Final, Yankees 6-0: The Red Sox never stood a chance.
The Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. The Red Sox produced just three hits en route to suffering a 6-0 loss in the series opener at Yankee Stadium.
Kelly Johnson and Brett Gardner hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to extend New York’s lead to 4-0. Brian McCann put the final nail in the coffin in the eighth inning with a two-run homer.
Brandon Workman went seven innings, marking the longest start of his career. He allowed four runs for the first time in nine career major league starts, though, and the Red Sox’s offense wasn’t able to lend a hand in helping the right-hander overcome his few mistakes.
Jon Lester and Masahiro Tanaka will collide in Saturday’s middle game. The Red Sox really need to turn things around.
End 8th, Yankees 6-0: Brian McCann golfed one out of the yard in the eighth inning.
McCann has nine home runs this season. Three of them have come against the Red Sox, as the Yankees catcher had two back on April 12.
McCann’s ninth blast of the season in the eighth inning was a two-run shot off Craig Breslow. Mark Teixeira led off with a single.
Brock Holt made another excellent defensive play in the eighth inning before McCann’s homer. Holt dived in shallow right-center field to rob Carlos Beltran of a hit.
Mid 8th, Yankees 4-0: Adam Warren shut down the Red Sox’s offense in the eighth inning. Boston will need some ninth-inning magic — and a lot of it.
The top of the Red Sox’s order failed to generate any offense against Warren. Brock Holt, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz went down consecutively.
Jacoby Ellsbury recorded a couple of putouts in the eighth inning. David Ortiz capped the frame with a strikeout.
Craig Breslow will take over for Boston after seven innings from Brandon Workman.
End 7th, Yankees 4-0: Brandon Workman didn’t bring his best stuff, but he’s still through seven innings.
Workman handled Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter and Jacoby Ellsbury in what was certainly the right-hander’s final inning of work.
Workman allowed four runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out five, walked two and threw 108 pitches (76 strikes).
The game’s biggest blows were delivered by Kelly Johnson and Brett Gardner, who struck back-to-back homers in the fourth inning en route to three runs.
Mid 7th, Yankees 4-0: Stephen Drew broke an 0-for-29 streak in the seventh inning.
Drew placed a ball inside the left field line with two outs. It bounced up into the seats for a ground-rule double.
A weight likely was lifted off Drew’s shoulders, but the hit didn’t matter much. Dellin Betances struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. swinging to end the inning.
While Drew’s hit was encouraging for the Red Sox, Xander Bogaerts and Bradley both struck out and A.J. Pierzynski once again swung at the first pitch en route to flying out to right field.
In other words, not a whole lot really changed.
End 6th, Yankees 4-0: Brandon Workman tossed a scoreless sixth inning. The Red Sox’s offense has some work to do, though.
Brian Roberts, Ichiro Suzuki and Kelly Johnson went down in order in the sixth.
Roberts and Ichiro both took aim at Jackie Bradley Jr., who was up to the challenge, per usual. Johnson struck out swinging.
Mid 6th, Yankees 4-0:Â The Red Sox made some noise with two outs in the sixth inning. That’s all it was.
Vidal Nuno, who pitched very well, struck out Brock Holt and retired Dustin Pedroia on a ground ball to third base.
Nuno walked David Ortiz, which spelled the end of his night. Nuno departed after 5 2/3 shutout innings in which he allowed just two hits.
Dellin Betances walked Mike Napoli with two outs, at which point John Farrell called upon Daniel Nava to pinch-hit for Jonny Gomes with a right-hander in the game.
Nava grounded to third base. The ball hit the bag and bounced to Kelly Johnson, who made the play and stepped on third for the inning-ending forceout.
End 5th, Yankees 4-0: Brandon Workman scattered a one-out single en route to a scoreless fifth inning.
Mark Teixeira delivered a base hit into center field. Workman bounced back to take care of Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann.
Beltran struck out swinging and McCann grounded to short.
Workman hasn’t been as sharp as he was in his previous five starts this season. The right-hander has allowed more than three runs for the first time in his nine career major league starts.
Mid 5th, Yankees 4-0: The bottom third of the Red Sox’s order went down without a whisper.
Xander Bogaerts, Stephen Drew and Jackie Bradley Jr. are a combined 0-for-8.
The Red Sox have just two hits in the contest and none since the first batter of the second inning.
End 4th, Yankees 4-0: The Yankees teed off in the fourth inning.
Brian McCann led off with a single into left field. Brandon Workman rebounded to retire Brian Roberts and Ichiro Suzuki on a couple of lazy popups to Xander Bogaerts, but Kelly Johnson and Brett Gardner smacked back-to-back jacks to give New York a 4-0 lead.
Johnson blasted a two-run shot into orbit. Workman definitely made a mistake with a 1-1 fastball, and Johnson made him pay.
Gardner worked the count full before poking a solo homer into the first row of seats in right field.
Mid 4th, Yankees 1-0: Vidal Nuno is keeping the Red Sox’s offense at bay.
Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes and A.J. Pierzynski went down in order in the fourth inning.
Napoli struck out looking, Gomes popped out behind the plate and Pierzynski hit a soft liner right to Derek Jeter.
End 3rd, Yankees 1-0: The Yankees left the bases loaded in the third inning.
Brandon Workman found himself in trouble with one out, largely because of two walks.
Kelly Johnson walked and advanced to second base when Brett Gardner dropped down a bunt. Derek Jeter then singled for the second time, and Jacoby Ellsbury, who doubled in his first at-bat, walked to load the bases for Mark Teixeira.
