Boston Red Sox 9 — New York Yankees 8 (10 innings)
Yankees rally once but a missed call leads to tonight’s 9-8 loss to the Boston Red Sox in 10 innings.
The Yankees turned to the pitcher of the month for August, Ivan Nova, to open the series. It took a number of pitches, but Ivan Nova kept the Red Sox off the board in the first two innings. A 47-pitch third inning wouldn’t have similar results.
Catcher Ryan Lavarnway opened the third inning with a single. Will Middlebrooks would follow with another single. Then, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a deep fly ball to center field that bounced over the wall, to the benefit of the Yankees, as it would be a ground-rule double for one run. Shane Victorino would bring in the next run of the game on a ground out to shortstop. The Yankees would sweat some more in the inning as a intentional walk would have a walk follow it, loading the bases. But Ivan Nova would use the last of the 47 pitches in the inning to get Mike Napoli out on strikes looking.
In the bottom half of the third, the Yankees would respond.
With one out, Ichiro got the first Yankees hit with a single to center field. The Yankees would use their speed game tonight. With Jake Peavy on the mound and Ryan Lavarnway behind the plate, Ichiro would steal second base. Chris Stewart would get the second out but Brett Gardner would reach on a bunt single. The speed game would show up again with Brett Gardner stealing second too. Derek Jeter would manage a walk against Peavy to load the bases for Robinson Cano. The Yankees star second baseman would pull his hands in and reach for the short porch. Falling feet short on the wall, Robinson Cano would settle for a two-run double to tie the game.
Will Middlebrooks would shift the momentum again when he hit a solo home run with two outs to give the Red Sox back the lead. The Yankees would find an interesting rally. With one out, Alex Rodriguez would hit a double to right center field which ended in a comical dive or flop into second base. Lyle Overbay would walk and then the unusual would happen. Rodriguez and Overbay would join the speed game and execute a double steal successfully. Unfortunately, Ichiro would chase out of the zone and strikeout for one out and Chris Stewart would fly out without scoring a run.
After four innings by Ivan Nova, allowing three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out three. Taking 96 pitches, Preston Claiborne replaced Nova. The young reliever would have one of the worst appearances of his career. Shane Victorino would have a rude greeting to open the fifth inning as he takes Claiborne deep for a solo home run. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz would follow with a pair of singles. Daniel Nava would walk to load the bases and Claiborne went from the warm water to boiling hot as the bases were loaded and he still had no outs. Mike Napoli would hit a ground ball down the third base line and Alex Rodriguez would make the stop but could not make a play on it. The stop by Rodriguez kept the ball in the infield and kept the Red Sox from scoring more than one. Unfortunately, that put a very bitter end on Claiborne’s appearance.
Cesar Cabral would be called on for his second major league appearance and was brilliant getting Stephen Drew out looking on strikes. Adam Warren would come in and get a ground out but it would get just one out and a run would score. By the time the inning ended, the Red Sox had a 6-3 lead.
In the fifth inning, Preston Claiborne got no outs while giving up four hits and walking one. He would finish with three runs allowed.
In the seventh inning, the Red Sox would put up one more and they had a solid seven run lead with nine outs remaining. Many would say the Yankees were defeated.
But, the Yankees didn’t think so.
Jake Peavy would come out to start the seventh inning. He would walk Ichiro to start the inning and Vernon Wells would pinch-hit for Chris Stewart and succeed with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Hard-throwing lefty Matt Thornton would come in to face Brett Gardner but the speedy outfielder would defy the matchup with a run-scoring single. The speed game would re-appear with Vernon Wells, of all people, stealing third base on a close call that could have gone the Red Sox way. Derek Jeter would work a walk and the bases were loaded for Robinson Cano again. Cano would not have as much success as his previous opportunity but hustle to first beat out the back end of the double play and brought in a run.
Junichi Tazawa would be called on for Alfonso Soriano. The Red Sox implemented the shift to cover the left side of the infield but Soriano would defy the shift, hitting a single to right field scoring one. Curtis Granderson would hit a big double to right field for another run. The Yankees trail by just one. Alex Rodriguez would have a deflating strikeout for the second out of the inning. Just when it seemed like the inning would fall short, Lyle Overbay hit a two-run single to give the Yankees a 8-7 lead. Ichiro would strike out to end the inning but what an inning that was.
Five hits, two walks and nine batters later; the Yankees put up six runs to complete an amazing comeback.
David Robertson took the mound and Austin Romine took over behind the plate. Jacoby Ellsbury would be called out on strike three, looking. Shane Victorino would go down chasing out of the zone for strike three, swinging. Dustin Pedroia would ground out and just like that, Robertson seamlessly did his job. The Yankees offense would go down without a fight in the bottom of the inning but a lead in the ninth meant one thing.
Enter Sandman.
Mariano Rivera would get David Ortiz to line out to first base for the first out. Daniel Nava would ground out softly to Overbay for the second out. On a full count, Mike Napoli would hit a single to right field. Pinch runner Quintin Berry would come in for Napoli and a steal of second would loom large. Austin Romine short-hopped the attempt at catching Berry and it got away, allowing Berry to get to third. Stephen Drew would hit a single and despite the comeback, the Yankees lost the lead. This was Mariano Rivera’s sixth blown save of the season.
In the bottom of the ninth, Alfonso Soriano would walk with one out. Craig Breslow would make casual attempts at picking off Soriano but one would succeed. Unfortunately for Breslow, Daniel Nava, now at first base, couldn’t handle the throw and Soriano would get into second base. With Soriano in scoring position, an inexcusable lapse in judgment would be huge. Alfonso Soriano would get picked off of second base, trying to steal third. The horrible decision would not be too big as Curtis Granderson struck out, bringing on extra innings.
With the game in extra innings, Joba Chamberlain would start the 10th inning. Joba would get the first out before Jacoby Ellsbury got a single. He would quickly steal second base on another throw that could have been better from Romine. Then, on a 1-2 pitch, Shane Victorino would check swing and first base umpire Joe West would rule it a ball. The missed call by West would extend the at-bat. Victorino would take full advantage with a single to right field and the Red Sox reclaimed the lead. Joba would get one more out before Boone Logan would finish off the inning.
Closer Koji Uehara would get the Yankees out with a pop out and two strikeouts. A deflating loss for the Yankees and their fans.
Win – Craig Breslow (5-2)
Loss – Joba Chamberlain (2-1)
Save – Koji Uehara
Notables
Red Sox
*Shane Victorino – 2 for 6, R, Solo Home Run (13) in the 5th, 3 RBI (54)
*Will Middlebrooks – 2 for 5, 2 R, Solo Home Run (13) in the 4th, RBI (39)
Yankees
*Robinson Cano – 1 for 5, R, 2B, 3 RBI (94)
*Lyle Overbay – 1 for 4, 2 RBI (54)
Current Yankees Record: 75-65
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