BOSTON — The New York Yankees have been red-hot in September, but the Red Sox have done a fine job so far of extinguishing them.
Boston beat up New York on Friday in a 7-4 win to take the first two games of the four-game series. Starter Clay Buchholz was solid despite a few hiccups, but the Red Sox’s offense was the star of the show, pummeling the Yankees with 12 hits, including two home runs.
Here’s how the game unfolded.
GAME IN A WORD
Explosive.
Boston got off to a fast start, tagging Yankees starter Luis Cessa for two runs in the very first inning. Five more runs and two homers later, and the Red Sox had this one in the bag thanks to their offense.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
The Yankees couldn’t come back in the ninth inning.
Pinch-hitter Billy Butler hit a two-run homer to keep things close, but that was all New York would get in the final frame.
ON THE BUMP
— It wasn’t Buchholz’s worst night, but he definitely pitched his way out of quite a few jams. The right-hander put two runners on base to start the third and fifth innings and had two on with one out in the second, but he allowed just the two runs in the fifth on a bases-clearing double by Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez.
Buchholz finished the night with two runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts over six frames.
— Robbie Ross Jr. came on in the seventh and struck out right fielder Mason Williams, gave up a double to Brett Gardner and got Jacoby Ellsbury to ground out before being lifted for Brad Ziegler.
Ziegler stuck out Sanchez to end the inning.
— Koji Uehara pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, beginning with a strikeout to second baseman Starlin Castro.
— Fernando Abad gave up the two-run homer to Butler with one out in the ninth. The left-hander was replaced with Craig Kimbrel after hitting Gardner.
Kimbrel ended the game with two straight K’s.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Hanley Ramirez just can’t stop hitting home runs. The first baseman hit his second jack in as many days in the fourth inning, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and two RBIs.
— Jackie Bradley Jr. also crushed a solo shot in the seventh inning, going 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
— David Ortiz did David Ortiz things, as the designated hitter went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a run and an intentional walk.
— Mookie Betts had a nice night, going 2-for-4 with two runs.
— Travis Shaw went 1-for-4 with a ground-rule double and an RBI sacrifice fly.
— Dustin Pedroia went 2-for-4 with a run, while Sandy Leon went 1-for-4 with an RBI ground-rule double.
— Xander Bogaerts went 1-for-3 with a double and scored a run.
— Chris Young (0-for-4) went hitless.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
So, the Red Sox are pretty good at hitting home runs.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox play a Saturday matinée for their third game against the Yankees. Left-hander David Price will square off against righty Bryan Mitchell, who’s making just his third start of the year, in the 1:05 p.m. ET contest.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
