Bostons JD Martinez warms up in the outfield in between innings during a game back in May at Fenway Park. Martinez provided all the Sox offense in a Friday night loss to the Yankees. Photo courtesy of Delaney Gardner
In what turned out to be a surpisingly short Red Sox-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium on Friday night, the host New Yorkers got the best of Boston as all the offense took place in the first inning in a 4-2 win sending the Sox to their fifth consecutive loss for the first time this season.
New York starting pitcher James Paxton, who gave up four homers in four innings last week at Fenway Park in a loss, looked like he may be in trouble again on Friday night. Paxton started well striking out both Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers to start the game, but then walked Xander Bogaerts with two outs. JD Martinez then hit an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence down the line. The homer was the 24th for Martinez and the two run shot made it 2-0. Paxton has allowed 11 first inning homeruns in 19 starts this season. Eduardo Rodriguez though on the hill for Boston immediately got into trouble in the bottom half of the inning. DJ LeMahieu singled, and then both Aaron Judge and Edwin Encarnacion walked. After a foul pop out by Aaron Hicks, the next batter Gleybur Torres hammered the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for a grand slam that turned out to be the game winning hit.
Both teams went the rest of the game with just two hits a piece. Boston (59-52) had a final threat in the fourth inning. Martinez walked with one out, and then Andrew Benintendi singled. The Sox couldn’t do anything though to cut into the lead as Sam Travis flied out, and Michael Chavis grounded out to end the threat.
Martinez, Benintendi, and Christian Vazquez had the Sox hits in the game. Rodriguez (13-5) allowed four runs on five hits, with six walks and eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings. After a promising 5-2 week last week against Tampa Bay and New York, Boston is now 0-4 this week in the same stretch against the two teams. LeMahieu had two of the five New York hits. Paxton (6-6) allowed just two runs on two hits, with three walks and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Aroldis Chapman earned his 28th save by retiring the Red Sox in order in the ninth. The teams who quite frequently play four hour plus games, only went two hours and 41 minutes in the Bronx where the hosts go to 69-39 overall and 40-18 at home.
A day night doubleheader will be played Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Boston sends Chris Sale and Brian Johnson to the hill, while New York counters with Domingo German in the 1 p.m. contest against Sale, while the evening starter is to be announced.
