All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Yankees, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Bullpen carries the load: When Eduardo Rodriguez came out of the game in the second inning, beset by migraine symptoms, the Red Sox were looking at how to cover the final 24 outs with their bullpen. Remarkably, they pulled it off. First, Phillips Valdez -- added to the roster only hours earlier, replacing the injured Hirokazu Sawamura -- gave them three shutout innings, fanning seven along the way. Four others followed him out of the bullpen. For the first seven, the Sox relievers limited the Yankees to just two hits. In the ninth, the Yankees used an infield roller and a double to left to score one run and end the scoreless streak of innings. But by then, the game was well in hand. The Sox walked away with a win in a game in which they had to bullpen their way through the night, and found a way to beat the Yankees' top pitcher, Gerrit Cole.
Devers shows the way: In the fifth inning, Devers smoked a 100 mph fastball from Cole and drove it into the left field seats with Jarren Duran aboard, snapping a 1-1 tie and giving the Red Sox their first lead of the night. Then, two innings later, Devers struck again, unloading off Nestor Cortes and driving a ball into the center field bleachers for a three-run shot. That gave him four homers in four games and 26 for the season. The belt off Cole was particularly noteworthy, since it was only a month ago that he was struggling mightily against fastballs. That problem, it would seem, is long gone. Devers now leads the big leagues with 79 RBI and is second in extra-base hits with 53. It was the eighth multi-homer game of his career and only three Red Sox players had that many before their 25th birthdays: Jim Rice (12), Mookie Betts (10) and Ted Williams (eight).
Sox cautious with ERod: Rodriguez missed all of last year with myocarditis, a side effect of having gotten COVID-19, so the Sox are always going to be particularly careful with him. Alex Cora said he noticed Rodriguez being quieter than usual in the dugout after the first inning and acting more subdued. After giving up a walk and two hits that led to a run, Rodriguez summoned Cora and trainers from the dugout and told them of his symptoms. "He was having trouble concentrating,'' said Cora. "I was like, 'There's something going on.' You've got to take care of players -- that's the most important thing. Now, we've just got to see how he reacts, how he feels tomorrow and see where we go from there. If he has to miss a start, he misses it. This guy didn't pitch last year with heart problems. We've got to very careful with him.'' If Rodriguez needs some time, the Sox have an extra starter available in Tanner Houck.
TURNING POINT:
Valdez was in a tough spot right from the beginning, with the game threatening to get away from the Sox in the very early innings. With a run already in, Valdez inherited two baserunners with nobody out when he took over for Rodriguez in the top of the second. He struck out the first hitter he faced, then, after hitting Ryan LaMarre, he got two more strikeouts to leave the bases loaded.
TWO UP
Yacksel Rios: Though he might not have been quite as overpowering as Valdez, Rios gave the Sox two big shutout innings.
Jarren Duran: The rookie made an impact from the No. 2 spot in the lineup, getting on base three times in four plate appearances and coming around to score twice.
ONE DOWN
J.D. Martinez: The veteran DH was hitless over four at-bats.
QUOTE OF NOTE:
"The offense did an amazing job, but I think tonight, the story is about the bullpen. Great win, very gratifying. Tonight, against probably one of the best pitchers in the big leagues and to be able to bullpen them and beat them, it means a lot.'' Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Red Sox are a season-high 22 games over .500.
* The Sox lead MLB with 31 comeback wins.
* Jarren Duran has scored five runs in five major league games played to date.
* Rafael Devers became the third player in Red Sox history to reach 100 career homers before the age of 25. The others: Ted Williams and Tony Conigliaro.
UP NEXT: The Red Sox and Yankees play the third game of their four-game series Saturday at 4:05 p.m. with RHP Nathan Eovaldi (9-5, 3.57) vs. RHP Jameson Taillon (5-4, 4.60)