The Red Sox began the second half of the season doing what they had done in the first half -- dominating the rival New York Yankees.
The Red Sox used three pitchers to stitch together a combined shutout, limiting the Yankees to just three hits while winning for the seventh time in seven tries against New York this season.
Eduardo Rodriguez allowed just two hits in 5.2 innings and Tanner Houck, added to the roster earlier in the day, tossed three scoreless innings in relief for his first career save.
Christian Arroyo slammed a two-run homer in Boston's three-run third inning and J.D. Martinez added a solo shot in the eighth.
WHO: Red Sox (55-36) vs. New York Yankees (46-43)
WHEN: 7:08 p.m.
WHERE: Yankee Stadium
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: BOS 6-0
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (6-5, 5.52) vs LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-4, 4.16)
TV/RADIO: ESPN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Hernandez CF
Verdugo LF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Renfroe RF
Vazquez C
Arroyo 2B
Dalbec 1B
YANKEES
LeMahieu 3B
Stanton DH
Odor 2B
Sanchez C
Torres SS
Gardner CF
Gittens 1B
Amburgey RF
Locastro LF
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
T8: J.D. Martinez couldn't get a more hittable pitch -- a fastball, center-cut, which he drove out to right field for his 19th this season, giving the Sox a pad run.
B7: Here's Tanner Houck, for the first time since April, presumably to give the Sox two innings.
B6: After a two-out double by Rougned Odor, Rodriguez is lifted. Maybe his best start of the season. 5.2 innings two hits and no runs though he's responsible for Odor at seoncd.
B5: Costly error by Bobby Dalbec at first base gives the Yankees an opportunity -- first-and-third with two out.
B4: A hard lineout to left by Gary Sanchez ends the fourth, but Rodriguez has retired nine in a row and 11 of the last 12. Last hit was a leadoff single by D.J. LeMaheiu.
T3: Eduardo Rodriguez was living dangerously in the second, with a couple of deep flyouts that sent Red Sox outfielders to the wall with warning-track flyouts. But looked sharper in the third, getting two called strikeouts.,
B2: Christian Arroyo, who stands to lose playing time with the addition of Jarren Duran, stakes his claim by swatting a changeup on he outer half and driving it out to right-center for a two-run shot.
B2: Following a leadoff walk to Xander Bogaerts and a booming double to center by Rafael Devers, Hunter Renfroe grounds out to short, driving in Bogaerts.
B1: Giancarlo Stanton brings out the boo birds early at the Stadium, hitting into a 5-4-3 double play while not running particularly hard down the first base line.
WHAT'S UP: At 55-36 (.604), the Red Sox are tied with Houston for the AL’s 2nd-best record...The Sox have lost four of their last five games, after going 10-1 in their previous 11...The Red Sox will open the season’s second-half by playing a game on 17 consecutive days (7/16-8/1), all against AL East opponents (NYY-7, TOR-7, TB-3). The Sox will play 23 games in 24 days out of the break (off day on Aug. 2)...: This is the fourth time in nine years the Red Sox were in first place at the All-Star break...They won the AL East in each of the previous three instances - 2013, 2017, 2018....The Sox are 21-10 (.677) vs. AL East teams, the highest winning percentage for any MLB team within its own division...The Sox were 14-26 (.350) vs. AL East clubs in 2020. The Sox are 29-21 (.580) vs. teams that entered today with a winning record, MLB’s third-best mark...They are 11-16 vs. AL West teams and 44-20 (.688) vs. all others...The Red Sox have won their last seven games against the Yankees (6-0 in 2021), their longest win streak vs. NYY since a 7-0 stretch in 2011. The Sox last had a win streak of eight or more games against the Yankees when they won the final meeting of 2008 and the first eight of 2009 (9-0)...In 2009, the Sox then lost 9 of their remaining 10 games vs. the Yankees... The Red Sox own MLB’s best road record (27-17, .614)...They have a 3.77 ERA on the road (8th in MLB), compared to a 4.40 ERA at home (24th). The Red Sox are 28-19 (.596) at home, the 4th-best record in the AL (11th-best in MLB)...They are 13-6 (.684) at home since Fenway opened to full capacity on May 29....Since losing their first three games of the season to the Orioles, the Red Sox have not been swept in a series of any length...The Sox have swept nine series, including one four-game set and four three-game series. The Sox are one of two teams without a losing streak of longer than three games (also NYM)....The Red Sox lead MLB with 29 OF assists; no other team has more than 19...Sox outfielders rank second in MLB with 21 defensive runs saved (source: FanGraphs). The Sox are the only team featuring three outfielders with five or more assists each: Hunter Renfroe (11, most in MLB), Kiké Hernández (six) and Alex Verdugo (five)...Hernández leads all outfielders with 12 defensive runs saved....The Red Sox rank in the top five in the majors in runs scored (third, 464), AVG (third, .259), SLG (third, .439), OPS (fourth, .761), doubles (first, 193), and XBH (first, 318). The Red Sox lead MLB with 20 three-run homers. The Sox have hit four or more homers in a game an MLB-best eight times. The Sox own MLB’s best records when scoring four or more runs (48-7, .873) and five or more runs (42-4, .913)...They are 35-2 (.946) when scoring six or more runs and 26-0 when scoring seven or more... J.D. Martinez owns MLB’s longest active on-base streak (28 G), his career best and 1 shy of the majors’ longest streak of 2021....The Red Sox lead the majors with 29 come-from-behind wins this season. The Sox lead MLB in two-strike RBI (181). The Sox lead the majors in runs scored with two outs (198)...With RISP and two outs, the Sox lead MLB in AVG (.286), SLG (.499), and OPS (.871). ...Red Sox starters have thrown five or more innings 70 times, tied for third-most in the majors (OAK-80, LAD71, CWS-70)...The Sox are 46-24 (.657) in those games. In their last 17 games (beginning 6/24), Sox starters have posted a 3.68 ERA ....The Red Sox have won six of Eduardo Rodriguez's last seven starts....Rodriguez has 34 SO and 4 BB over his last five starts.
NOTES:
* The Red Sox and Yankees will make up Thursday's postponement on Aug. 17 as part of a day-night doubleheader.
* Alex Cora, noting that the Yankees lost five players to the COVID-19 list, said the Red Sox have to remain vigilant: "As long as we keep doing the things we're supposed to do and our medical department has been outstanding...our players have cooperated, doing the things they're supposed to do. That's all we can control, right? And so far, so good. I mentioned in from the get-go -- on a daily basis, there's worries. But as I said, so far, so good...I hate to see this. I hate to see it, but hopefully, it's only one team. I don't know if that's going to be the case.''
* Jarren Duran was set to make his major league debut Thursday before the posCora tponement of the game. But when the Yankees switch from righthander Domingo German to lefty Jordan Montgomery as their starting pitcher Friday night, Duran was relegated to the bench. "He just benched today,'' cracked Cora of Duran. "That happens. We went with the usual lineup (against lefties).''
* The Sox changed up their pitching rotation somewhat, with Nathan Eovaldi going Saturday and Martin Perez on Sunday. In Buffalo against the Blue Jays, it will be Nick Pivetta, Garrett Richards and Tanner Houck starting.
* The Sox made two transactions to get Houck and Duran onto the roster, placing Marwin Gonzalez (hamstring) on the IL while designating Austin Brice for assignment.
* Cora said Chris Sale came out of Thursday's rehab assignment "really good. I texted with him this morning. Everything went well. He's real excited.'' Next stop for Sale: Tuesday in Portland.