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Series Recap: Yankees prove their mettle in split with Red Sox

One could argue the New York Yankees outplayed the Boston Red Sox in their four-game series. The Yankees battled on offense and their starting and relief pitching was outstanding considering the situation. Sure they’d probably tell you they could’ve taken at least one more game, but garnering a split in a series which included a doubleheader in their first place rival’s park is nothing to hang your head about.

GAME 1

Alright bullpen, I’m going to give you one last chance, and not one of those major-league baseball Steve Howe last chances! Lt. Frank Drebin and Yankee fans didn’t get any answers out of Aroldis Chapman in yet another one-run loss, a 5-4 defeat to the Red Sox. It was the Yankees 18th blown save of the season, against a Boston team which entered the game 0-38 when trailing a game going into the ninth.

On another note, with lefty Drew Pomeranz starting, I could’ve stood to have seen Clint Frazier out there instead of Jacoby Ellsbury’s weak 0-for-4 showing.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

During the third inning, the Yanks had the bases loaded with one out and Pomeranz on the ropes. What appeared to be a rusty Matt Holliday, bounced into an inning ending double play and they were only able to come away with one run.

GUMBY BENDS

Chalk it up to the extra rest or the re-entry after a long rain delay in his previous outing but Jordan Montgomery wasn’t sharp Friday. The rookie lefty labored with 96 pitches through four frames.

After Gary Sanchez gave New York a 1-0 lead with an RBI-single in the third, Montgomery gave it right back in the home half, yielding a two-run homer to Hanley Ramirez. Boston would tack on another run on a Dustin Pedroia single to left in the fourth.

SANCHINO SLUGS

Sanchez didn’t appear to display any adverse effects from the home run derby. After Brett Gardner’s RBI-single plated Chase Headley, the Bronx Bombers’ All-Star backstop gave them a 4-3 lead with a two-run bomb to which departed Fenway Park.

MASS MELTDOWN

After Chad Green, Adam Warren and All-Star reliever Dellin Betances crafted together four frames of scoreless ball with nine strikeouts, Chapman was left to slam the door shut. Instead, he looked like the 1996 version of the aforementioned Howe and a post-1993 Brien Taylor all wrapped into one.

The Red Sox rally started on an infield single to shortstop by Mookie Betts. Pedroia followed suit and the speed of Betts prevented the Yankees from recording an out at second. Then the unconscionable happened with both runners advancing on a double steal. Apparently, the coaching staff has yet to teach Chapman — or Betances for that matter — how to hold runners.

Boston tied the game after Ronald Torreyes botched a grounder at second by Xander Bogaerts. Following an automatic intentional walk to Ramirez, Chapman issued an unintended walk to Andrew Benintendi and the Red Sox walked off with a victory without the benefit of the ball leaving the infield.

GAME 2

The second game offered a resilient effort by the Yankees in a 4-1 victory. New York battled at the plate and their bullpen stood tall. In the end, the Yankees would give the Red Sox a taste of their own medicine.

ALL-STAR STUDDED DUEL

A matchup of Luis Severino and Chris Sale more than lived up to its billing. Given how they started it’s incredible how each team wound up using seven relievers apiece but such is life in a 16 inning affair.

Severino tossed seven strong with six K’s and his lone blemish was a sacrifice fly RBI to center off the bat of Mitch Moreland in the third. On the flip side, Sale whiffed 13 in 7.2 frames of work.

GETTING OFF THE MATT

After he finished up for Sale during the eighth, Craig Kimbrel would falter in the ninth. Holliday shook off the rust and leading off the frame brought back some of the Bronx Bomber mojo we saw so much of up through early June. In taking Kimbrel deep and out of Fenway Park, Holliday tied the game and it represented the first blown save in Boston by the Red Sox closer.

BULLPEN DRESSED TO THE NINES

As we saw in the first game sometimes it can be difficult for the Yankee bullpen to close out the ninth. Yet, on Saturday seven relievers fashion together a nine inning game of scoreless ball. Capping it off was Ben Heller, who threw two innings and earned the victory.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Helping the Yankees end the game was a few guys who didn’t even start. Facing Doug Fister, Ellsbury set the table with a double to left. A single to center by Chase Headley moved Ellsbury to third. Gregorius the ensuing batter ripped the go-ahead RBI-single to center and the Yankees took their first lead at 2-1. An RBI-single to center by Austin Romine and a sacrifice fly to left by Sanchez gave the Yankees all the insurance they would need.

GAME 3

One couldn’t have drawn it up any better as the Yanks took the first game of a day-night doubleheader, blanking the Red Sox 3-0.

SABATHIA SWAGGER

After a shaky first start off the disabled list, CC Sabathia made a last minute surprise start and it was superb. Sabathia only yielded a pair of hits through six frames and recorded his eighth victory of the season. The big lefty was even solid in the field, cutting down Sam Travis at the plate in the second inning.

OFFENSE CAPITALIZES

New York jumped on Rick Porcello and the Boston defense in the fourth. After a Gregorius one-out single to right, Frazier reached on an error by Bogaerts at shortstop. A Romine single loaded the bases for Ji-Man Choi to lift a sacrifice fly to left. Torreyes then followed with an RBI-single to left.

An inning later, the red hot Gregorius homered to right to cap off the scoring.

BUSTLING BULLPEN

The Yankees bullpen ran their scoreless streak to 12 consecutive innings with three more flawless frames from Clippard, Green and Chapman. Clean and drama free.

GAME 4

In their series finale, the result was the polar opposite for the Yankees. With the 3-0 loss, New York was shutout for the first time on the campaign.

PLACE YOUR BETTS

With his recent outings being a roll of the dice, Masahiro Tanaka provided the Yankees with a representative start and without run support was as good as anyone could expect. Tanaka was rolling early until All-Star Mookie Betts left the yard with a two-run homer to left in the third. An RBI-single by Dustin Pedroia capped off the scoring in the sixth. Tanaka fanned nine across 7.2 frames, helping preserve a taxed bullpen.

PRICE IS NICE

For the first time in what seems like a long time, David Price twirled a gem against the Bronx Bombers. New York managed only one extra base hit against Price, who whiffed eight across eight scoreless frames. The Yankees were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. During the eighth, the suddenly snakebit Aaron Judge was robbed of a two-run homer in center by Jackie Bradley Jr.

ON DECK

At 47-43, the Yankees travel to Minnesota to face the Twins in a three-game series starting Monday night.

Pitching probables include Bryan Mitchell vs. Adalberto Mejia, Luis Cessa vs. Bartolo Colon, Jordan Montgomery vs. Jose Berrios.