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NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Chase Headley #12 of the New York Yankees reacts in the 11th inning against the Boston Red Sox on September 30, 2015 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Yankees game 158: Opportunities served up, missed by the Yankees

Boston Red Sox 9 – New York Yankees 5 (11 innings)

Opportunities were presented numerous times but the Yankees did not take advantage of it.

For the Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka made his return to the mound after skipping his previous start. Like yesterday, the Yankees starting pitcher struggled in the first inning. After getting the first two outs, Xander Bogaerts kept the inning alive with a single. David Ortiz walked and Travis Shaw got the big hit of the inning. On a hanging splitter, Travis Shaw lined a three-run home run deep into right field to put the Yankees in an early 3-0 hole.

The Yankees were set down in order but they showed fight with two outs in the second inning. Chris Young got the Yankees first hit on a single to center. Gregory Bird got on base with a walk and Rob Refsnyder continues to shine versus left-handed pitchers when he hit a ground-rule double to right field. The ball bouncing over the wall prevented Bird from scoring and one run was all the Yankees could get in the inning.

In the third inning, Dustin Pedroia opened with a ground-rule double to left field. On a fly out, he advanced to third and on a single by David Ortiz, Pedroia scored to get the one run back. The Yankees got two on in the third inning but Carlos Beltran lined into a double play as bad luck struck on the Yankees’ bats.

The score remained 4-1 until the fifth inning.

Jacoby Ellsbury started the fifth inning with a double. After a wild pitch and one out, Alex Rodriguez walked to put runners on the corners. Carlos Beltran went to deep right-center with a ground-rule double that restricted the Yankees to one run scoring again. Brian McCann grounded out to score another run and Chris Young delivered the important hit. The run-scoring single by Chris Young tied the game at 4. Greg Bird and Rob Refsnyder walked but Didi Gregorius flew out to left field to strand the bases loaded.

In five innings, Masahiro Tanaka allowed four runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three. While this start was not great in Tanaka standards, he was coming off of extended rest and needed to shake off some rust.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless sixth inning and the Yankees got offense from a recently slumping source. Against reliever Matt Barnes, Alex Rodriguez broke the 4-4 tie with a two-out, solo home run to put the Yankees ahead.

Justin Wilson returned for the seventh inning and got the first two outs before Dellin Betances got the call for the last out. After falling behind to Mookie Betts, the Red Sox center fielder jumped on a fastball and put it into the seats in left-center for a game-tying solo home run.

The Yankees were served the best scoring opportunity of the night in the eighth inning. Jacoby Ellsbury started the inning with a walk against lefty Tommy Layne. He was picked off for an unfortunate first out. Chase Headley was walked before reliever Noe Ramirez came in for Alex Rodriguez. He did not get his job done as he walked Rodriguez to put two on base. Reliever Jean Machi entered the game and got a fielder’s choice at second base on the ground ball by Carlos Beltran. Dustin Ackley was the fourth walk of the inning, to load the bases but Brett Gardner jumped on the first pitch and grounded out to end the inning without a run scoring despite four walks.

The game remained tied after nine innings so free baseball ensued.

It was a tie game until the 11th inning and Andrew Bailey got the call after two scoreless innings from Andrew Miller. Travis Shaw hit a leadoff single but Brock Holt had a failed sacrifice bunt when he popped up. The Red Sox initiated hit-and-run offense when Blake Swihart hit a single with Shaw in motion, putting runners on the corners. Deven Marrero followed with a hit-and-run single of his own, this one scoring Shaw and giving the Red Sox the lead. Against Chasen Shreve, Jackie Bradley Jr. pulled off the safety squeeze bunt that scored another run on the second out. Mookie Betts dealt the big blow, a two-run home run, his second home run of the night, that put the Red Sox ahead by four.

The Yankees got a base runner in the bottom half of the inning but a fly out and a double play tore tonight’s win away from the Yankees despite 11 walks. The Yankees were 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 15 on base.

 

Win – Alexi Ogando (3-1)

Loss – Andrew Bailey (0-1)

 

Notables

Red Sox

*Mookie Betts – 2 for 6, 2 R, 2 HR (18; Solo & two-run) in the 7th & 11th, 3 RBI (76)

*Travis Shaw – 2 for 5, 2 R, Three-run home run (13) in the 1st, 3 RBI (36)

Yankees

*Alex Rodriguez – 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 BB, Solo home run (33) in the 6th, RBI (86)

*Rob Refsnyder – 2 for 4, 2 BB, 2B, RBI (3)

 

Current Yankees Record: 86-72