Limited to just four hits - and only one between the first and ninth innings - the Red Sox were swept by the New York Yankees with a 5-2 defeat that represented a new low.
With the defeat, the Sox dropped six games behind first-place Tampa Bay, a season-high deficit. They also dropped a full game behind the Yankees in the A.L. East standings.
New York starter Andrew Heaney, who had allowed 15 runs in his last 15 innings, limited the Sox to a single run - a first-inning solo homer by Xander Bogaerts. Hunter Renfroe added a solo shot off Aroldis Chapman
Meanwhile, Boston starter Nick Pivetta couldn't get out of the second inning, charged with four runs.
WHO: Red Sox (69-53) vs. New York Yankees (68-52)
WHEN: 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Yankee Stadium
SERIES TO DATE: Yankees 2-0
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox 10-5
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nick Pivetta (9-5, 4.20) vs. Andrew Heaney (7-8, 5.78)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS:
RED SOX
Hernandez 2B
Renfroe CF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Martinez RF
Plawecki DH
Verdugo LF
Dalbec 1B
Vazquez C
YANKEES
LeMahieu 2B
Rizzo 1B
Judge RF
Gallo LF
Stanton DH
Odor 3B
Sanchez C
Gardner CF
Velazquez SS
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B8: The struggles continue for Josh Taylor, who allows a double to the alley to Gary Sanchez and a run-scoring single up the middle by Velazquez for an insurance run.
B5: It may not mean much because the Red Sox haven't been able to produce any offense, but credit to Garrett Richards, who has looked sharp in 3.1 scoreless innings, with one walk and five strikeouts.
T5: It's incredible that the Red Sox have managed one run on two hits against Heaney, who came into the game with an ERA of 5.78
B2: That play has to be made by Bobby Dalbec. Instead, it's a two-run single for Anthony Rizzo. Big swing.
B2: Terrific play by Rafael Devers who goes to his left to snare a one-hopper and throw out D.J. LeMahieu. That's the kind of play that Devers wouldn't have made earlier this season.
B2: For the second straight day, Andrew Velazquez delivers a sharp single up the middle and scores a run. Yankees up 2-1.
B2: A couple of singles sandwiched around a walk load the bases for the Yankees and Brett Gardner ties the game with a sacrifice fly to center.
T1: Effortless swing by Xander Bogaerts, who looked like he might have gotten under that one, but actually sent one to into the second deck in right.
WHAT'S UP:
The Red Sox were swept in yesterday’s doubleheader, after going 4-1 in their previous five games...They are 14-17 since the All-Star break and 69-53 (.566) overall....The Red Sox have played an AL-high 122 games, tied with the Cubs and Padres for most in the majors...The Sox will be off tomorrow and Monday, then play a game on 16 consecutive days from Aug. 24 through Sept. 8....The Sox have 40 games left in the regular season...23 of those are vs. teams with a losing record (BAL-6, CLE6, MIN-3, TEX-3, WSH-3, NYM-2) and 17 are vs. teams with a winning record (TB-7, NYY-4, CWS-3, SEA-3)....The Red Sox begin a 6-game homestand on Friday (TEX-3, MIN-3)...They are 9-7 in their last 16 home games, after going 9-0 in their previous nine ..Overall, their .607 win % at home ranks fourth in the AL (ninth in MLB)....Tonight concludes a stretch in which 29 of the Red Sox’ first 32 games after the All-Star break are against AL East teams...Beginning Friday, each of their next 9 games will be against teams outside of the division. The Sox are in 3rd place, after starting every day from 4/8-8/17 in either first or second place...They trail the Rays by 5.0 games, matching their largest deficit of the season....Red Sox pitchers have a 3.05 ERA against the Yankees this season, allowing four ER or fewer in 13 of 15 meetings...They have given up a total of 3 HR in their last 6 games vs. NYY (all solo).....In their last 11 games, Red Sox starters have allowed 17 ER in 58.0 IP (2.64 ERA)...That is the Sox’ second-lowest starting pitcher ERA over any 11-game span this season (2.52 from 6/24-7/4). In those 11 games, Sox starters have struck out 69 batters and walked only 12...They allowed three ER or ffive or wer in each of the 11 games. Only 7 pitchers have started a game for the Sox, the fewest in the majors...They have not used fewer than 8 starting pitchers in a season since 1965 (7). Since 6/27, Kiké Hernández leads the AL in OBP (.407)...In 44 games during that time, he has hit .293 with a .962 OPS while leading the Red Sox in hits (48), runs (30), walks (29), XBH (23, tied), and total bases (91). In the Sox’ first plate appearance of the game since 6/27, Hernández is batting .395 with a 1.372 OPS and only 3 SO (15-for-38, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 4 HR, 1 3B, 5 2B)....Kyle Schwarber has a .500 OBP in 4 games with the Red Sox (4-for-11, 3 BB, 3 SO, 2 2B)... During his current 17-game on-base streak, he has hit .367 with a 1.474 OPS (22-for-60, 12 HR, 19 RBI, 20 R)....The Red Sox were held to three runs and one XBH yesterday (HR)...In their previous seven games from 8/8-15, they scored 63 runs (9.0 per game) and hit .329 with 12 HR, a .412 OBP, a .579 SLG, and a .991 OPS. Overall, the Sox rank sixth in the majors in runs scored per game (4.99) and rank in the top four in AVG (third, .260), SLG (second, .442), OPS (fourth, .767), doubles (first, 253), and XBH (first, 424). The Sox lead the majors in games with four or more homers...The Sox have hit 26 three-run homers, most in the majors (no other AL team has hit more than 21)....The Red Sox own MLB’s best records when scoring 4+ runs (.847, 61-11) and five or more runs (.897, 52-6). The Sox have scored 10+ runs in a game 15 times, third most in the majors behind CIN (18) and TOR (16). The Sox are the only AL team to score 15+ runs in a game as many as three times this season....The Red Sox are the only team featuring three players with 50+ XBH: Rafael Devers (62), J.D. Martinez (58), and Xander Bogaerts (50)...18 teams have none. Devers leads the majors with 180 XBH since the start of 2019, 13 more than any other player...He has 249 career XBH, one shy of becoming the 41st player since 1900 with 250+ XBH before turning 25 years old (the only Red Sox to do that are Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr).
NOTES:
* Christian Arroyo is having a day off in Worcester, but will be back in the lineup for Worcester Thursday. Arroyo will get some work at first base, but won't start there. Meanwhile, Ryan Brasier is set to to throw for Worcester tonight and Thursday. Alex Cora said Brasier is "getting close to joining the team.''
* Kyle Schwarber, who played both games Tuesday, was not in the starting lineup. Cora said the goal was for Schwarber to play the outfield this weekend at Fenway when the Sox host Texas.
* Tanner Houck, who was optioned to Worcester Tuesday night after serving as the 27th man in the doubleheader, though he was still with the team Wednesday in New York. He'll travel back to Boston tonight and report to Worcester Thursday. He'll be used next week, but meanwhile, the Sox are utilizing his spot on the roster elsewhere to give them additional available body.
.* Bench coach Will Venable will rejoin the team Friday after being cleared from his two week quarantine in Toronto.