Final, Red Sox 12-8: Koji Uehara closed the door. It wasn’t a save situation, but Uehara pitched another perfect ninth inning to nail down a 12-8 win.
The Red Sox trailed 8-3 in the seventh inning, but they once again showed the heart of a champion. Mike Napoli lifted a grand slam to right field as part of a five-run rally, and Boston tied the game at eight apiece.
The Red Sox grabbed the lead in the eighth inning when Shane Victorino ripped a two-run homer down the left field line. Daniel Nava then walked with the bases loaded and Stephen Drew shot a single into left field to give Boston a 12-8 edge that it wouldn’t relinquish.
The Red Sox will try to make it three straight wins over the Yankees on Saturday. John Lackey, who hasn’t gotten any run support this season, is certainly hoping that Boston’s offense — which has scored 41 runs over the last three games — isn’t done putting up big numbers. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
Good night, everyone.
Mid 9th, Red Sox 12-8: Shane Victorino is good at a lot of things, one of which is getting hit by pitches.
Victorino was plunked in the thigh in the ninth inning. Dustin Pedroia sent him cruising from first to third on a double into the left field corner, but Brian Butterfield gave Victorino the stop sign after a wide turn around third base.
David Ortiz almost added to Boston’s lead with a hot smash to the right side. Lyle Overbay made a nice play down at first base to end the inning, though, and we’ll head to the bottom of the ninth with the score still 12-8.
Koji Uehara is coming in to pitch in a non-save situation.
End 8th, Red Sox 12-8: Brandon Workman recorded the first out before handing the keys to Franklin Morales.
Workman walked Eduardo Nunez with one out, and Morales walked Chris Stewart with two outs after pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay flied out to left field.
The Yankees stranded the pair in scoring position. Nunez and Stewart each moved up a station on a wild pitch, but Morales struck out Brett Gardner swinging on a pitch low and outside to end the inning.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 12-8: The Red Sox weren’t satisfied with a two-run cushion.
Dustin Pedroia hit a sharp ground ball to first base after Joba Chamberlain took over for Preston Claiborne with one out and a runner on first. Mark Reynolds knocked it down, but the only play he had was to step on first base.
Chamberlain intentionally walked David Ortiz with first base open. He then struggled to find his control against Mike Napoli, and Napoli walked to load the bases with two outs.
Daniel Nava fell behind in the count, 1-2, with the bags packed, but he laid off three straight pitches out of the zone to earn a walk and force in Boston’s 11th run. Stephen Drew tacked on one more by shooting an RBI single through the left side.
The Red Sox batted around in back-to-back innings, scoring nine runs in the process. They now have a four-run edge with Brandon Workman going back out for a second inning of work.
10:16 p.m., Red Sox 10-8: Mike Napoli tied it with a grand slam in the seventh inning. Shane Victorino gave the Red Sox the lead with a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
Will Middlebrooks singled into left field with one out in the eighth. Victorino then lifted a two-run blast down the left field line to give Boston a 10-8 edge.
Mike Carp followed with a line-drive single into center field. He’ll be replaced by a pinch runner in Quintin Berry.
Joba Chamberlain will relieve Preston Claiborne on the hill.
End 7th, 8-8: Brandon Workman was very impressive in the seventh inning.
Workman struck out two while tossing a perfect frame. Now, the Red Sox’ offense has a chance to get right back to work in the eighth.
Alfonso Soriano struck out swinging for the first out. Workman failed to put him away with an 0-2 fastball, so he went back to the breaking ball and got Soriano to chase a pitch down and away.
After Robinson Cano grounded out for the second out, Alex Rodriguez struck out looking. A-Rod couldn’t catch up to a couple of fastballs, and Workman painted the corner with an offspeed pitch to complete the K.
Mid 7th, 8-8: You knew the Red Sox wouldn’t go quietly, right?
Boone Logan struck out David Ortiz upon taking over for Phil Hughes with the bases loaded and one out. Logan froze Big Papi with a curveball that just caught the outside corner.
Mike Napoli didn’t want to waste the bases-loaded opportunity, though.
