New York Yankees 3 – Boston Red Sox 2
In the center of enemy territory, history is made.
Amidst a chorus of boos that Jacoby Ellsbury is now familiar with, the Yankees center fielder led off the game with a single to right against Justin Masterson. One out later, Mark Teixeira would walk and then with two outs, Carlos Beltran would come through with a double to left-center, scoring Ellsbury and giving the Yankees the early lead.
CC Sabathia would hold the potent Red Sox lineup at bay through the first two innings, allowing just one hit.
In the third inning, Xander Bogaerts would start the inning with a double off the monster. He would advance on a deep fly out and scored on a sacrifice fly. Two more batters would reach base but Sabathia minimized the damage. In the fourth inning, the final out of the inning would be hard to find. After getting two outs, Allen Craig would break the tie with a solo home run just over the monster. A two-out walk following the home run could have come back to haunt them but a fortunate turn of events in Fenway Park benefited the Yankees. On a fly ball to left field, Ryan Hanigan would settle for a ground-rule double when a fan touched the in-play ball, forcing Bogaerts to stay at third. Sabathia would get the third out of the inning and kept the deficit at just one.
In the fifth inning, CC Sabathia would benefit from a double play but an error and a second fortunate ground-rule double, kept the Sox from getting more runs on the board. Sabathia would pitch a 1-2-3 sixth inning to finish off a great start in a difficult season.
In six innings, CC Sabathia allowed two runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out three.
Through the first six innings, the Yankees received opportunity after opportunity to catch up or even go ahead, including two in scoring position in the fourth and the bases loaded in the fifth.
The Yankees could not be kept off the board in the seventh inning. The leadoff walk in to Didi Gregorius would come back to haunt the Sox. Two outs later and a pair of hit players, the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch that ricocheted to knock Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan from the game; Brian McCann would go the other way with a bloop single to shallow left field, tying the game at two.
With the game tied, Junichi Tazawa would get the first out of the eighth inning before Alex Rodriguez would come in for a pinch-hit opportunity. In 16 pinch-hit at-bats, Alex Rodriguez had just one hit and no home runs.
Tazawa would fall behind Rodriguez and on a 3-0 count, Alex Rodriguez would make history. A-Rod would hit a line drive on a fastball and it would be just high enough for home run number 660. The home run ties him with the great Willie Mays for fourth on the all-time home run list.
In addition to the milestone, it gave the Yankees the lead in the top of the eighth inning.
With the lead in the eighth inning, the biggest arms in the bullpen would take on their roles. Dellin Betances stepped in for the eighth inning, Betances would allow his first hit in over 20 at-bats but got a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless eighth.
#MILLERTIME!! CLOSE THIS ONE OUT!
— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) May 2, 2015
In the ninth inning, Andrew Miller would get three outs with one on a strikeout to notch the ninth save of the season.
Win – Esmil Rogers (1-1)
Loss – Junichi Tazawa (0-1)
Save – Andrew Miller (9)
Notables
Yankees
*Alex Rodriguez – 1 for 1, R, Solo home run (6) in the 8th, RBI (14)
*Carlos Beltran – 2 for 4, 2B, RBI (8)
Red Sox
*Allen Craig – 1 for 3, R, Solo home run (1) in the 4th, RBI (2)
*Xander Bogaerts – 1 for 3, R, BB, 2B
Current Yankees Record: 14-9
