All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Yankees, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Ottavino can't hold on: Adam Ottavino had allowed just one inherited runner to score against him all season. Before Saturday. The Yankees matched that total in the eighth inning -- and things got worse from there. Much worse. Ottavino took over a 3-1 Red Sox lead, with a runner on second, and promptly allowed three straight hits. Two of them were soft flares that managed to fall fair near the right field line. Franchy Cordero was playing straight away and couldn't reach either in time.They weren't hard hit. It's not always about exit velocity as it is placement sometimes. "That's the beauty of putting the ball in play,'' lamented Alex Cora on the Yankees' four-run eighth that saw the Red Sox blow a lead of more than two runs for the first time this season.
Eovaldi brilliant in loss: Nathan Eovaldi pitched superbly against the Yankees all season, and that continued on Saturday. He blanked the Yankees through seven innings, allowing just five hits, two of which never left the infield. After allowing a leadoff double to start the eighth, he got two quick outs and faced Brett Gardner, whom he has fanned in each of the two previous at-bats. He then mislocated a curveball to Gardner, who dumped a single into right, scoring the Yankees' first run and ending Eovaldi's afternoon. Of the 100 pitches he threw, 82 went for strikes, indicative of his remarkable command. He didn't walk a batter. In the end, he got stuck with a no-luck no decision. He deserved better, given how well he pitched.
Rodriguez improving: Eduardo Rodriguez came to the ballpark late and was sent home early after being examined by the training staff. Rodriguez came out of Friday night's game in the second inning after experiencing migraine symptoms. The Sox will check on him Sunday and make sure that he's fully recovered. Indications are that he won't require a trip to the IL and appears to be, for now, in line to take his next turn in the rotation.
TURNING POINT
After the Red Sox raced to a 3-0 lead after three innings -- with some help from Rougned Odor, whose two errors led to two unearned runs -- the Boston lineup shut down and didn't score again. The Yankees then staggered the Sox with four runs in the top of the eighth, leaving Boston with a chance to answer in the bottom of the inning. With two out, Xander Bogaerts singled, then advanced to third on a single to left-center from Rafael Devers. J.D. Martinez swung at the first pitch he saw from Jonathan Loaisiga and lined hard to right. Outfielders Greg Allen and Estevan Florial collided right as shadows covered the outfield, but Allen, miraculously, hung onto the ball.
TWO UP
Rafael Devers: The third baseman continued to knock in runs. He added a big single in the eighth inning in addition to a sacrifice fly in the third.
Kevin Plawecki: The backup catcher had his second straight two-hit game, knocking out two singles and delivering a run.
ONE DOWN
Alex Verdugo: Being moved to the lower half of the order hasn't had the desired effect of jump-starting Verdugo at the plate. He finished 0-for-4.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"I feel good about the process, feel terrible about the results. Results are the only thing that matter. There's no context to the score of this game. We lost the game. I didn't get the job done. I'm not going to make any excuse.'' -- Adam Ottvino
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Jarren Duran has scored six runs in six games.
* The Red Sox increased their major league-leading outfield assist total to 30 when Duran started a double play in the ninth.
* Rafael Devers has 19 RBI in 18 games in July.
* Nathan Eovaldi extended his stretch of starts with one or no walks to seven games, the most for a Red Sox pitcher since Rick Porcello in 2016.
* Since May 1, catcher Kevin Plawecki is batting .3.06.
UP NEXT: The two teams wrap up Sunday at 1:10 p.m. with LHP Martin Perez (7-6, 4.16) vs. RHP Domingo German (4-5, 4.71)