Final, Red Sox 9-4: Koji Uehara, who hadn’t pitched since Aug. 25 in Toronto, recorded the final three outs. The Red Sox closer did surrender a solo homer to Brian McCann, though.
The Red Sox opened their three-game series in the Bronx with a 9-4 win. Joe Kelly earned his first victory in a Red Sox uniform, though Boston’s offensive outburst was the big story.
Kelly allowed three earned runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out six and threw 102 pitches (61 strikes). The fifth inning proved to be a grind, but Kelly pushed through to complete 6 2/3 frames.
Xander Bogaerts led the way offensively with four hits — the first four-hit game of Bogaerts’ career — and two RBIs. The 21-year-old launched a solo homer in Boston’s four-run third inning, which was kick-started by Daniel Nava’s three-run blast.
Mookie Betts and Yoenis Cespedes also produced three hits. Betts launched his fourth career home run in the fourth inning.
The Red Sox finished with 12 hits as a team.
Mid 9th, Red Sox 9-3: Yoenis Cespedes can really turn on the jets.
Cespedes dropped a fly ball into the right field corner in the eighth inning. He appeared to be thinking three bases out of the box but really turned it on around second base. Cespedes rode the impressive uptick in acceleration to a leadoff triple.
Mike Napoli lifted a fly ball to right field to score Cespedes. Napoli has five plate appearances but only one at-bat, as he has walked twice and produced two sacrifice flies.
Daniel Nava walked with one out and took second base on a passed ball charged to Francisco Cervelli. Xander Bogaerts knocked him in with a base hit into left field.
Bogaerts has four hits, including a home run, and two RBIs. It’s been a very encouraging night offensively for the Red Sox, but Bogaerts, in particular, has stood out.
Will Middlebrooks struck out for the fourth time in the ninth inning. All four strikeouts have involved him going down looking at a slider. Middlebrooks is 0-for-5 and also made an error.
End 8th, Red Sox 7-3: Tommy Layne overcame a two-out walk to pitch a scoreless eighth inning.
Layne walked Mark Teixeira after striking out Stephen Drew for the second out of the eighth.
Red Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves paid Layne a visit following the walk to Teixeira. Layne nearly put Carlos Beltran aboard, as the left-hander fell behind in the count 3-0. But Beltran ended up lifting a 3-2 offering to right field, where Daniel Nava put it away for out No. 3.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 7-3: David Huff worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
Brock Holt and Mookie Betts both took aim at Martin Prado, who shifted from second base to left field after Brett Gardner was ejected. Prado was up to the challenge in both instances, though it wasn’t the most graceful display in the world.
David Ortiz struck out to end the inning. He’s hitless in five plate appearances.
End 7th, Red Sox 7-3: Joe Kelly is in line to earn his first win in a Red Sox uniform if Boston can hold on.
Kelly exited with two outs in the seventh inning. Tommy Layne entered and recorded the third out, stranding a runner at third base.
Martin Prado reached on an error to begin the bottom of the seventh. Will Middlebrooks has had a tough night at the plate, and it’s starting to infiltrate his defense. The third baseman pulled up early on Prado’s ground ball to the left side, allowing it to find its way into left field.
Chase Headley walked, creating somewhat of a threat. Kelly, to his credit, bounced back to induce a big double play.
Brock Holt deserves a tip of the cap for hanging in there on the 6-4-3 double play. It was apparent he was going to get bundled at second base, but the hard-nosed utility man showed no fear.
Kelly allowed three earned runs on five hits and four walks over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and threw 102 pitches (61 strikes).
Mid 7th, Red Sox 7-3: This game can’t end soon enough for Will Middlebrooks.
Middlebrooks, who now is 0-for-4, struck out for the third time in the seventh inning. He’s gone down looking on all three occasions, which is a stark contrast from what manager John Farrell would like to see.
Adam Warren, who also retired Xander Bogaerts and David Ross in the seventh, has done a nice job of settling things down for Joe Girardi’s bunch. Warren has retired all six batters he’s faced since entering.
End 6th, Red Sox 7-3: The Red Sox’s defense was aligned perfectly to execute an inning-ending double play.
Joe Kelly walked Carlos Beltran with one out. Brian McCann then hit a chopper to the left side that Xander Bogaerts corralled and tossed to second base to start the double play.
Holt turned it very quickly at second base. The Red Sox also benefited from it being McCann who was running down the line.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 7-3: Adam Warren tossed a scoreless sixth inning for the Yankees.
