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(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Yankees Game 20: Tanaka, offense dominant in series opener

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

New York Yankees 9 — Boston Red Sox 3

Jacoby Ellsbury made his Fenway Park debut as a New York Yankee and Masahiro Tanaka made his Fenway Park debut tonight.

To no surprise, Ellsbury, batting leadoff, was met with a mixed reaction of cheers and boos from the Fenway faithful. The former Red Sox center fielder would hit a deep fly ball to center field where a fan would be involved in the play. A fan touched the ball and the umpires would rule that there was fan interference. The umpires rewarded Ellsbury with a triple, likely due to the dimensions and his speed. Derek Jeter would follow with a single up the middle for a run. A passed ball with an error on catcher A.J. Pierzynski put Jeter on third base for Carlos Beltran. The Yankees would get the second run of the game on a single by Beltran to center field too. This game wasn’t starting off well for Jon Lester.

Masahiro Tanaka wasn’t expected to make his Fenway Park debut this series but a postponed game altered the schedule and the time was now for him to be a part of the rivalry. Tanaka would give up a double in the first inning and a single in the third but three strikeouts and a double play kept the Sox off the scoreboard.

The Yankees would load the bases in the second inning but a double play killed the rally. The Yankees would keep attacking Jon Lester in the third inning. Alfonso Soriano started the third inning with a double to left field. Mark Teixeira would hit a bloop the opposite way into no man’s land behind first base and he would stretch it into a double to bring home Soriano. Brian McCann would go the opposite way as well, hitting a double to left field for the fourth run of the game. After Solarte struck out, Ichiro Suzuki would walk and Brian Roberts would hit a single but Dustin Pedroia would turn a double play on Ellsbury to end the inning.

With one out in the fourth inning, Tanaka would hit his first bump and only bumps of the game. After striking out David Ortiz and Mike Napoli in the first inning, the power tandem in the middle of the Red Sox order would strike back. Ortiz and Napoli would go back-to-back to cut the Yankees lead in half. He would give up a double later in the inning but he bounced back and got out of the inning. He would get 11 of the next 13 batters out in a great Fenway Park debut.

The Yankees would keep the pressure on Lester with a walk and a single to start the fifth inning. Yangervis Solarte would strike out his second of three times tonight and Ichiro would strike out too for two outs after the first two reached base. Brian Roberts would hit a line drive that deflected off the glove of Mike Napoli at first base and drift into right field to let Teixeira score on the error. Ellsbury would double into left center field for another two runs and he would end his former teammate’s night.

For the Red Sox, Jon Lester lasted just 4.2 innings and allowed eight runs, three earned, on 11 hits while walking four and striking out seven.

In the eighth inning, Carlos Beltran hit his fifth home run of the season for the ninth run of the game and the first home run of the night for the Yankees. On the pitching side, Tanaka came out to start the eighth inning and got a strike out of Grady Sizemore to end his night on a very strong note.

Over 7.1 innings, Masahiro Tanaka struck out seven and allowed two runs, both on home runs. He walked none and allowed seven hits on 105 pitches.

The big Dellin Betances followed Tanaka’s strong outing and did it great fashion, striking out Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz looking at strikes. Betances would get the ninth inning and he gave up his first run of the season on a pair of doubles but it didn’t matter to the score as the Yankees would get the three outs and took the series win to start a three-game series in Boston.

 

Win – Masahiro Tanaka (3-0)

Loss – Jon Lester (2-3)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Jacoby Ellsbury – 2 for 5, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI (8)

*Carlos Beltran – 2 for 5, R, Solo Home Run (5) in the 8th, 2 RBI (13)

Red Sox

*Mike Napoli – 2 for 4, R, 2B, Solo Home Run (5) in the 4th, RBI (13)

*David Ortiz – 1 for 4, R, Solo Home Run (4) in the 4th, RBI (11)

 

Current Yankees Record: 12-8