The Yankees suffered a 9-3 defeat to the Red Sox at Fenway Park, dropping two of three games over the weekend and reducing their AL East lead to 1.5 games. Aaron Judge hit a home run in the first inning, but the offense was otherwise quiet against Boston right-hander Kutter Crawford. The Red Sox stole a franchise-record nine bases on the night.
In the seventh inning, the game got away from the Yankees as the Red Sox extended their lead with a bases-loaded opportunity that was squandered by New York. The Red Sox bullpen shut down the Yankees hitters, while Boston’s offense continued to produce. Marcus Stroman struggled on the mound, allowing several runs and being unable to contain the Red Sox base runners.
The Yankees managed to score a few runs in the sixth inning, but the Red Sox continued to add to their lead in the eighth. New York’s bullpen also struggled to contain Boston’s offense. The Yankees’ hitters were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position, leaving four on base and going 0-for-4 in those situations.
Boston’s pitchers were the MVPs of the game, shutting down the Yankees’ offense apart from the one home run hit by Judge. The Yankees now have a day off before facing the Orioles in a crucial three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Nestor Cortes will pitch for the Yankees, while Albert Suarez will take the mound for the Orioles in the series opener. With the AL East lead starting to shrink, the Yankees will need to regroup and focus on their upcoming series against Baltimore.