Warren retired Yoenis Cespedes, Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava in order. He struck out Napoil and Nava.
Napoli went down swinging on a 96 mph fastball. Nava foul tipped the third of three straight changeups into catcher Francisco Cervelli’s mitt.
End 5th, Red Sox 7-3: The Yankees scored two runs in the fifth inning. The second run scored on a play that was overturned.
Carlos Beltran led off with a single into center field. Brian McCann followed with a bunt single on which he beat the shift. McCann laid the bunt right down the third base line.
Martin Prado smacked a ball that traveled over Yoenis Cespedes’ head and one-hopped the wall. Beltran didn’t take off right away, as it looked like Cespedes was going to catch it. As a result, Beltran was forced to stop at third base.
The big development, however, was that Prado was paying attention to the baseball in left field rather than what was happening in front of him on the bases. He nearly passed McCann at second base before tossing on the brakes and ended up getting tagged out as a result.
Joe Kelly issued back-to-back walks to the No. 8 and No. 9 hitters, Chase Headley and Francisco Cervelli, to force in a run.
Derek Jeter grounded to the left side with two outs after Jacoby Ellsbury lined out to short. Xander Bogaerts made the play while ranging in and to his right, but Jeter beat out the shortstop’s throw. Jeter initially was called out, but the Yankees successfully challenged the ruling.
Brett Gardner struck out looking to end the inning. Gardner, who has had beef with home plate umpire Tim Timmons all night, slammed his helmet in disgust, as it didn’t appear any of the three strikes were in the strike zone. Gardner immediately was ejected.
Stephen Drew will enter the game at second base with Gardner gone. Martin Prado will shift from second base to left field.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 7-1: Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts are having big games.
Bogaerts doubled to begin the fifth inning. He ripped a line drive right down the left field line that plunked off the base of the wall. Bogaerts now has three hits, including a home run in the third inning.
Betts went the other way for an opposite-field single with two outs. Bogaerts stopped at third base as Betts collected his third hit.
David Ortiz couldn’t take advantage of the two ducks on the pond. He struck out swinging to end the threat.
End 4th, Red Sox 7-1: Mookie Betts had quite the fourth inning.
Minutes after launching a solo homer, Betts made a very nice defensive play to prevent Mark Teixeira from collecting an extra-base hit.
Teixeira labeled a ball to right-center field with two outs. Betts raced back and made a leaping catch on the warning track before banging into the wall.
Betts’ defense obviously is a work in progress, as he’s still transitioning from the infield to the outfield. But plays like the one he made in the fourth inning show why the Red Sox are confident his athleticism will allow him to become a good defensive outfielder.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 7-1: It looks like the Red Sox are at the driving range right now.
Mookie Betts launched Boston’s third home run of the game in the fourth inning, extending the Red Sox’s lead to 7-1. Betts now has two hits for the third straight game, another sign the 21-year-old is settling in since his most recent major league call-up.
Betts belted his fourth big league homer to left field. He jumped on a 1-0 fastball from Esmil Rogers, who took over in the third inning after Shane Greene laid an egg.
Rogers walked Mike Napoli and surrendered a single to Daniel Nava with two outs in the fourth inning. Will Middlebrooks lined out to Brett Gardner in left field.
End 3rd, Red Sox 6-1: The Yankees began chipping away in the third inning.
Martin Prado led off with a home run. His 10th blast of the season was a line drive over the left field fence.
Prado’s home run was the Yankees’ first hit of the ballgame. It’s also their only hit, as Joe Kelly bounced back following the inning-opening shot.
Chase Headley, Francisco Cervelli and Jacoby Ellsbury all grounded out in the third inning.
Mid 3rd, Red Sox 6-0: The Yankees needed a good effort from Shane Greene. Instead, he provided a stinker.
Greene received the hook with two outs in the third inning after getting knocked around by the Red Sox. He was charged with six runs on six hits and three walks in his worst outing of the year.
Daniel Nava and Xander Bogaerts opened the game wide open in the third. Nava crushed a three-run homer, and Bogaerts added a solo shot.
Nava jumped on a fastball on the inside corner after Yoenis Cespedes singled and Mike Napoli walked. It was Nava’s third homer of 2014.
Bogaerts’ home run — his ninth of the season — traveled over the fence in right-center field. It looked off the bat like Jacoby Ellsbury would flag it down, but the ball just kept carrying.
