On Sunday night, the classic rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees unfolded for the 19th time this season. As usual, both of these clubs came prepared to battle until the final out was recorded. Neither organization should be taken with a grain of salt, as the Red Sox are 3rd in the league with 808 runs scored, while the Yankees are 2nd in the league with 822 runs scored.
Masahiro Tanaka performed poorly against the Sox, battling through 4 innings and allowing 8 hits, 4 runs and struck out 2 batters on 80 pitches. It was clear as day that Tanaka and his splitter weren’t meeting eye to eye, which continues to lead to consistency issues. His 1.40 HR/9 rate remains the only crucial factor when considering the postseason, as he has now allowed at least 1 homer in 20 of his last 29 starts.
Chad Green, Adam Ottavino and Jonathan Loaisiga pitched from the top of the 5th till the bottom of the 9th. Green collected his 3rd win, improving his record to 3-4 and combined, Green, Ottvaino and Loaisiga gave up 1 hit, 1 run and struck out 7 batters on 59 pitches.
Gleyber Torres led off the charge in the top of the 2nd, obliterating a no doubt, 2-run homer over the Green Monster. This blast traveled at 398-feet with an exit velocity of 100.2 MPH, marking the 35th homer hit by Torres this season. Incredibly enough, Torres leads all 2nd baseman in the league, including phenomenal players such as Max Muncy, Ketel Marte and Jose Altuve.
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Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez tacked on 2 more runs in the top of the 3rd, extending their lead to 4-0. With runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs, Judge scorched a screaming rocket to left field, scoring Mike Tauchman. The baton was passed to the Sanchino, who cuffed a chopper in the infield just deep enough to score DJ LeMahieu.
Due to a 2-run blast off the bat of Jackie Bradley Jr, the Red Sox cut the deficit to 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Tauchman pushed the lead to 6-2 in the top of the 4th, hammering a 2-run shot to Pesky Pole and traveling 370-feet with an exit velocity 97.3 MPH. The Sox and their stubborn offense collected 2 more runs in the bottom of the 4th. Mitch Moreland and Sandy Leon both batted in an RBI, again cutting the deficit to 2 runs.
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In the top of the 5th, the Yanks recorded 2 runs for the 4th-straight inning. Judge, who batted in an RBI earlier in the game. clobbered a solo blast over the Green Monster, traveling 375-feet with an exit velocity of 99.1 MPH. Torres rounded off the inning with an infield RBI, reaching the 1st base bag just in time to eliminate the double play.
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The Sox tacked on 1 last run in the bottom of the 8th. Ottavino was responsible for giving up a booming solo blast off the bat of Mookie Betts, which traveled over the Green Monster. Oddly enough, the Yanks scored in pairs of two the entire game, including in the top of the 9th. Edwin Encarnacion and Torres both recorded an RBI, extending the Yanks lead over the Sox, 10-5.
In the bottom of the 9th, Loaisiga struck out back-to-back batters, granting the Yanks with their 94th win on the season. The Yanks possess a 94-50 (.653) record and are now tied with the Houston Astros for the best record in baseball. Tomorrow night, the Bronx Bombers have a golden opportunity to take the 4-game series in Fenway, leaving Boston in a tough situation to clinch a wild card position.