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The Yankees couldn’t find enough offense in support of Gerrit Cole as they dropped their series opener to the rival Boston Red Sox, 3-2, on Friday night in the Bronx.
Take away food
– Cole lost his spotless record on Friday, but he pitched very well as tonight’s attack was not over.
He scattered runners on his start and used the ground ball to get double plays and stay out of big innings. Cole gave up only one run in the fourth and another – coming off a solo shot – in the sixth to keep the Yankees in it.
The Yanks ace grinded through six innings (101 pitches/68 strikes), giving up seven hits, walking one, two runs and striking out six.
– Administrator Aaron Boonen changed his lineup for the first game of this series. Gleyber Torres sat on the sofa and wrestled DJ Le Mahieu started and played second. It seemed to work, as LeMahieu smoked a single to open the home half of the first. He was in a 9-for-62 slump going into Friday. He picked up another single in his second at bat to go 2-for-4.
The Yankees struggled to get that timely hit against starter Garrett Whitlock in this. They had a chance in the first with men on the corners and two outs then Jack Bauers grounded.
In the third, Anthony Rizzo came in second with a man and lined out to end the inning. Rizzo finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout and is now 1-for-28 since returning to the lineup after missing the Seattle series. He had a little bit of bad luck in some of those at-bats hitting them hard, but right on Red Sox fielders.
– Rafael Devers, going 7-for-30 with six home runs and 15 RBI against Cole, gave all he could on Friday. He doubled and scored a run in the fourth, then took the first pitch of his third at bat in the sixth inning deep. The homer went 125 yards into the visitor’s bullpen in left field. He now has a career-high seven home runs against Cole. He finished 2-for-4.
– Josh Donaldson crushed a 1-0 solo shot to center to open the sixth inning and cut the Red Sox deficit to 2-1. It was Donaldson’s fifth home run of the season and fourth since returning from the IL last weekend. The third baseman had six basehits this season, including five homeruns. He finished 1-for-4.
-The bullpen couldn’t keep the score at a one point game for long. Albert Abreu came in to start the seventh and gave up a one-out solo shot to Enrique Hernandez that launched into the left field box to give the Red Sox a 3–1 lead. After giving up a single to Alex Verdugo, Nick Ramirez came relieved. After getting off, Justin Turner singled, but Ramirez got Devers to ground out to end the threat. Jimmy Cordero came in and kept the Red Sox off to give the Yanks a chance in the bottom of the ninth.
This is how the bullpen broke on Friday.
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Abreu: 0.2 IP, two hits, one run, one strikeout
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Ramirez: 1.0 IP, one hit, one walk, one strikeout
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Cordero: 1.2 IP, zero hits, zero walks and two strikeouts
– In the seventh inning, with Nick Pivetta now pitching for the Red Sox, Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit an infield single. That was followed by Billy McKinney who narrowly missed a double down the right field line. He would swing out and bring out a pinching Torres. IKF, after being caught stealing in the second, swipes second and moves to third on the catcher’s throwing error. He then scored on a wild pitch by Pivetta to cut the Red Sox lead to 3–2.
Yankees, still down 3-2, came on in the ninth inning to close in on the Red Sox Kelly Jansen. Bauers swinging struckout on three pitches. IKF flied out to right before McKinney singled to keep the Yanks’ hopes alive for Torres. The infielder hit a single through the middle to bring the tying run to second base.
Volpe got up and mounted a charge in a 3-2 count that fell just on the foul post in left field. The rookie would fly to shortstop to end the game, with the Red Sox winning 3-2.
Highlights
What’s next
The Yankees continued their three-game streak Saturday with the Red Sox at The Stadium. The first throw is scheduled for 7:35 p.m.
Dumb German will take the mound for the Yankees as he takes on RHP Taylor Hoeck.
