NEW YORK -- All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 3-1 loss to the Yankees, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
The bullpen. Again: It's getting to be a broken record: the Red Sox carry a lead into the late innings ... and the bullpen surrenders it. On Tuesday night, a combination of Brandon Workman and Ryan Brasier lit the fuse, and in the span of four batters, a 1-0 lead turned into a 3-1 deficit. Workman issued two walks -- and allowed a stolen base -- while Brasier hung a 3-and-2 slider that Neil Walker hit into the seats in right. It marked the 12th blown save since the All-Star break for Boston's beleaguered bullpen. Brasier made no excuses: "I fell behind and made a pitch that was hittable,'' said Brasier, "instead of (throwing something) under the zone, like I was trying to do, and he made me pay for it.'' Brasier went with the slider rather than his fastball, because, in his estimation, the slider is his best strikeout pitch. But not on Tuesday, it wasn't. More to come on this issue in a column.
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1042227415999832064
Poor situational hitting: The Sox were limited to a single run through the first eight innings, but it wasn't as though they didn't have their chances. In the third inning, after they pushed one run across on a sacrifice fly, the Sox had a runner at third and just one out -- and couldn't score. Then, in the sixth, a one-out double by Xander Bogaerts and a single by Eduardo Nunez gave the Sox runners at the corners with one out -- and couldn't score. And finally, in the eighth, J.D. Martinez took advantage of some loafing on the part of Aaron Hicks and smoked a triple to center with one out -- and couldn't score. In all, the Sox stranded eight, and were a lowly 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Eovaldi shines: Starter Nathan Eovaldi was the unquestioned highlight of the night for the Red Sox, turning in his best performance in more than a month with six shutout innings. He ended with a flourish, too -- after a leadoff double by Gleyber Torres, a flyout which advanced him to third and a hit batsman, Eovaldi had to face down Giancarlo Stanton with the potential tying run on third and potential go-ahead run at first. He struck him out to keep the Yankees off the board, and end his night at 83 pitches. "I definitely felt really good today,'' said Eovaldi. "I felt like I had really good command with my fastball and my slider and cutter worked well, too.'' In two starts against his former team, Eovaldi has strung together 14 scoreless innings in part, he said, "because they're so aggressive and it helps when I elevate the fastball against these guys and get some quick outs.''
SECOND GUESS
The Red Sox had numerous chances to utilize Mookie Betts in the final two innings, but instead, either stayed with some bottom-of-the-order hitters (Christian Vazquez hit for himself) and chose to utilize Sam Travis, w =ho hit for Jackie Bradley Jr. in the bottom of the ninth. Betts was originally scheduled to be in center field for the scheduled afternoon game, but was scratched when the game was moved up when Alex Cora was concerned about the field conditions. Yet, the manager said he wanted to stay away from Betts in the late innings. With a possible clinching game at stake ... why?
TWO UP
J.D. Martinez: Martinez smacked just his second triple of the season, and also handled all the necessary plays in right field.
William Cuevas: Maybe it wasn't exactly a high-leverage spot, but Cuevas was highly effective in the eighth after New York had taken the lead the inning earlier, racking up two strikeouts in a scoreless frame.
ONE DOWN
Brandon Phillips: Phillips was in the lineup because of past success against Happ, but you wouldn't have known it from the quality of his at-bats. In three plate appearances against him, he struck out twice and popped up second.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"My slider is my best strikeout pitch and I throw him my best one. Unfortunately, it was a little flat and he did what he was supposed to do with it. There's nothing else to say about it.''
— Brasier, on giving up the game-winning three-run homer to Walker in the seventh.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The loss was the first of the one-run variety for the Sox after six-straight wins.
- Eduardo Nunez extended his hitting streak to five games.
- Martinez has 16 RBI in 14 games against the Yankees this season.
- The Sox fell to 5-16 in their last 21 games at Yankee Stadium.