📌 Join the BPCrew Chapter in your city and meet up with more Yankees fans! 👉 CLICK HERE

Yankees Game 122: Kuroda, defense struggle in loss

A rare struggling start by Hiroki Kuroda, allowing five runs on 11 hits today. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

New York Yankees 1 — Boston Red Sox 6

 

Hiroki Kuroda had a rare poor start in today’s 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

In the second inning, the Yankees had a great opportunity to score. Alfonso Soriano continues to swing a hot bat, opening the second with a single. Soriano would successfully steal second base and Alex Rodriguez would walk. Curtis Granderson hit a pop up to shallow center field and it put the hottest bat in baseball in a dilemma on the bases.

Stay near second or go near third? Soriano chose to lean more towards third but shortstop Stephen Drew would make the catch and get Soriano at second for the double play. Eduardo Nunez would follow with a walk and Lyle Overbay hit a single to load the bases. Chris Stewart would fly out and the Yankees squandered some opportunities to score and stranded three on the bases.

In the third inning, David Ortiz laced a ground-rule double into right field and Mike Carp followed with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Kuroda would strike out Daniel Nava and that kept the runners stationed at their bases. Stephen Drew would hit a ground ball to Lyle Overbay, who was faced with a huge decision in a second, go home for the force or try to turn the double play?

The Yankees first baseman would choose to go for the double play but a wide throw to Nunez would charge an error to Overbay. Runners were safe at first and second while the lead runner, Ortiz, would score to give the Red Sox the early lead. During the next at-bat, Mike Carp and Stephen Drew would execute a double steal. The problem here is that lead runner, Mike Carp, was out at third but third base umpire Bill Welke ruled him safe on a missed call. This missed call would prove costly as Will Middlebrooks and Jacoby Ellsbury would bring home the two runners in scoring position.

The Yankees would bring in their first and only run of the game on a ground out by Ichiro Suzuki in the fifth inning but ground outs were the theme of the start by John Lackey. In six innings, 13 outs were ground outs.

In the sixth inning, the Red Sox would get some hard hits off of Kuroda. A lead off double would eventually come around to score on a one out Jarrod Saltalamacchia single. Jacoby Ellsbury would hit a double that scored another run and would be the final batter that Kuroda faced.

Hiroki Kuroda allowed a season-high 11 hits in 5.2 innings. He allowed five runs but only three were earned.

Long reliever Adam Warren would allow a solo home run to David Ortiz in the seventh inning but the decision was seemingly decided an inning ago. The Yankees only managed one run despite having eight hits. Hitting 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position is not a part of the formula towards winning a game.

The Yankees will try to win the series tomorrow night with CC Sabathia on the mound.

 

Win – John Lackey (8-10)

Loss – Hiroki Kuroda (11-8)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Lyle Overbay – 3 for 4, R, 2B

*Alfonso Soriano – 2 for 4

Red Sox

*Jacoby Ellsbury – 3 for 5, 2B, 2 RBI (47)

*David Ortiz – 2 for 4, 2 R, BB, 2B, Solo Home Run (24) in the 7th, RBI (77)

 

Current Yankees Record: 63-59

 

Get your Yankees Tickets from our friends at TiqIQ.