David Price had considerable trouble against the New York Yankees in his first season with the Boston Red Sox, and those struggles continued Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
Price was lit up for six runs on eight hits over just five innings of work in the Red Sox’s 9-1 loss to the Yankees. The left-hander had difficulty finding the strike zone, as he allowed four walks.
New York, on the other hand, received a fine performance from its starting pitcher. Michael Pineda hurled seven strong innings, only allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out seven.
With the loss, the Red Sox fall to 32-27, while the Yankees improve to 34-23.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Quiet.
The Red Sox’s bats struggled mightily Thursday night, only scoring the one run on four total hits. After a five-run performance in Tuesday’s victory, Boston only scored one run in the next two games combined.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Gary Sanchez belted his second home run of the game off Price, a two-run bomb that extended the Yankees’ lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning. Pineda stymied the Red Sox through seven innings, and Adam Warren, Giovanny Gallegos and Dellin Betances combined to toss two scoreless innings to lock down New York’s victory.
ON THE BUMP
— Price managed to escape a shaky first inning, but he couldn’t do so in the second frame. After walking Sanchez and allowing a single to Didi Gregorius, the left-hander surrendered the first run of the game thanks to an RBIÂ single from Brett Gardner.
And it got even uglier for Price in the third inning. After Aaron Judge singled and Matt Holliday walked, Sanchez belted a three-run blast to increase New York’s lead to 4-0. Price tossed a clean fourth inning, but lightning struck again in the fifth. Sanchez tagged the Red Sox starter with a two-run blast to push the Yankees’ advantage to 6-1.
Price finished the fifth inning, but after a poor outing and rising pitch count, Red Sox manager John Farrell decided to tap into his bullpen.
— Fernando Abad entered in the sixth, and he quickly got the first two outs in the inning. But after a Judge single and Holliday walk, Starlin Castro plated the Yankees’ seventh run with an RBIÂ single.
— Brandon Workman entered with two outs in the sixth and got Sanchez to pop out to end in the inning. After staying on and pitching a perfect seventh inning, things got ugly for Workman in the eighth. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits, including a Gardner solo blast.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox’s only run of the game came in the fourth inning when Xander Bogaerts scooted home from third base on a passed ball.
— Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Mitch Moreland and Hanley Ramirez all had singles.
— Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., Josh Rutledge, Pablo Sandoval and Christian Vazquez all went hitless.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Sanchez appears to have Price’s number.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox return home after a 10-game road trip to take on the Detroit Tigers on Friday night. Brian Johnson is scheduled to get the ball for Boston and will be countered by Detroit’s Jordan Zimmermann. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports Images