Teixeira knocked in New York’s first run with a sacrifice fly. He couldn’t do any damage this time, though. Tex was way out in front of a 1-2 breaking ball and went down swinging.
Carlos Beltran grounded to first base to end the inning.
Mid 3rd, Yankees 1-0: Brock Holt’s family is in the stands. They’re catching a good showing from him thus far.
Holt waked in the first inning and robbed a home run in the second inning. He doubled in the third inning to keep the good times rolling.
Holt doubled with one out after Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded back to the mound. The Red Sox couldn’t take advantage of having the potential tying run in scoring position, though.
Dustin Pedroia flied out to right field and David Ortiz grounded out to second base.
End 2nd, Yankees 1-0: Brock Holt robbed Brian Roberts in the second inning.
Roberts lifted the eighth pitch of his at-bat against Brandon Workman to deep right field. Holt retreated, leaped at the wall and made a terrific grab. Even if it wouldn’t have cleared the fence — which it might have — it was a tremendous play.
Brian McCann popped out and Ichiro Suzuki struck out in the inning.
Mid 2nd, Yankees 1-0: The Red Sox put the leadoff man aboard for the second straight inning. Again, they failed to score.
Jonny Gomes singled to begin the second inning. A.J. Pierzynski, Xander Bogaerts and Stephen Drew — each of whom is struggling big time — failed to do anything from there.
Pierzynski and Drew tested Ichiro Suzuki, who made a fantastic diving snag in the inning. Bogaerts struck out swinging.
End 1st, Yankees 1-0: The Yankees have struck first.
Derek Jeter, who received his usual standing ovation, singled into right field with one out in the first inning. The knock only intensified the Yankee Stadium cheers.
Jacoby Ellsbury, who killed his former team earlier this season, picked up right where he left off. Ellsbury doubled into the right field corner.
Mark Teixeira gave the Yankees a 1-0 edge with a sacrifice fly to Jonny Gomes in left field.
Gomes leads off the second inning for Boston.
Mid 1st, 0-0: The Red Sox couldn’t do anything with a leadoff walk in the first inning.
Brock Holt walked on five pitches to get things going. He wouldn’t advance beyond first base.
Dustin Pedroia struck out looking and David Ortiz popped out. Mike Napoli then looked at a 2-2 fastball on the corner.
Nice recovery for Vidal Nuno following the game-opening free pass.
7:09 p.m. ET: Brock Holt takes a first-pitch ball. We’re underway in the Bronx.
6:47 p.m.: The big news before Friday’s game centered on Felix Doubront, who will stay in the Red Sox’ bullpen moving forward, according to manager John Farrell.
The move isn’t too shocking given Boston’s rotation crunch, but Farrell indicated before Doubront’s relief appearance Wednesday in Seattle that the left-hander could start a game next week against the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park. Things changed.
Doubront wasn’t too happy about the news, either. The 26-year-old has said on several occasions that he views himself as a starter, and that mindset definitely hasn’t changed.
The Red Sox’s rotation is set through Wednesday. It looks like this:
Friday: Brandon Workman
Saturday: Jon Lester
Sunday: John Lackey
Monday: Jake Peavy
Tuesday: Clay Buchholz
Wednesday: Workman
That leaves Rubby De La Rosa on the outside looking in. Farrell said Friday he had no additional information to provide on De La Rosa’s status, but the right-hander has thrown two bullpen sessions since his last start June 21. De La Rosa hasn’t thrown a sim game since then.
Farrell said the Red Sox’s goal is to get back to having 13 position players on the roster — they currently have 12. That essentially makes De La Rosa’s demotion — or some other move pertaining to the rotation — inevitable.
6:34 p.m.: There aren’t any big changes to the Red Sox’s lineup.
Xander Bogaerts continues to bat seventh. He was dropped down in the order before Tuesday’s game in Seattle.
Jonny Gomes will start in left field and bat fifth with a left-hander on the hill in Vidal Nuno.
The complete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (36-43)
Brock Holt, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Jonny Gomes, LF
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Xander Bogaerts, 3B
Stephen Drew, SS
Jackie Bradley Jr. CF
Brandon Workman, RHP (1-0, 2.88 ERA)
New York Yankees (40-37)
Brett Gardner, LF
Derek Jeter, SS
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Carlos Beltran, DH
Brian McCann, C
Brian Roberts, 2B
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Kelly Johnson, 3B
Vidal Nuno, LHP (1-4, 5.88 ERA)
6:15 p.m. ET: Brandon Workman returns from his six-game suspension Friday as the Boston Red Sox begin a three-game series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Workman appealed his suspension — which he was handed for throwing behind Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria — but it was upheld by Major League Baseball.
Workman last pitched June 15 against the Cleveland Indians. He allowed two earned runs on five hits over six innings in that outing, continuing what has been an impressive start to his major league career.
The 25-year-old owns a 2.91 ERA and a .205 opponent batting average against in eight career major league starts between last season and this season. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs and has gone at least five innings in each of his first eight big league outings. Workman joins Boo Ferriss (first nine starts in 1945) as the only Red Sox hurlers to accomplish that feat in the last 100 years.
The Red Sox return to the East Coast after seven games out West. Boston dropped three of four to the Oakland Athletics, and then lost two of three to the Seattle Mariners, though the Sox did earn a victory in Wednesday’s series finale at Safeco Field.
Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET. Tune in on NESN, and keep it right here with NESN.com.
