Things are not getting better for the Boston Red Sox.
Boston now has lost seven straight games, falling 6-4 to the New York Yankees on Saturday evening in the nightcap of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
The Red Sox blew a pair of leads, one in the third inning and another in the fifth, before a disastrous seventh inning for Matt Barnes ultimately sunk the Red Sox.
The Red Sox fall to 59-54 with the loss, while the Yankees climb to 71-39 with the win.
Here’s how it went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Again.
Yep, another one.
ON THE BUMP
— Considering it had been north of a month since he last pitched in the big leagues and his season has been riddled with various injuries, Brian Johnson wasn’t awful. He served as the opener for the bullpen game, and tossed two good innings, and one bad one. He finished his three innings of work having allowed three runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
After tossing a scoreless first in which he gave up one hit, Johnson allowed runners to reach the corners with two down in the second. He escaped the jam by getting D.J. LeMahieu to line out to right.
Johnson was handed a two-run lead in the third, but he promptly squandered it in the bottom half of the frame. First, Gleyber Torres got things going with a one-out solo shot to left.
Aaron Hicks and Gio Urshela then hit back-to-back singles, and both runners came home on a Cameron Maybin double down the line in left field, putting the Yankees up 3-2.
They might have threatened more had Maybin remembered how many outs there were, but Boston executed an 8-6 double play when Andrew Benintendi caught a Mike Tauchman flyout. After making the catch, the center fielder fired the ball to second, doubling up Maybin, who had taken off for third (and home) under the impression there were two outs.
— Marcus Walden took over in the fourth, pitching a hitless, scoreless frame, walking one.
— Josh Taylor entered in the fifth and immediately eliminated Boston’s lead, surrendering a solo homer to Torres to start the inning.
Taylor returned for the sixth, and after getting the first two batters out, he allowed a single to LeMahieu and was lifted.
— Barnes replaced Taylor and stranded LeMahieu, getting Aaron Judge to ground out to short.
Barnes came back out for the seventh, and things didn’t go so well.
Torres began the inning with a double, and then Barnes loaded the bases following back-to-back walks. After getting Maybin to strike out, Barnes gave up a two-run single to Tauchman, putting the Yankees ahead 6-4.
Barnes walked Austin Romine to once again load the bases, prompting Alex Cora to come take him out.
— Colten Brewer, who also pitched in the matinee, inherited the Barnes-made mess and got out of it. Breyvic Valera grounded into a fielder’s choice, with Brock Holt getting Urshela out on a force at home. Brewer then got LeMahieu to fly out to center to end the inning and strand the three runners.
— Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless eighth, allowing one hit.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox got on the board first, and in a big way.
Marco Hernandez kicked off the third inning with a double down the line in right, then Rafael Devers clubbed a two-run, 433-foot homer to right-center to put Boston up 2-0.
It was Devers’ 22nd homer of the year, which is a career high.
— After Johnson squandered the Sox’s lead in the third, Boston showed great resolve and took it back in the fourth.
Sam Travis worked a leadoff walk, moving to third the next at-bat on a Christian Vazquez double to right. The next two batters were retired, but Mookie Betts brought both runners home with a two-out single to left, putting the Red Sox back up 4-3.
— Vazquez had three hits, the only Red Sox to post a multi-hit game.
— Betts, Devers, J.D. Martinez, Travis and Hernandez each had one hit.
— Xander Bogaerts, Benintendi, Michael Chavis and Holt all went hitless.
TWEET OF THE DAY
A little history for Bogaerts.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Yankees will finish up the four-game set Sunday evening. David Price is set to get the ball for Boston and will be opposed by J.A. Happ. First pitch from Yankee Stadium is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.