Napoli fouled off a couple of 3-2 pitches before lifting a fly ball to right field. Ichiro Suzuki ran back as if he had it sized up, but the ball just kept carrying. It landed on top of the fence — just beyond the reach of a leaping Ichiro — and bounced up into the seats for a game-tying grand slam.
Napoli now has three hits and a walk, further proving that his major offensive struggles are in the rearview mirror. The grand slam was his third of the season. He now has 19 home runs overall.
Logan gave up a single to Daniel Nava after Napoli’s game-tying blast. The left-hander then exited with an apparent injury, and Preston Claiborne came on to record the third out.
Brandon Workman will be the new Red Sox pitcher in the seventh.
9:38 p.m., Yankees 8-4: The Red Sox have an opportunity to do some damage.
David Ross led off the seventh inning with a single, and Shane Victorino added to the threat with a one-out base hit.
Mike Carp then pinch hit for Jonny Gomes and put up a very nice at-bat. Carp saw nine pitches while working a walk to loaded the bases for Dustin Pedroia.
Pedroia hit a chopper to third base that forced Alex Rodriguez to charge in. A-Rod’s throw to first base wasn’t picked by Mark Reynolds, and Pedroia reached with an infield single that scored Ross from third base.
Joe Girardi is now going to lefty Boone Logan with David Ortiz representing the tying run.
End 6th, Yankees 8-3: Rubby De La Rosa rebounded from a rocky fifth inning to retire the side in order in the sixth.
De La Rosa struck out Chris Stewart for the first out. The right-hander jumped ahead with a fastball and then went with back-to-back sliders to put Stewart away.
Brett Gardner, who has created tons of problems for the Red Sox this season, grounded back to the mound for the second out.
Derek Jeter ended the inning with a ground ball to the right side. Dustin Pedroia made a rangy play to corral it, and he tossed to first in time to get Jeter, who still doesn’t look like he’s running at 100 percent.
Phil Hughes will be the new Yankees pitcher in the seventh inning. It marks his first relief appearances of 2013 after 26 starts.
Mid 6th, Yankees 8-3: Andy Pettitte is through six innings.
Mike Napoli has now reached base three times after walking in the sixth inning. He represented Boston’s only baserunner in the sixth, though.
David Ortiz flied out to right field for the first out, and Daniel Nava struck out swinging for out No. 2.
Stephen Drew hit a popup into foul territory with two down. It looked like it might get to the seats, but first baseman Mark Reynolds made the grab just in front of the first row.
End 5th, Yankees 8-3: Rubby De La Rosa gave up four hits and two runs in the fifth inning.
Robinson Cano got things started with a double to left field. He got a 2-2 changeup and did a nice job of driving the ball the other way with power.
Cano advanced to third base when Alex Rodriguez flied out for the second out. Vernon Wells knocked in Cano with a single into right field.
Eduardo Nunez and Mark Reynolds delivered two more singles with two outs. Wells scored on Reynolds’ knock, but Nunez was thrown out between second and third base.
Mid 5th, Yankees 6-3: Will Middlebrooks keeps rolling.
Middlebrooks jacked a leadoff home run in the fifth inning to cut the Yankees’ lead to 6-3. It was his 14th blast of the season, and his second in as many nights.
Middlebrooks is now hitting .351 (27-for-77) with five homers and 15 RBIs since being recalled on Aug. 10. He has driven in eight runs over his last four games.
Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes — who have combined for four of Andy Pettitte’s six strikeouts — each flied out. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.
It’s now important that Rubby De La Rosa slow down the Yankees’ offense.
End 4th, Yankees 6-2: Rubby De La Rosa struck out Derek Jeter to end the fourth inning and officially close the book on Felix Doubront’s night.
The Yankees have just three hits in this game, yet they have six runs. That’s what happens when you walk six batters.
Doubront issued six free passes in his 3 2/3 innings of work. He struck out two and all six runs were earned.
Doubront threw 88 pitches and only 46 were strikes. That’s not good.
8:44, Yankees 6-2: Felix Doubront was well on his way to a second straight 1-2-3 inning until he ran into control problems.
Vernon Wells popped out to David Ross behind the plate, and Eduardo Nunez flied out to center field. Doubront then issued back-to-back walks to Mark Reynolds and Chris Stewart, which proved to be disastrous.
