What if they moved a baseball game to England and a football game broke out?
In a slugfest from the very beginning -- neither starting pitcher survived the first inning -- the Yankees pounded the Red Sox, 17-13 in a game that featured 30 runs, 37 hits and lasted nearly five hours.
Both teams scored six runs in the first inning and combined to use 16 pitchers.
D.J. LeMaheiu had a four-hit game, knocking in five and Didi Gregorius added three RBI for the Yankees. Michael Chavis hit two three-run homers and Jackie Bradley Jr. had a four-hit game.
The Yankees led 17-6 after five, but the Sox rallied for a run in the sixth and six in the seventh then loaded the bases to bring the potential tying run to the plate in the eighth before falling short.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Yankees
WHEN: 1:05 p.m.
WHERE: London Stadium
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: NY 4-1
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (5-7, 4.52) vs. RHP Masahiro Tanaka (5-5, 3.21)
TV/RADIO: FOX; WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
5:10 Bogaerts suffers an apparent cramp as he gets to second base and instead of scoring, the Sox lose a run as the shortstop stops at third.
4:50 At least one Red Sox player has had a good day -- second two-out, three-run homer for Chavis.
4:04 The parade continues. Yet another big hit by LeMahieu with runners in scoring position, producing two more runs.
3:48 Consistent, hard-hit contact by the Yanks against Shawaryn, who is having what's easily the worst outing of his brief major league career. But this being the fifth inning, the Sox are staying with him so as to not completely burn the bullpen.
3:26 A bases-clearing single to left for LeMaheiu, who's been a killer with RISP. And Aaron Judge follows with an opposite-field two-run homer, and the Yankees' lead, incredibly, is again bigger than the one they had in the first inning.
3:20 Mike Shawaryn had difficulty with his command, and a bases-loaded walk forces in a run.
2:43 The danger of the knuckler: Wright leaves one over the middle of the plate and Brett Gardner hammers it to right for a two-run homer.
2:24 That swing by Devers looked like something out of the Ichiro handbook -- almost like a two-hand tennis backhand -- which produces a leadoff double.
2:02 Red Sox claw all the way back with a three-run homer by Michael Chavis. Strange decision by Tanaka to throw a slider 2-and-2 -- Chavis murders breaking pitches and does so there to straightaway center.
1:43 Once more, the foul territory comes into play as Rafael Devers pulls a double down the right field line, and Aaron Judge has a long way to run to track it down, as Mookie Betts scores all the way from first.
1:28 Changeup from Porcello couldn't have been any more center-cut for Aaron Hicks, who drives it out to RF for a two-run homer and the rout is on.
1:25 Porcello is fooling no one and leaving too many pitches over the heart of the plate.
1:23 Yankees continue to tee off against Rick Porcello. A hard double to right-center by Didi Gregorius scores two and the Yankees have a 3-0 lead after just five hitters.
1:17 Inability of Michael Chavis to hang onto that foul pop-up proves costly for the Red Sox as Luke Voit, given another life, stings a run-scoring double to left.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Martinez DH
Benintendi LF
Vazquez C
Holt 2B
Chavis 1B
Bradley CF
YANKEES
LeMahieu 2B
Judge RF
Sanchez C
Voit 1B
Gregorius SS
Encarnacion DH
Hicks CF
Torres 2B
Gardner LF
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox, following two days off, are coming off a brutal ninth-inning loss Wednesday in which a 7-6 lead turned into an 8-7 deficit when Matt Barnes couldn't record the save....The Sox come in a full nine games behind the Yankees in the division....Today marks the first MLB games ever played in Europe...The last time the Red Sox and Yankees played outside of the continental U.S. was in 1967 with two spring training games in Virgin Islands...The last time the Sox played outside of North America was in 2008, with a two-game series against Oakland in 2008...Over the last two games, Red Sox pitchers have struck out 28 and walked just two...The Sox lead the majors in strikeouts recorded (837)...They've struck out 10 or more hitters in 48 games this season, including seven of the last eight games....The Sox lead the league in on-base percentage (.342) and are fourth in runs-per-game (5.39), third in average (.266) and third in doubles (164)….The Sox are also first in batting average (.273) and OBP (.352) against righthanded pitching.....The Sox have at least one double in all 25 games in June so far...Andrew Benintendi, who is dropped down to fifth in the lineup, has a nine-game hitting streak....Jackie Bradley Jr., who didn't homer in his first 38 games, has eight homers in his last 35 games....Since May 20, Bradley has the sixth-best OPS (1.017) in the A.L....Since the beginning of May, Rafael Devers leads the American League in hits (70) and RBI (41)...Michael Chavis has a three-game hitting streak...The Sox are 8-4 in Rick Porcello's last 12 starts....He's thrown at least six innings in 11 of his last 12 starts....Porcello was roughed up for six innings in his last outing against the Yankees...Prior to that start, he had been 4-0 with a 2.06 in his previous seven appearances against them....Brett Gardner is 17-for-58 (.293) with two homers lifetime against Porcello while Edwin Encarnacion is 13-for-46 (.283) with three homers in his career...Porcello has handled Didi Gregorius 5-for-31 (.161) with six strikeouts.....Mookie Betts is 13-for-42 (.333) with two homers off Masahiro Tanaka and Devers is 4-for-10.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- Prior to the game, the Red Sox placed LHP Brian Johnson with a non-baseball injury diagnosed during a routine medical exam. The Sox said they expect Johnson to pitch again this season.
- To take Johnson's place, the Sox activated RHP Hector Velazquez.
- The team also added 1b Sam Travis to its roster as the 26th man, permitted for this series.