With just 10 days left in the season, there remains two things the Red Sox can't do: beat the Yankees, and win a game in extra innings.
Those streaks of futility continued Friday night as the Sox dropped an excruciating 6-5 decision to the Yanks in 12 innings. D.J. LeMahieu doubled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th.
The Red Sox had chance after chance, including an opportunity to win the game with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 11th, but couldn't produce the big hit. They were 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position.
The Yanks were down to their last out when Gary Sanchez hit a homer with two out in the top of the ninth to tie it.
The loss wasted a fine start from Martin Perez (six shutout innings) and big night at the plate for Christian Arroyo (three-run homer, four RBI).
WHO: Red Sox (19-32) vs. New York Yankees (29-21)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: (NY 7-0)
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Martin Perez (3-4, 4.33) vs. LHP Jordan Montgomery (2-2, 4,.76)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Verdugo RF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Martinez LF
Vazquez C
Plawecki DH
Bradley CF
Chavis 1B
Arroyo 2B
YANKEES
LeMahieu 2B
Judge RF
Stanton DH
Voit 1B
Torres SS
Hicks CF
Urshela 3B
Sanchez C
Frazier LF
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B12th: Red Sox load the bases with one out, but can't produce. Martinez was ahead 2-and-0, but struck out. Sox are 3-for-19 with RISP.
B11th: Arroyo comes through with his second big hit of the night -- a single up the middle, scoring Michael Chavis with the tying run.
T11th: Luke Voit's single to left scores Mike Tauchman with the go-ahead run and the Yankees have their first lead of the night.
B10th: Sox have first-and-second, no out and can't get the winning run home. Red Sox are 2-for-15 with RISP.
T9th: Well, there goes that. An out away from putting the Yankees away, Matt Barnes allows a game-tying homer to Gary Sanchez and we're tied at 4-4. Judging from the word he loudly exclaimed at the moment of contact, Barnes knew he had misfired and wasn't happy about it.
T7th: Hernandez's first outing in a while didn't go well: five batters faced, two walks and a single allowed. He leaves the bases loaded and two outs for Marcus Walden.
T7th: That's all for Perez, who was superb: six shutout innings, three hits, one walk, seven strikeouts. Darwinzon Hernandez on for his first appearance in three weeks.
T6th: Terrific running catch by Arroyo, who runs back and makes an over-the-shoulder catch of a popup off the bat of D.J. LeMahieu.
B5th: Christian Vazquez greets reliever Luis Cessa with a double to track in left-center, scoring Bogaerts.
B4th Christian Arroyo lofts a changeup thrown dead red and sends it over the Monster Seats for a three-run homer. That ball looked to be little more than a high fly ball to left, but it managed to keep carrying.
B4th: Red Sox execute a double steal without a throw from Gary Sanchez. How the mighty have fallen.
T4th: Perez has five strikeouts, every one of them looking, and every one has come on a sinker on the inner half.
T4th: Verudgo appeared to have a hamstring issue in the bottom of the inning. He's out of the game and replaced in RF by Tzu-Wei Lin.
B3rd: For what seems like the 20th time this season, Alex Verdugo slides safely into first base to beat out an infield hit.
T2nd: Nicely turned double play started by Christian Arroyo, who gloves a hard hop and feeds to Xander Bogaerts for a 4-6-3 that bails Perez out of a jam.
T2nd: Martin Perez continues to put the voodoo on the Yankees lineup. He's now struck out Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Voit in succession -- each one of them on called third strikes.
B1st: Red Sox pick up where they left off in Miami, unable to produce the big hit when the opportunity presents itself. Zero for two in the first inning with RISP.
B1st: I keep thinking about what the pre-2020 version of J.D. Martinez would do against lefties like Jordan Montgomery. Swinging futilely at consecutive changeups and striking out on three pitches -- as he just did -- is not a part of that vision.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- The Red Sox activated LHP Darwinzon Hernandez (SC joint) from the IL and optioned RHP Robinson Leyer to make room for him on the roster. "We'll see (how he's utilized),'' said Ron Roenicke about Hernandez. "We wanted to make sure he was build up enough that we could use him. I don't know if we'll go two innings the first time. He may be able to (do that) before we done. Hopefully the strength is there, the command is there. I think it's just important to get him back out and see that he's healthy and going into the off-season where he can build up and get strong for next year.''
- Ron Roenicke said he talked briefly with Chaim Bloom Friday afternoon, but a day to address the season and Roenicke's future has not yet been scheduled.
- The Sox announced that RHP Chris Mazza will start Saturday vs. the Yankees.
- The club announced it had acquired minor league righthander Jacob Wallace from the Colorado Rockies as the player to be named later to complete the trade that sent OF Kevin Pillar to the Rockies on Aug. 31. Wallace, a native of Methuen, MA., was recently ranked the Rockies' 20th-best prospect. He was a third-round selection out of the University of Connecticut in 2019.
- Jonathan Arauz hasn't played much of late, but that's due to the Sox wanting to take a longer look at Christian Arroyo at second. "He's done a nice job for us,'' said Roenicke. "We've seen what we needed to see in him. We have a good feeling of who he is, which was really important (as a Rule 5 pick) and good enough that we've kept him (on the roster) for the season. And hopefully, he's with us for a long time.''
- Roenicke said the checkup with Eduardo Rodriguez was "good when he came up here. He's back home now in Miami. I think it's still ongoing as far as what they know what the next steps are.''
- Bobby Dalbec is out of the lineup and spent some time in the cage with hitting coach Tim Hyers. He struck out four times Thursday and has 10 strikeouts in the last four games. The Sox are "making sure we're thinking about what's best for him and his career and moving him forward,'' said Roenicke. "It's a mental break for him and also (a chance to) work on things.'' Said Dalbec: "Obviously, it's pretty frustrating the last few games,'' said Dalbec. "I'm just trying to build off the good parts of it and just re-set a little...A lot of it the pitches I'm swinging at -- I'm letting some good pitches go and I'm swinging at pitches outside of the zone. Once I get back to myself and find my zone up here and stay committed to that and get on a roll and get some more experience doing all of those things, I'll be more consistent. But right now, obviously, it's either really hot or really good. That's the middle ground I've got work on. I'm staying positive throughout the struggles is a big thing and just continuing to get better.''