Brett Gardner sent a fly ball into left-center field that landed just out of the reach of a diving Shane Victorino. The ball rolled toward the wall as both runners scored and Gardner headed for third base with a triple.
John Farrell has seen enough from Doubront. He’s calling upon Rubby De La Rosa with two outs in the fourth inning.
Mid 4th, Yankees 4-2: The Red Sox pushed across a run in the fourth inning.
Mike Napoli led off with a double down the left field line. The ball bounced back to Alfonso Soriano rather quickly, so Napoli really had to hustle to slide in safely.
Napoli tagged up and advanced to third base when Daniel Nava flied out to right field. He scored when Stephen Drew hit a soft chopper down to first base.
David Ross, who drove in Boston’s first run, struck out to end the inning.
End 3rd, Yankees 4-1: Felix Doubront finally kept the Yankees off the scoreboard in the third inning. He did so by way of a 1-2-3 inning.
Alfonso Soriano and Alex Rodriguez each flied out in the third inning, and Robinson Cano struck out to cap a nine-pitch battle. Doubront went upstairs with a fastball to get Cano swinging.
The third inning marked Doubront’s first perfect frame of the night.
Mid 3rd, Yankees 4-1: Andy Pettitte already has six strikeouts.
Pettitte struck out Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes to begin the third inning — just as he did in the first inning.
Victorino has seen six pitches in the game, and all have been strikes. Gomes, who struck out looking in his first at-bat, waved at a 2-2 slider in his second trip.
Dustin Pedroia walked and moved up to second base on a pitch that got away from catcher Chris Stewart.
David Ortiz threatened to knock Pedroia in with a fly ball into shallow right-center field, but Vernon Wells made a nice sliding grab to keep this a 4-1 game.
End 2nd, Yankees 4-1: Felix Doubront couldn’t give the Red Sox a shutdown inning. He once again struggled, and the Yankees have posted two runs in each of the first two frames.
Vernon Wells walked to lead off the second inning, and Eduardo Nunez drove him in with a triple into the left-center field gap. Doubront almost battled back after falling behind Nunez, 3-0, but the infielder smoked a line drive up the alley way.
Doubront struck out Mark Reynolds, which is something that the slugger is all-too-familiar with, and Chris Stewart plated Nunez from third base with a fly ball to left field.
Doubront walked Brett Gardner with two outs, which finally prompted a mound visit from pitching coach Juan Nieves. The left-hander retired Derek Jeter on a lazy flyout to end the inning.
Mid 2nd, Yankees 2-1: Following Thursday’s game, John Farrell praised his team’s ability to answer. The Red Sox answered with a run in the second inning.
Mike Napoli, who kicked off Thursday’s ninth-inning rally, singled into center field. Daniel Nava walked to put two on with no outs.
Andy Pettitte started to settle back down by striking out Stephen Drew, marking his fourth K of the evening. But David Ross cut Boston’s deficit in half by singling up the middle to drive in Napoli.
Pettitte got out of the inning with a 6-4-3 double play.
End 1st, Yankees 2-0: Felix Doubront would probably like to hit the reset button.
Doubront was very shaky in the first inning as the Yankees grabbed a 2-0 lead on a two-run homer by Alfonso Soriano.
Brett Gardner led off with a bunt bid. His bunt rolled toward second base, and Dustin Pedroia charged it and flipped to first in one motion to get the speedy leadoff man.
Derek Jeter then worked a nine-pitch walk. Jeter fouled off three straight 3-2 pitches before laying off a cutter down and away.
Doubront made a big mistake against Soriano. He threw him a 2-1 fastball right down the middle of the plate, and Soriano tattooed it. It’s Soriano’s 30th home run of the season and 13th since joining the Yankees. Soriano’s 13 bombs with New York have come in just 39 games.
Doubront issued a two-out walk to Alex Rodriguez, but finally escaped the inning by picking off A-Rod with Vernon Wells batting. Doubront threw 21 pitches in the frame.
Mid 1st, 0-0: The Red Sox had some lackluster swings against Andy Pettitte in the first inning.
