The Boston Red Sox had a golden opportunity to complete a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees. Unfortunately for Boston, Chris Sale struggled again and the Yankees salvaged the series with a 9-6 win at Fenway Park.
Boston outhit the Yankees, but Sale’s latest dud and defensive miscues cost the Sox a chance to complete the sweep.
The Red Sox fall to 59-48 with the loss, while the Yankees jump to 67-38.
Here’s how it went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Sloppy.
Errors and misplays cost the Red Sox on Sunday night.
ON THE BUMP
— Sale retired the first six batters he faced in order but ran into some trouble in the third and fourth. After walking Cameron Maybin, Austin Romine smoked a two-run homer to left-center field, putting the Yankees ahead 2-0. The Bronx Bombers would strike again in the next inning with another two-run bomb, this time off the bat of Didi Gregorius.
The lefty ran into a bit of a jam in the fifth but stranded a pair by striking out Luke Voit to end the inning.
Sale returned for the sixth and opened the frame with a four-pitch walk to Gregorius. An RBI double from Gio Urshela on Sale’s 100th pitch of the night ended the southpaw’s evening. All three of Sale’s walks came around to score on Sunday, as he allowed six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
— Colten Brewer replaced the left-hander and immediately gave up an RBI single to Maybin, making it 6-2 Yankees. Brewer then picked off Maybin at first and retired Romine to end the inning.
— Darwinzon Hernandez came in for the seventh and walked Aaron Hicks to lead off the inning. After striking out Aaron Judge, he’d surrender a double to Edwin Encarnacion, putting two runners in scoring position. Boston intentionally walked Voit to load the bases. Gregorius flew out to Jackie Bradley Jr. in center, who then threw the ball away attempting to catch Voit inching off first. Both Hicks and Encarnacion came home on the error.
— Marcus Walden was next out of the bullpen for Boston. The righty gave up a long one-out double to Maybin, who eventually came around to score on a wild pitch, making it 9-4 Yankees.
— Heath Hembree pitched the ninth inning for the Red Sox, retiring the side in order.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Andrew Benintendi put Boston on the board in the fourth, smoking a two-run shot to right, cutting the Yankees’ lead in half.
— After Rafael Devers led off the sixth inning with a walk, Xander Bogaerts would drive a double off the Green Monster to put runners on second and third with nobody out. J.D. Martinez grounded out in the next at-bat to drive in Devers, making it 6-3 Yankees.
— The Red Sox would cut into the Yankees’ lead once again an inning later. Back-to-back singles from Christian Vazquez and Bradley Jr. allowed Mookie Betts to drive in Boston’s fourth run with a sacrifice fly. Devers doubled to put runners on second and third, but New York would manage to escape the jam.
— Boston didn’t go quietly. After loading the bases but coming up empty in the eighth, the Red Sox plated two runs on a single from Benintendi in the ninth to make it 9-6.
— Bogaerts and Benintendi led the Red Sox with three hits apiece.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Boston hit well with runners in scoring position through the first three games of the series. Not on Sunday.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will get a well-deserved off-day on Monday before kicking off a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
