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Series Recap
·6 min read

Series Recap: Yankees blank and broom Beantown

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In the immortal words of Crash Davis, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.

In their first trip to Fenway Park, the New York Yankees had their series reduced to two games with the rival Boston Red Sox, following a rainout. The makeup game will be played July 16, as part of a day-night doubleheader. The remainder of the series was a case where the Yankees made clear the Red Sox aren’t the only club with young top flight talent and superb starting pitching.

When it was all said and done the Yankees earned their fifth straight victory against the Red Sox, first road series win and found themselves off to their best 20-game start since 2010.

BIRTHDAY BASH BLOWOUT

Allow me if you will a moment to wax poetic about Aaron Judge. Playing in his first game at Fenway Park, Judge celebrated his 25th birthday in stellar fashion.

After Starlin Castro reached on a throwing error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts in the second, Judge capitalized. Facing Rick Porcello, Judge took the first offering from the reigning Cy Young award winner over the bullpen in right field. The home run was the seventh for the Yankees rookie right fielder and staked them to a 2-0 advantage.

According to our friends at Elias Sports Bureau, Judge joined Yogi Berra and Roger Maris as the only Yankees to homer at Fenway Park on their birthday. In another random quirky stat, Judge joined Cody Ransom (2008) as the only Yankees to go deep in their first at-bat at Fenway Park.

So, Yogi, the Rajah, Cody… how about Derek Jeter too for good measure?

In the third inning with one out and one on, Judge rumbled and tumbled into the right field stands, sending Bogaerts back to the dugout with a nice grab. Following a review, the initial foul ball call was reversed and recorded as an out.

BIRD 33

With the Boston Celtics hosting the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of their NBA playoff series at Boston Garden, the Bird wearing 33 in Boston was Greg and he was playing at Fenway Park. One had to believe sooner or later his drives to left lately in other parks would pay dividends with the Green Monster in play.

After Judge walked and advanced to second base on a wild pitch, Bird took Porcello off the Monster in the sixth and lengthened the Yankees lead to 3-0.

SEVY SAVANT

Whatever Pedro Martinez told Luis Severino, I’m sure Red Sox fans are thrilled right about now. The Yankees are also fortunate to have learned from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who pitched Martinez out of the bullpen but traded him to the Montreal Expos before they could truly discover what he had as a starter. Severino easily could have been relegated to the bullpen after a fine showing in 2016 but the organization wisely gave him another opportunity to start.

Only one of the final 12 Boston batters reached base against Severino. On his ledger, Severino notched seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball with six strikeouts.

FIRE AND ICE

You come on like a flame, then you turn a cold shoulder. Yes, a Pat Benatar reference. Enjoy!

This is precisely what Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman provided the Yankees in the final two frames.

Betances bounced back from his late season fade at Boston last season. In the eighth, dealing Dellin whiffed Marco Hernandez and Sandy Leon swinging and got Bogaerts on a groundout to third.

During the ninth, a rested but somewhat rusty Chapman sweated out a save with guts and guile. A walk to Andrew Benintendi and a double by Mookie Betts placed runners in scoring position for the Red Sox. A groundout to third by Chris Young plated Benintendi and Boston was on the board at 3-1. Following a wild pitch and a walk by Hanley Ramirez, Boston was set up with runners at the corners.

Yet, Chapman was able to fan Jackie Bradley Jr. and after a scary screaming first glance foul ball to left was able to whiff Josh Rutledge. After a sigh of relief, the Yankees enjoyed a 3-1 victory.

TANAKA TIME

The Tuesday rainout proved to be a blessing in disguise. For the Red Sox, it meant only getting swept in two games instead of three. In the case of Masahiro Tanaka, it meant another day of rest. Tanaka took full advantage and outdueled Chris Sale.

Despite 10 K’s by Sale, Tanaka would be the last man standing. On 97 pitches Tanaka twirled a three-hit, three-strikeout, shutout. Tanaka retired the final 14 batters he faced on the evening. The outing by the Yankees ace lowered their MLB-best team ERA to 2.90.

SCRAPPY YANKEES

Until the fourth frame the Yankees first and only hit was produced by Ronald Torreyes, which makes sense considering he accounted for their first home run, triple and four-hit game this season. Starting off the inning, Aaron Hicks lined a single to right. Ensuing batter Chase Headley hit a ball which Sale knocked down and which likely would’ve resulted in a double play but allowed Hicks to advance to second. A cross up and passed ball allowed Hicks to go to third.

Matt Holliday lined a sacrifice fly to left and gave the Yankees all the offense they’d need.

Holliday would drive in another run in the ninth, so too would Starlin Castro and it all added up to a 3-0 Yankees victory and mini sweep.

TIMELY CONCLUSION

Thursday’s tilt was the shortest between these two clubs this century and at 2:21 the fastest since May 6, 1994. Jimmy Key topped Aaron Sele 3-1.

ON DECK

At 13-7 on the campaign, the Yankees return home to Yankee Stadium and take on the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game series starting Friday evening. Coming off a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the O’s are 14-6.

Pitching probables include Kevin Gausman vs. CC Sabathia, Ubaldo Jimenez vs. Michael Pineda, Wade Miley vs. Jordan Montgomery.