Esmil Rogers took the mound for the Yankees after Greene was yanked.
End 2nd, Red Sox 2-0: Joe Kelly already has four strikeouts.
Kelly struck out Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran in the second inning. Teixeira swung through a 97 mph fastball, and Beltran looked at a 86 mph changeup that caught the bottom of the zone.
Brian McCann lined out to Yoenis Cespedes in left field to end the inning.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 2-0: Xander Bogaerts led off the second inning with a single into left field.
The Red Sox’s offense stalled from there. Shane Greene retired David Ross, Brock Holt and Mookie Betts consecutively following Bogaerts’ leadoff knock.
Ross struck out looking on a 2-2 slider that caught the bottom of the strike zone.
Holt and Betts lined out to right field and center field, respectively.
End 1st, Red Sox 2-0: Joe Kelly struck out two in the first inning.
Kelly struck out Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner. The two K’s sandwiched Derek Jeter’s lazy grounder to second base.
Ellsbury foul tipped a 93 mph fastball into David Ross’ mitt. Gardner went down staring at a 95 mph heater.
Mid 1st, Red Sox 2-0: Yoenis Cespedes: run producer.
Cespedes knocked in another run in the first inning. He’s driven in 21 percent of Boston’s runs scored (24 of 112) since his Red Sox debut Aug. 2.
Cespedes plated Mookie Betts with a double off the base of the left field wall. Betts, who entered on the heels of back-to-back multihit games, reached with a one-out single through the left side.
Betts took second base when David Ortiz walked on four pitches. Cespedes fell behind 0-2, fouled off three straight pitches and laid off a slider before hammering Shane Greene’s seventh pitch over Brett Gardner’s head.
Mike Napoli flicked a fly ball to center field for the second out. The Red Sox obviously know the scouting report on Jacoby Ellsbury and thus tested the center fielder’s arm. Ortiz tagged up from third base and scored Boston’s second run.
Daniel Nava was grazed in the calf with two down, setting up runners at first and second for Will Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks struck out looking on a 3-2 slider on the inside corner.
7:08 p.m.: The Red Sox and Yankees have gotten things underway in the Bronx.
6:59 p.m.: The Red Sox recalled pitcher Anthony Ranaudo and catcher Dan Butler before Tuesday’s game.
Ranaudo is scheduled to start Wednesday’s game against the Yankees.
6:12 p.m.: Brock Holt will return to the leadoff spot Tuesday.
Holt batted second in Monday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mookie Betts, who has been playing very well since his most recent recall, led off against lefty Drew Smyly.
Holt will play second base again in Dustin Pedroia’s absence. The outfield will consist of Betts in center field, Yoenis Cespedes in left field and Daniel Nava in right field.
Tuesday’s complete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (60-77)
Brock Holt, 2B
Mookie Betts, CF
David Ortiz, DH
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
David Ross, C
Joe Kelly, RHP (0-1, 3.86 ERA)
New York Yankees (70-65)
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Derek Jeter, SS
Brett Gardner, LF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Carlos Beltran, RF
Brian McCann, DH
Martin Prado, 2B
Chase Headley, 3B
Francisco Cervelli, C
Shane Greene, RHP (4-1, 3.09 ERA)
5:45 p.m. ET: Joe Kelly will be introduced to the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees rivalry Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
Sure, the rivalry might have lost a little zip in recent years, especially with the Red Sox developing such a heated relationship with the Tampa Bay Rays. But there’s obviously potential for drama whenever the teams hook up, and Kelly will make his first start against the Bronx Bombers in a Red Sox uniform in Tuesday’s series opener.
Kelly still is searching for his first win with the Red Sox. The right-hander has pitched very well with the exception of a seven-run effort Aug. 17 in Houston, but a victory has been elusive, largely because of a lack of run support. Kelly essentially has become the new Jake Peavy.
Kelly allowed two earned runs on three hits over six innings last Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. He wanted to remain in the game longer, but Red Sox manager John Farrell played it safe with Kelly having been removed from his previous start for precautionary reasons following a tweak in his throwing shoulder.
The Red Sox also are playing it safe with second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia still is experiencing concussion-like symptoms after being elbowed in the head on a play at second base Saturday. It’s unlikely he’ll play during Boston’s three-game series in the Bronx.
Tuesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Tune in on NESN and keep it right here with NESN.com’s live blog.
