All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Yankees, complete with BSJ analysis and insight
HEADLINES
Pham walks off the Yankees: In the 10 or so days he's been with the Red Sox, Tommy Pham has shown a penchant for the big moment. He's hit three homers, contributed some life to the leadoff spot and generally gotten acclimated quickly to his new team. But Friday was his unquestioned high point. Pham came to the plate in the bottom of the 10th with a runner on third and one out, and proceeded to drill a game-winning single just inside the third base bag, scoring Christian Arroyo. "I wanted to see the ball and hit the ball hard,'' said Pham. (Yankees reliever Lou Trivino), with his first two pitches, was attacking me with sinkers, so that pretty much told me their game plan right there -- they wanted to get me to hit into a double play. I got lucky, barely kept the ball fair.''
Whitlock holds it down: In a somewhat unusual move, with the Red Sox trailing by a run in the top of the ninth. Alex Cora went to Garrett Whitlock, someone he ordinarily wouldn't use with the team behind. But with the bullpen thin, Cora decided to defy convention and the plan worked to perfection. He retired the Yankees in order in the ninth, then, with the automatic runner on second in the 10th, he issued a leadoff walk to Aaron Judge before retiring the next three hitters in order, including two by strikeout. Whitlock's fastball hit 98 mph in a few of those pitches, a season high, and he seemed to revel in the atmosphere. Since returning from the IL, he sports a 1.62 ERA over his last nine appearances.
Martinez bounces back: For the past few weeks, J.D Martinez has been in a massive slump. Some of it might be attributed to the back spasms he was battling, and it probably didn't help to hear his name in trade talks. But the last few nights, he's taken steps in the right direction. On Thursday night, he hit the ball hard to right-center -- always a good sign -- and drew a walk, evidence that he was controlling the strike zone better. Then, on Friday night, Martinez drove in the first two Red Sox runs of the night. He snaked a ball through the infield to deliver Alex Verdugo in the fourth, and in the ninth, with the Sox in search of the tying run, delivered another single up the middle, this one scoring Xander Bogaerts from second base. The latter was his second game-tying RBI in the ninth inning or later in the last four games.
TURNING POINT
In the bottom of the ninth, the Red Sox had gone four innings since their last hit. But after both Bogaerts and and Verdugo drew walks, Martinez singled up the middle, scoring Bogaerts from second with the game-tying run. That sent the game into extras, fired up the Fenway crowd and gave the Sox enough momentum to push home the game-winner in the following inning.
TWO UP
Nate Eovaldi: It wasn't textbook, and the velocity is still lacking on his fastball, but somehow, he managed to gut through six innings and limit a tough Yankee lineup to just two runs.
Matt Barnes: After a strong outing Thursday night, Barnes noted that he needed to have another one the next time. He did, tossing a scoreless seventh and fanning the last two hitters he faced to strand two baserunners.
TWO DOWN
Eric Hosmer: Hosmer was 0-for-4 with a double play and a strikeout. He had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth with a fly ball to the outfield, but instead fanned.
Xander Bogaerts: The shortstop had an unproductive night at the plate, going 0-for-3 with a double play before working a walk in the ninth inning.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Great. I guess you can't ask for anything else...We got a win, a walkoff hit...Great.'' Pham on his introduction to the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* After losing their first six extra-inning games of the season, the Red Sox have now won seven of their last eight.
* The Red Sox and Yankees have played 11 times this year and four have gone to extra innings.
* Pham has nine RBI in his last five games.
* Verdugo has a .500 on-base percentage in his last seven games.
* Martinez now has 10 games with three or more hits this season.
UP NEXT: The Red Sox and Yankees meet in the middle game of the series Saturday night at 7:15 p.m. with RHP Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.30) vs. RHP Frankie Montas (4-9, 3.59).