BOSTON — Rick Porcello spun another gem for the Boston Red Sox, but he couldn’t get the W in the club’s 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees.
The right-hander earned a career-high 13 strikeouts and was pitching at the top of his game, but one error in the fifth inning gave the Yankees a lead and ultimately put a damper on Porcello’s work.
Let’s go over how it all happened.
GAME IN A WORD
Battle.
While Rick Porcello was pitching a terrific game for the Red Sox, Michael Pineda wasn’t too shabby for the other side. The Red Sox managed to get just four hits off the Yankees starter, and it was apparent early in the game that it’d be a close one.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Travis Shaw allowed Didi Gregorius to reach second base on an error, putting Alex Rodriguez on third.
The two Yankees scored when Stephen Drew doubled in the next at-bat, and the Red Sox couldn’t produce any offense after that, spoiling an otherwise great start for Porcello.
ON THE BUMP
— Porcello once again was the guy the Red Sox paid for. The 26-year-old righty dazzled the Fenway crowd by fanning 13 Yankees batters for a new career high in strikeouts. He took down every Yankee in the lineup save for Didi Gregorius, and finished the night with five hits, three runs (one earned), 13 strikeouts and just one walk over eight innings.
The start was marred only by a solo shot to Brett Gardner in the eighth and Shaw’s error in the fifth.
— Tommy Layne came in for one batter in the ninth inning and got Brian McCann to ground out to second baseman Brock Holt.
— Noe Ramirez came in for Layne after being called up Tuesday, and he immediately struck out Alex Rodriguez and Chase Headley.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but Jackie Bradley Jr. was on fire again. The outfielder hit two long doubles in his first two at-bats, and scored in the third inning on a Pablo Sandoval single.
— Xander Bogaerts continued to produce for Boston, going 2-for-4 with two singles.
— David Ortiz added home run No. 495 on Monday, but Tuesday wasn’t the slugger’s night. Big Papi went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts and two men left on base.
Travis Shaw and Rusney Castillo also went hitless.
TWEET OF THE GAME
It might be too late, but things have turned around for the Red Sox since August.
[tweet https://twitter.com/IanMBrowne/status/638864875876429825 align=’center’]
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will finish out their series with the Yankees in a 4:05 p.m. showdown Wednesday. Young left-hander Henry Owens will face New York ace Masahiro Tanaka.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
