Red Sox.
Rick Porcello checked the Yankees on two hits over seven shutout innings and the Sox gave him all the support he would need in the second inning as the Sox defeated the Yanks 6-3 to take the first series of the year between the rivals.
Porcello didn't allow a baserunner until the fourth when he plunked Giancarlo Stanton and even, for a time, survived a 48-minute rain delay. But Aaron Judge laced a double to center to lead off the seventh ending his bid.
The Sox had a four-run second with only three hits --all singles, thanks to two walks, two wild pitches by starter Sonny Gray and a sacrifice fly. They tacked on two more in the third after Eduardo Nunez and Jackie Bradley Jr. delivered back-t0-back doubles to lead off the inning.
A bases-clearing double by Gary Sanchez off Marcus Walden in the ninth made things mildly interesting before Craig Kimbrel came in to get the final three outs for his fourth save.
WHO: Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
WHAT'S UP: The two teams have split the first two games of the series, with the rubber game set for Thursday night. The Red Sox saw their nine-game winning streak ended with a thud Wednesday in a 10-7 loss to the Yankees. It was the first Red Sox loss since March 29, the season opener. The Yankees, meanwhile, snapped a two-game skid with the win. It should be interesting to see if there's any carryover from Wednesday's bench-clearing brawl. This will be the last meeting between the teams until a three-game set in New York on May 8-10.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (2-0, 2.84) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (1-0, 3.60)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
10:08: Porcello was laboring there at the end, needing 25 pitches to get through the seventh before finishing with a flourish and fanning Aaron Hicks on a 3-and-2 changeup. The 25 pitches were easily the most he needed to get through an inning. Prior to the seventh, he had thrown only one inning in which he needed more than 15 -- an 18-pitch second. At 99 pitches, that will be it.
9:58: The first hit off Rick Porcello was not cheap -- Aaron Judge squared up a 2-and-1 slider and hit a rocket over the lead of Bradley in center, landing in the triangle. With Porcello approaching 90 pitches and the no-hitter gone, this will be his final inning.
9:43: A 48-minute delay didn't seem to take Porcello off his game. He retires the Yankees in order with a groundball and two strikeouts on 14 pitches, maintaining his no-hit bid through six innings.
8:49: No hits off Rick Porcello through five innings, but two things are working against him: the steady rainfall and pitch count. Porcello is at 60 pitches five -- an average of 12 per frame, hardly a high number -- but that would put him on a pace for 108, a number he would be unlikely to get to in his third start of the season. And, as I type, the tarp is being rolled onto the field, meaning a delay of a while. Tough call for Alex Cora eventually
8:33: The starting pitching in this series has left a lot to be desired. Of the six starters, only Chris Sale (one run over six innings Tuesday), and so far tonight, Rick Porcello (one walk, no hits in four innings) have pitched well.
8:18: Like J.D. Martinez, it would appear that Giancarlo Stanton's best position is the batter's box. Even allowing for the fact that he hasn't had a lot of exposure to left field at Fenway, he grossly overran a relatively routine flyball near the line, with Jackie Bradley awarded a run-scoring double.
8:00: Red Sox have had big innings in all three games. They scored nine in the six Tuesday, five in the seventh Wednesday and four in the second tonight.
7:44: I know they're already shorthanded in the infield, but it sure looks like the Red Sox would be smart to give Eduardo Nunez some rest. He just doesn't look right. Not moving well, unsure of himself defensively. He just ran hard to beat out a chopper and needed time to recover and determine he could stay in the game.
7:25: Eleven pitches into the bottom of the first, we have a hit batter. A fastball in to Hanley Ramirez clipped him on the right hand. Didn't seem to be any intent there, but with everyone on high alert, home umpire Chris Guccione was standing in front of the plate, watching both dugouts. Ramirez left the game and has been replaced by Mitch Moreland at first.
7:17 Three groundouts by the Yankees against Rick Porcello, and interestingly, two of the groundouts came on pitches other than his sinker: Gardner grounded to first on a slider and Judge rolled over on a changeup.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Ramirez 1B
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Nunez 2B
Bradley CF
Leon C
Holt SS
YANKEES
Gardner CF
Judge RF
Stanton LF
Gregorius SS
Sanchez C
Hicks DH
Walker 1B
Wade 2B
Torreyes 3b
NEWS AND NOTES:
- David Price long-tossed in the outfield pre-game. "He feels good,'' said Alex Cora. "There's a chance he'll start on Monday (his next scheduled start). The most important thing is to keep him healthy. He feels fine. All the tests with the training staff, he was good. '' Cora said he-- with input from the coaching staff -- made the call to pull Price Wednesday after the first inning. "He didn't ask to come out,'' said Cora. "You could see he was uncomfortable and you call tell his location was off. But he played catch today and he feels good.''
- The rotation is in some flux for the next few days. Hector Valazquez is set to pitch Saturday against Baltimore, unless he's needed Thursday night. If he does pitch Thursday, then Brian Johnson will start Saturday. And if Price can't go Monday, whoever doesn't pitch Saturday between Johnson and Velazquez will pitch Monday.
- Cora said Bobby Poyner (DL-hamstring pull) battled some hamstring issues in spring training and in the first series in Tampa. "He's been battling it,'' said Cora. "We decided to put him on the DL.''
- Cora was seen on video going at it verbally with Yankee third base coach Phil Nevin during Thursday's brawl. Cora was shown waving goodbye to Nevin, who had been ejected. He also drew up an imaginary box with his hands, apparently instructing Nevin to stay in the third base coach's box. "After the whole thing, he was screaming at our dugout,'' said Cora. "I don't know if he was screaming specifically at me. I took exception. I don't want to say I overreacted, but that's not me. For however long I've managed, you guys see me (being) very calm over there. But if we're going to let everybody be screaming in situations like that....it wasn't a good situation to be in and it could (have been made) worse. I don't manage their team, obviously, I manage my team, and I don't want my coaches screaming at Aaron Boone or any of their players. I took exception. I made a signal. I know everybody saw it. Out of character for me, but I still don't like the fact that he was pointing at me, screaming at me.''