BOSTON — The New York Yankees came to Boston for the first time this season, and David Ortiz and the Red Sox didn’t exactly give them a warm welcome.
After tallying just three hits going into the seventh inning against Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka, the Red Sox rallied back, and Ortiz put the cherry on top with a game-winning home run against Dellin Betances in the eighth inning. In other words, it was a classic rivalry game.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Electric.
Tanaka was handling the Red Sox, until he wasn’t. Boston was able to tie the game at 2-2 with the Yankees ace on the mound in the seventh, and Big Papi took the reins from there, making Saturday’s contest one heck of a game.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Ortiz blasted a two-run shot onto the Monster in the eighth.
Need we say more?
ON THE BUMP
— Henry Owens actually didn’t have as great of a game as the scoreboard might suggest he did. The left-hander surrendered just two runs, but the guys behind him deserve a decent amount of credit for that after turning four double plays and helping him out of a few jams.
Still, Owens finished the night with two runs on six hits — including a solo home run to Alex Rodriguez — with three walks and three strikeouts. He threw 92 pitches, and just 49 of them were for strikes.
— Matt Barnes came on in the seventh and induced three groundouts for a 1-2-3 inning.
— Koji Uehara enjoyed a 1-2-3 inning of his own, including a strikeout, in the eighth. He ended up earning the win.
— Craig Kimbrel did his job in the ninth, retiring the side and adding a strikeout for the save.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— As mentioned, Tanaka had a great night for the Yankees, so the Red Sox couldn’t muster much offense until the seventh inning. But that’s when things really took a turn. Travis Shaw (1-for-4 with a run) and Brock Holt (1-for-3 with a run) both reached base for the first time, and Jackie Bradley Jr. (1-for-3 with two RBIs) knocked both of them in to tie the game with a wall-ball double.
— David Ortiz saved the day in the eighth inning with a huge go-ahead two-run homer onto the Green Monster off hard-throwing Yankees reliever Dellin Betances, of all people. Big Papi finished the night 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.
— Xander Bogaerts actually had a good night, going 2-for-3 with a run and reaching on a fielder’s choice.
— Hanley Ramirez also tallied a hit, going 1-for-4.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Meanwhile, in Single-A Salem …
UP NEXT
The Red Sox continue their series with New York in another 7:10 p.m. game Saturday. Rick Porcello will try to stay undefeated against Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda.
Thumbnail photo via Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports Images
