BSJ Game Report: Yankees 9, Red Sox 7 -- Sox blow lead, get swept by Yanks

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 9-7 loss to the Yankees, complete with BSJ analysis and insight.

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Barnes can't protect eighth-inning lead: Leading 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth, the Sox gave the ball to Matt Barnes. Barnes got the first two outs quickly, but then issued a two-out walk to Mike Tauchman. After Tauchman stole second, D.J. LeMahieu singled him home to tie the game. Barnes fell behind Aaron Judge 2-and-0 and hung a curveball which Judge clubbed it almost 460 feet. It was the second homer of the night for Judge and his fourth of the series. "Two out and nobody on, can't walk the nine-hole hitter to get to the top of their order,'' lamented Barnes. "That one stung.'' Judge may be nearly impossible to pitch to right now (six homers in the last five games), but Barnes didn't help matters when he missed location by so much. "He's pretty locked in right now,'' said Barnes. "I was trying to locate a breaker down and away since he's been handling the high heater pretty well recently -- certainly not hanging a breaking ball up and in on him. Can't do that to a guy one, who's locked in and two, has got the power that he's got. Poor sequence of events.''

Bogaerts breaks out: Xander Bogaerts had his best game of the season, clubbing four hits including two homers, and a double. He had three RBI. "Yesterday, I talked to (Tim Hyers) and J.D. (Martinez),'' Bogaerts said. ''I explained that I was stuck at the plate. I didn't feel like I had rhythm. I just felt kind of weak at the plate. I did it yesterday and it continued today and it paid off. I just felt like I couldn't do damage.'' If the Red Sox are going to be the offensive team they expected to be, they'll need Bogaerts leading the way. Bogaerts has hit cleanup for much of the season and may be the team's best pure hitter, with the ability to go the other way and also hit for power. As dispiriting as the loss, the big game for Bogaerts and Rafael Devers (who chipped in with his first homer) is perhaps something for the Sox to build upon. Together, they had six of the 10 Red Sox hits and combined for four extra-base hits.



Starting struggles continue: In an all-too-familiar pattern, the Red Sox got very little from their pitchers in the first few innings. Austin Brice wiggled out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the opener role, but Matt Hall, who followed him, was banged around for five runs in his two innings of work. Together, Brice and Hall issued four walks in three innings. Hall has now had two poor outings -- one as a conventional starter and Sunday's night effort as part of the opener tandem, Without much of a track record of success at the major league level, Hall made the roster on the basis of some strong outings in the spring and again during summer camp. But Hall doesn't have much to fall back on. He needs to have some better outings and fast if he's going to remain in the big leagues. As it is, he'll probably be relegated to lower-leverage spots for the time being until he earns the trust of the staff.

TURNING POINT

It's impossible to know how -- or even if -- it would have changed how the game unfolded, but the Red Sox cost themselves a chance to tack on some insurance in the eighth inning after Bogaerts led with a double. Instead, he didn't advance at all as the next three hitters were retired in order, paving the way for New York's comeback in the bottom of the inning.

ONE UP

Rafael Devers: His first homer was a welcome sight, but Devers also had a brilliant night defensively, making two spectacular stops on the backhand -- an area that's given him trouble in the past. Both times, he steadied himself and made strong throws -- once to second for a forceout, and later, to first to retire Giancarlo Stanton.

ONE DOWN

Jackie Bradley Jr.: Bradley is officially slumping again, going without a hit in four plate appearance, extending his hitless streak to 17 at-bats. He didn't get a single hit in the five-game stay in New York.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"That one's tough. We needed that win.'' Matt Barnes.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

UP NEXT: The Red Sox have their first scheduled off-day of the regular season Monday. They start a two-game series with Tampa Bay Tuesday at 6:40 with RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 2.45) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (0-1, 8.00).