Pettitte yielded a two-out single to Dustin Pedroia, but otherwise struck out the side.
Pettitte got Shane Victorino swinging and Jonny Gomes looking to begin the game. Victorino was tardy on an 0-2 fastball up in the zone, and Gomes failed to offer at an 0-2 fastball on the corner.
Pedroia grounded a second-pitch changeup into left-center field to break up the perfect inning, but Pettitte bounced back to strike out David Ortiz on a breaking ball low and away.
7:09 p.m.: Andy Pettitte’s first pitch is a strike, and we’re underway.
7:02 p.m.: Since Aug. 9, Red Sox pitchers lead the majors in opponent average (.202), opponent OPS (.556) and
WHIP (0.98). They are second in ERA (2.76).
6:57 p.m.: The Red Sox (85-57) have already won 16 more games than last season, when they went 69-93. It marks Boston’s largest increase in wins since the 1967 “Impossible Dream” team (92-70) won 20 more games than the 1966 team (72-90).
Check out BostonFanFavorites.com to see how the 2013 and 1967 teams stack up.
6:49 p.m.: Thursday’s win marked the Red Sox’ 21st last at-bat victory of 2013. That’s the second-most in the AL behind the Royals’ 22.
Boston has also dealt Mariano Rivera a blown save 15 times in the closer’s illustrious career. It’s his most versus any single team.
6:24 p.m.: The Red Sox’ magic number to win the AL East is now 16. They own a 6 1/2-game lead over the Rays, which marks Boston’s largest division lead of the season and largest since Sept. 7, 2007.
The Red Sox are also a season-high 28 games over .500. It’s the first time that Boston has been as many as 28 games over .500 since Sept. 7, 2011.
5:58 p.m.: It’s interesting to see Jonny Gomes play left field and Daniel Nava play right field for this game. John Farrell flip-flopped the two outfielders — Gomes in RF and Nava in LF — the last time the Red Sox visited New York.
Yankee Stadium, of course, has a spacious left field and a short porch in right, leading to the initial switch back in May/June.
It’s worth noting that Jackie Bradley Jr. played center field in both of the games in which Gomes appeared in right field at Yankee Stadium earlier this season.
5:12 p.m.: Jacoby Ellsbury will be out of the Red Sox’ lineup for the second time in four games.
Ellsbury has been dealing with a hand issue that arose last weekend against the White Sox. However, according to The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham, it’s a foot injury that will keep Ellsbury out of Friday’s lineup.
Shane Victorino will shift over to center field and slide into the leadoff spot in Ellsbury’s absence. Jonny Gomes will play left field and bat second with a left-hander on the mound. It marks the 14th time this season that Gomes has batted second.
Friday’s complete lineups are below.
Red Sox (85-57)
Shane Victorino, CF
Jonny Gomes, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Stephen Drew, SS
David Ross, C
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Felix Doubront, LHP (10-6, 3.89 ERA)
Yankees (75-65)
Brett Gardner, CF
Derek Jeter, DH
Alfonso Soriano, LF
Robinson Cano, 2B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Vernon Wells, RF
Eduardo Nunez, SS
Mark Reynolds, 1B
Chris Stewart, C
Andy Pettitte, LHP (10-9, 4.01 ERA)
8 a.m. ET: The Red Sox keep finding new ways to win games.
Thursday’s series opener in the Bronx was a dogfight. The Red Sox looked poised for an easy win, but the Yankees used a six-run seventh inning to grab an 8-7 lead and put Boston’s backs up against the wall. The Sox — as they’ve done so often this season — responded to the adversity in a big way, rallying against Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning and eventually winning in 10 innings following an RBI single from Shane Victorino.
Thursday’s victory was long, eventful, dramatic and actually quite ugly. The Red Sox should have had the game in hand while leading 7-2 in the seventh inning, but their bullpen imploded. After Jake Peavy allowed the first two hitters of the seventh to reach, Matt Thornton and Junichi Tazawa simply couldn’t cut off New York’s momentum.
The Red Sox still emerged victorious, though, and they’re really rolling right now. They’ll send Felix Doubront to the mound Friday, and he’ll be opposed by another southpaw in Andy Pettitte. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
