All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Yankees, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Lineup lethargic: Before Wednesday night, Yankee starter Andrew Heaney had allowed 15 runs in his previous 15 innings and sported an ERA close to 6.00. But apparently, no one told the Red Sox. Heaney resembled an ace against a Red Sox lineup that scored just three runs in a doubleheader sweep Tuesday, then somehow managed to perform even worse against Heaney. Xander Bogaerts got him with an opposite-field homer in the first, but over the next six innings, the Sox mustered just one more hit - a leadoff single from Kevin Plawecki in the fifth inning. Heaney lasted through seven innings, throwing a season-high 108 pitches and looked as if he could have gone another inning or two. After the single by Plawecki, Heaney retired eight of the final nine hitters he faced,. Alex Cora said Heaney changed up his approach and pitch mix some, throwing the Sox off balance somewhat. But Heaney is a flyball pitcher in a ballpark where that should mean trouble, and yet the Red Sox gave him precious little. Of their four hits, two - including a massive solo homer off the bat of Hunter Renfroe - came in the ninth off struggling closer Aroldis Chapman.
Pivetta's night a short one: Even as they spiral, the Red Sox have at least been able to count on reasonably good starting pitching of late, with an ERA of 2.52 over the last 11 games. In those 11 games, no starter had given up more than three earned runs. But Nick Pivetta, facing the Yankees for the first time this season, couldn't throw strikes and couldn't get out of the second inning. Pivetta needed 38 pitches to record the first two outs in the second, prompting a quick hook from Cora. Of the 12 hitters he faced, three reached base via walks. Pivetta said after the game that he couldn't command his breaking ball down in the zone, allowing the Yankees to sit on his fastball. It was exactly the kind of performance from their starter that the Red Sox didn't need, and falling behind by three runs in the second inning put additional pressure on a struggling lineup.
TURNING POINT
As shaky as Pivetta was, he came close to getting out of the second inning having allowed just two runs. With one out, Pivetta won a long at-bat against D.J. LeMhahieu, getting him to ground out to third on a terrific play by Rafael Devers. But then, Anthony Rizzo hit a hard chopper down the first base line. Bobby Dalbec, playing a bit off the line, roamed behind the bag to glove it, but on an in-between hop, the ball clipped Dalbec's glove and trickled away, down into foul territory in right field, allowing two runs to score.
ONE UP
Gaarrett Richards: Exiled to the bullpen last week, Richards stepped up in a big way for the Sox, taking over for Pivetta in the second and giving them four scoreless innings in which he allowed just one baserunner (via walk) and no hits.
TWO DOWN
Rafael Devers: Devers was a non-factor in the entire series and was 0-for-4 on Wednesday, while consistently swinging at pitches out of the strike zone.
Kike Hernandez: Suddenly, the man who was jump-starting the offense has disappeared. In four plate appearances, Hernandez reached base just once and consistently got himself out by expanding and chasing pitches.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We're pretty pissed at ourselves...That sums up the last few weeks of not playing up to our potential.'' Hunter Renfroe
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Red Sox are 2-12 in the last month against the Yankees, Rays and Blue Jays.
* Christian Vazquez caught his 540th game for the Red Sox, moving ahead of Tony Pena for seventh place in club history.
* Josh Taylor has allowed runs on consecutive appearances for the first time since April.
UP NEXT:
After an off-day on the schedule Thursday, the Red Sox return home to host the Texas Rangers Friday. It will be LHP Chris Sale (1-0, 3.60) vs. RHP Dane Dunning (5-7, 4.06) at 7:10 p.m.