All you need to know about the Red Sox' 6-3 win over the New York Yankees in quickie form, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Red Sox take first series from their rivals: Boston won the first and last games of the first series of the season between the Sox and New York Yankees, taking the rubber game after splitting the first two. That leaves the Red Sox 4.5 games in front of the Yanks in the American League East. The two teams don't meet again until a three-game set in New York in the first week of May.
Porcello's no-no bid ends in the seventh: Rick Porcello no-hit the Yanks through the first six innings and didn't allow a baserunner until he grazed Giancarlo Stanton with a pitch with two out in the fourth. Not even a 48-minute rain delay seemed to throw him off his game, as he came back to retire the Yanks in order in the sixth. But leading off the seventh, Aaron Judge hit a rope to the triangle in center for a double and that was that. Porcello then allowed an infield hit before getting the final three hitters of the inning in order. He was lifted after the seventh, having allowed two hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
Ramirez exits early: Hanley Ramirez was struck on the right wrist by an inside pitch in the first inning by starter Sonny Gray and after conferring with the training staff, came out of the game. He was replaced at first base by Mitch Moreland. The umpiring crew was on high alert after Wednesday's bench-clearing mess, but they deemed this beaning unintentional. The Red Sox later announced that Ramirez underwent x-rays, which came back negative. Cora said post-game the training staff recommended another day out of the lineup as a precaution. In his place, Moreland contributed two singles in three at-bats.
TURNING POINT
The Sox were leading 4-0 after two innings when Eduardo Nunez opened the home half of the third with a double. Jackie Bradley Jr. followed with a ball down the line in left that Giancarlo Stanton chased after and appeared to think was headed for the seats. But with wind and rain, the ball blew back into fair territory and about 10 feet over Stanton's head. The Sox had a run in, and the start of another multi-run inning and never looked back.
TWO UP
Andrew Benintendi: Benintendi, was out of the lineup Wednesday, returned for the final game of the series and continued to show evidence that's he coming around after a slow start. He was 2-for-3 with two walks Tuesday and had two more hits Thursday -- a single in the first and another in the sixth.
Eduardo Nunez: Nunez had been 0-for-7 in the series before Thursday before legging out an infield chopper in the second and drilling a double to left to lead off the third. He came around to score both times. But with his troublesome knee acting up some and the grass wet from the steady rain, he was wisely lifted from the game after the delay.
ONE DOWN
Rafael Devers: Devers had played errorless ball through the first 11 games, but that ended in a flourish in the ninth when he misplayed a ball hit by Stanton, then compounded things by throwing a ball in the dirt that allowed Aaron Judge to advance from second to third. One play, two errors. And things weren't any better at the plate, either, with a 0-for-4 night.
INJURY UPDATE
David Price, who was lifted after just one inning Wednesday night after complaining about a numb sensation, will pitch in Anaheim Tuesday, the opener of the team's nine-game road trip. Warmer weather on the West Coast should benefit him.
"It was nothing that (had anything) to do with anything that went on last year,'' said Price, who had two DL stints with elbow and forearm issues. "I woke up this morning feeling the way I figured I was going to feel. Everything was good. I told (Cora) that I would go out whenever he wants, but he thought Tuesday would be better, weather-wise. There was never any thought that last year had re-occurred or any of that. My hand was just completely numb and I couldn't feel it. It's something I've always had.''
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Red Sox have won each of their four series played.
- The Sox have had an inning of four runs or more in each of the last five games.
- Boston has managed 45 runs in their last five games, an average of nine per contest.