Red Sox Notes: Dalier Hinojosa’s Big League Debut Proves Very Eventful

BOSTON — The Red Sox were overmatched this weekend.

The Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox with an 8-5 win Sunday night at Fenway Park. New York controlled Boston for much of the series, which dropped the Sox’s record to below .500 (12-13) for the first time this season.

The Red Sox are 6-10 during their current 22-game stretch against American League East opponents. Perhaps Boston will turn things around starting Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Yankees were impressive in the teams’ weekend set, improving their overall record to 15-9.

Sunday’s series finale featured plenty of action, including a couple of hit batters that prompted home plate umpire Jeff Nelson to issue warnings in the eighth inning. Let’s dive in.

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— The Red Sox did all of their damage in the sixth inning, scoring five runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batter. Seven consecutive batters reached base with two outs in the inning.

— Mike Napoli showed signs of breaking out of his season-long slump by launching a three-run homer.

The blast, which landed in the Monster seats, was Napoli’s 12th against the Yankees since joining the Red Sox, tying him with Rays third baseman Evan Longoria for the most against New York since the beginning of 2013.

— Rick Porcello now is the only Red Sox starting pitcher to last at least five innings in each of his starts, as Joe Kelly was removed Sunday after 4 2/3 lackluster frames.

“I didn’t pitch good at all and never really gave this team a chance to win,” said Kelly, who allowed five runs on nine hits. “It’s something the irritates me a little bit, and it’s something that I’m going to go out there and work on.

“If it’s me going out there in my next start and throwing 10 offspeed pitches in a row, I’m going to do it. I live and die with my fastball, but it’s something that I’m not commanding right now, so I’ve got to realize that and start throwing some offspeed pitches over the plate early.”

— Yankees starter Adam Warren drilled Hanley Ramirez in the sixth inning, drawing an angry response from the slugger. Edward Mujica then plunked Jacoby Ellsbury in the eighth, prompting the warnings.

The Yankees’ side of the fence was a bit skeptical after the game, with Ellsbury taking some shots at the Red Sox and manager Joe Girardi calling Mujica’s pitch “fishy.”

The Red Sox, meanwhile, downplayed the tense moments.

“If you go back to each at-bat with Hanley, they were pounding fastballs in on him all night long. One gets away from him in the final at-bat from Warren,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “I don’t know that there was anything intentional about it, but Jeff Nelson felt like it was a situation to give a warning after we tried to run some balls in on Jacoby.”

David Ortiz also said he didn’t think Warren hit Ramirez on purpose. Ortiz can sympathize with Ramirez’s frustration, though.

“Bro, it was 95 (mph) in the ribs,” Ortiz said. “It hurts.”

Ramirez left the Red Sox’s clubhouse after the game without speaking to reporters.

— Dalier Hinojosa had an eventful major league debut for Boston.

Hinojosa, who was promoted Friday from Triple-A Pawtucket, entered in the eighth inning with runners at the corners and one out. The Cuban right-hander opened his career by striking out Alex Rodriguez, issuing a walk to Mark Teixeira and then retiring Brian McCann via a flyout to escape the jam.

“We’ve come to know him to not fear any situation,” Farrell said. “A little bit of a jam to walk him into his major league debut, but I thought he threw a number of quality fastballs.”

Hinojosa, who received a $4 million signing bonus from Boston in October 2013, walked two and hit a batter in the ninth inning. The 29-year-old posted another zero, though, despite throwing just 19 of his 40 pitches for strikes.

“Obviously, the control wasn’t where you’d ideally want it to be for some at-bats,” Hinojosa said through a translator. “But the most important thing is that we were able to get out of the inning both times. That’s the most important thing.

“It will be a learning experience for next time when you try to balance emotions and all that.”

Hinojosa’s big league stint might be short-lived. He packed his bags after the game, meaning he could be optioned back to Pawtucket on Monday if/when the Red Sox add newly acquired infielder Luis Jimenez to the active roster.

— Shane Victorino (hamstring) probably won’t begin his rehab assignment until later in the week, according to Farrell.

Victorino could play Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Double-A Portland before rejoining the major league club Monday, May 11, in Oakland.

Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@CSNNE