The Red Sox have to put their celebration on hold for at least one more night.
With the magic number down to two, Boston missed its chance to clinch the American League East on Tuesday, falling to the New York Yankees 3-2 in the series opener of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.
Nathan Eovaldi was stellar over six scoreless innings, but the combination of Brandon Workman and Ryan Brasier out of the bullpen surrendered three runs in the seventh to spoil the right-hander’s stellar start.
With the loss, the Red Sox fall to 103-48, while the Yankees climb to 92-58.
Here’s how it went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Dejecting.
Things appeared promising given the way Eovaldi pitched, but the response of the bullpen was a gut punch to the Red Sox.
ON THE BUMP
— Eovaldi was dialed in Tuesday night, tossing an absolute gem. The hard-throwing right-hander pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and as many walks with five strikeouts.
Eovaldi didn’t allow a runner past second until the sixth inning, finishing his night with three 1-2-3 innings. In that sixth frame, he gave up a leadoff double to Gleyber Torres, who later advanced to third. Eovaldi hit Didi Gregorius with a pitch with two outs, putting runners on the corners, but struck out Giancarlo Stanton to strand the runners and end his night on a high note.
— Workman took over in the seventh and lasted just three batters, walking Aaron Hicks, getting Miguel Andujar to ground out and walking Gary Sanchez.
— Brasier replaced Workman with runners on first and second and one out and gave up an absolute bomb to Neil Walker, turning Boston’s 1-0 advantage into a 3-1 deficit.
Brasier got the next two hitters out to end the inning.
— William Cuevas hit a batter and struck out two in a scoreless eighth.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox put their first run on the board in the third.
Ian Kinsler began the frame with a single, then advanced to second on a balk. Steve Pearce walked, and both runners advanced to scoring position on a passed ball from Sanchez. J.D. Martinez responded with a sacrifice fly, scoring Kinsler to make it 1-0.
— Boston made things interesting in the ninth, beginning with a Brock Holt one-out walk. Christian Vazquez hit a grounder to third, but the throw to second sailed into right field, allowing Holt to scamper to third and Vazquez to reach first safely. The next at-bat, pinch-hitter Sam Travis grounded back to pitcher Zach Britton, but his throw went wide as well, allowing Holt to score and make it 3-2.
Kinsler, however, followed by grounding into a game-ending double play.
— Kinsler, Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, Eduardo Nunez and Holt all had one hit.
— Steve Pearce, Brandon Phillips, Vazquez and Jackie Bradley Jr. went hitless, as did Andrew Benintendi in his pinch-hit at-bat.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Impressive.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Yankees will play the middle contest of their three-game set Wednesday night. David Price is set to get the ball for Boston and will be opposed by Luis Severino. First pitch from Yankee Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.
