The Boston Red Sox are continuing their slump as the New York Yankees pull together their best baseball of the season.
As a result, the Red Sox have allowed the Yankees to pull ahead in the American League East for the first time all season thanks to a three-game sweep in New York that was capped off by a 5-2 loss Wednesday.
"They pitched better than us, they hit better than us and they played better defense than us. It's that simple," Alex Cora said after the loss via Zoom.
"I tell you that, it's very quiet in the clubhouse, and understandably so. It's a different feeling than early in the season when we came here and we did what we did. All that stuff is in the past, you know? It's part of the season, we still put ourselves in a position that we control what we can do the rest of the season and then playing in October, but obviously, we have to be better and they know it."
The Yankees have taken 16 of their last 20 games to creep up in the division while the Red Sox have been on a much different trajectory. Boston now is six games back from the first place Tampa Bay Rays and, out of playoff contention if the season ended Wednesday.
Since the trade deadline, the Red Sox have dropped nine of 13 games since. Naturally, newly acquired first baseman Anthony Rizzo made two plays late to win the game for New York.
Despite the loss, and having made no blockbuster deals, the Red Sox know what they're capable of.
"We're pretty pissed at ourselves," Hunter Renfroe admitted postgame. "We wanted to come out here, we want to win the series. I think that's kind of sums up the whole. I don't know how long it's been, but a few weeks of not playing up to our potential. And I think that's kind of why everybody's frustrated themselves and kind of beating themselves up about it."
Boston's starting pitcher echoed that sentiment, but wasn't willing to give New York much of anything.
"I firmly believe in not giving people too much credit," Nick Pivetta said after recording the loss on the mound. "You're going up and competing against them at all times and so, yes, they have a good lineup. Yes, they're a good team. But we're better and we're gonna move forward from this, you know?"
Here are more notes from the game:
-- Pivetta's start was a bit uncharacteristic, facing the Yankees for the first time all season. The righty allowed four earned runs off as many hits with three walks and one strikeout. The second inning was especially brutal, throwing 38 pitches to record just two outs.
"The Yankees had a good plan against me," Pivetta was willing to concede. "I think it was just the walks and misses on some pitch execution that hurt me."
-- Both of the pitchers relegated from the rotation to the bullpen threw well in relief.
Garrett Richards took over for Pivetta and went four innings, starting with the final out of the second. He walked one, but struck out five in one of the only silver linings of the game. MartÃn Pérez took over for the final out of the fifth, gave up a hit but stuck out the final batter to get out of the frame. Pérez threw seven of 11 pitches for strikes.
Fortunately both are in mid-season form for days like Wednesday when Boston needs some extended relief.
-- Speaking of bullpen arms, Ryan Brasier apparently is "getting close" to joining the team. After an undoubtedly challenging last few months, the righty pitched Wednesday for Triple-A Worcester and will throw again Thursday.
Pitching in back-to-back days is a first for Brasier in his rehab assignment, but an important step in making his season debut. Wednesday for the WooSox, his one inning saw him give up a leadoff walk and a subsequent home run.
-- Time to turn a new page. The Red Sox have the day off Thursday, and upon getting back to Boston, will host a three-game series against the Texas Rangers.
