All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 11-6 loss to the Yankees, compete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Boston pitchers take it on the chin: This was, in effect, a bullpen game and it didn't go well for the Red Sox. Brian Johnson started and went just three innings, allowing two runs. Next came William Cuevas, who got just one out in the fourth before allowing six runs. In all, the Red Sox trotted out six pitchers and of the four who pitched at least a full inning, every one was scored upon. The only two to emerge unscathed: Heath Hembree and Joe Kelly, each of whom pitched two-thirds of an inning. Drew Pomeranz gave up two in 2.1 innings and Bobby Poyner was charged with a run in his two innings of work. "We knew where we were today and what we needed from guys,'' said Alex Cora. "We knew who wasn't available. We had some hard-hit balls and some that weren't. ... It's where we're at right now, so no big deal.''
Pearce steps up: Steve Pearce has usually hit well against the Yankees. He's also hit J.A. Happ well. So, put Happ in pinstripes and you can guess the results. Pearce hit a grand slam off Pearce in the sixth inning to get the Sox on the board. It was Pearce's sixth homer in 32 career at-bats against the lefty. No other major leaguer has hit more than four homers off Happ. Also, Pearce has no more than three homers against any other pitcher. "He got a pitch he could handle and hit out of the ballpark,'' said Cora. "That's a good sign for us -- we've got options. Regardless of who's starting, we're going to have good hitters on the bench that we can use anytime in the game.'' Said Pearce: "He's just one of those pitchers that I see pretty well,'' explained Pearce of his success against Happ. Five of Pearce's 11 homers this season have come against the Yankees — some with Toronto and some with the Red Sox. "He's been in the (AL East) his whole career,'' noted Cora, "so he just matches up with them, I guess.''
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1045846614919847936
Sox again do damage against New York bullpen: Continuing with a trend that has existed for much of the season, the Red Sox hit some of the Yankees' best relievers well Friday night. They managed a run on two hits and two walks against Dellin Betances in the eighth inning, then scored once and loaded the bases twice with three walks in the ninth off lefty Zach Britton. Earlier this year, of course, the Sox staged a big comeback win against Aroldis Chapman. On Friday night, the Sox were a hitter away from bringing the potential tying run to the plate. "That's the thing with us,'' noted Cora. "I always feel like we're one swing away from tying the game.''
TURNING POINT
The game got away from the Red Sox in the fourth inning. Starter Brian Johnson allowed two runs in the third, but at 2-0, the Sox were obviously still in the game. That changed in a hurry in the fourth. William Cuevas, who was a standout out of the bullpen in Cleveland last Sunday, got Didi Gregorius to line out to center for the first out, but the next seven hitters he faced -- six hits and a walk -- reached as the Yankees ran away and built an 8-0 lead.
TWO UP
Andrew Benintendi: Benintendi has hit well against the Yankees over his career and Friday night was no exception as he belted out a single in the fourth -- the first Red Sox hit of the night -- and a double in the sixth.
Bobby Poyner: Poyner left a pitch up to Aaron Judge, the first batter he faced, resulting in a homer. But he retired six of the next seven hitters he faced, including two by strikeout.
ONE DOWN
Blake Swihart: Swihart got a rare opportunity to start behind the plate, but didn't do much with his at-bats, striking out swinging in each of his first three plate appearances.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"In terms of timing, he wasn't that far off.''
— Alex Cora, on Eduardo Nunez, who played for the first time since the team left New York on the last road trip and was 0-for-4.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Sox hit their American League-leading 10th grand slam. Four of their 10 have come against the Yankees.
- Benintendi has seven hits in his last three home games.
- Mookie Betts has scored 128 runs, the most by a Red Sox player since Wade Boggs in 1988.
- Xander Bogaerts has six RBI in his last three games.
- J.D. Martinez has 186 hits, second in the American League.