All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 4-1 loss to the Yankees, complete with BSJ insight and analysis:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Sale not good enough: The last time Chris Sale started in Yankee Stadium, he did some postgame self-flagellation, stating that he was embarrassing his family and himself. On that night, he allowed four runs in five innings. On Friday, he allowed four over six, though, overall he was sharper, walking just one while striking out 10. Last month, Sale was still working on having better command of his pitches, but Friday, he missed with a couple in big spots, too. He left a couple of pitches up to second baseman D.J. LeMahieu, resulting in an RBI double once and a solo homer the other. He also gave up a two-run single to Aaron Hicks. That was all the damage done against Sale, but given the Red Sox batters were nearly silent for the night, it was more than enough.
Nothing delivered from big bats: Usually, the top four hitters in the Red Sox lineup are enough to strike fear in opposing teams, but not Friday. The quartet of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts combined to go 1-for-13 with three walks. Betts had a couple of groundouts and a lineout. Martinez looked off his game, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a double play, and Bogaerts, the only one of the four to collect a hit, had just an infield single to third to show for his four plate appearances. As a whole, the Sox entire lineup had just one baserunner in scoring position all night -- other than the solo homer by Rafael Devers -- and never advanced a runner as far as third base. The Sox couldn't build anything against New York starter J.A. Happ and things didn't improve any with the parade of relievers who followed Happ to the mound.
Pearce removed after one at-bat: Steve Pearce was in the lineup for the Red Sox because of his great success against Happ, but Pearce didn't get much of an opportunity to do more damage against the lefty. After swinging at the first pitch he saw and fouling out to first, Pearce came out of the game and was replaced by Michael Chavis. Pearce came back from the dugout and told Alex Cora that he felt some stiffness in his lower back and numbness in his leg. After the game, Cora hadn't had a chance to speak with Pearce and was unsure how serious the injury might be. With another lefty (CC Sabathia) on the mound in the series finale Sunday night, the Sox can use all the weapons they can get in the lineup, so missing Pearce -- even for a few games -- could be costly. Chavis was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts after taking over.
TURNING POINT
About the only threat the Red Sox mounted came in the fifth when Eduardo Nunez singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a groundout to first and was joined on base by Mookie Betts, who walked. But Nunez took too big a lead off second and was picked off by Gary Sanchez, ending the inning with the middle of the Red Sox lineup due next. The Red Sox never got another baserunner in scoring position the rest of the night.
ONE UP
Jackie Bradley Jr.: Bradley continued to swing a hot bat with another multi-hit game, singling the second and again in the seventh.
ONE DOWN
J.D. Martinez: Martinez, who rarely looks overmatched at the plate, went down swinging twice against J.A. Happ, then had two more hitless at-bats to finish the night with a rare 0-for-4.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"That can't happen.'' Alex Cora on Eduardo Nunez being picked off second base.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Red Sox are 8.5 games out of first place in the A.L. East, tying for the biggest deficit they've had this season.
- Rafael Devers extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
- The Sox are 0-3 against the Yankees this season.
- Boston fell to 11-10 within their division.
- The Sox have scored a total of four runs against the Yankees.