The Yankees’ bullpen blew another one in their 5-4 10-inning loss to the Red Sox on Thursday.
Here are the takeaways…
1. Up 3-1, Luis Cessa went to the mound to start the eighth, and retired the side on just five pitches. Chad Green came on for the save, and allowed back-to-back one out singles to Alex Verdugo and Bobby Dalbec. Kevin Plawecki flew out, but down to the last out, Hernandez drove in two to tie the game.
2. In the 10th, a groundout moved inherited runner Tyler Wade to third, and Brett Gardner‘s sac fly drove him in to give the Yanks a lead. Up one, the Yanks brought in Brooks Kriske for the save. He immediately threw a wild pitch to put the tying run at third, and then another that tied the game. He then walked Xander Bogaerts, and he advanced to second on – you guess it – another wild pitch. He then moved to third on – yep. Renfroe then drove Bogaerts in with a sac fly to end the game.
It’s the fourth time in their last 16 games where the Yankees lost a game in which they were leading in the ninth – three of those losses have come with at least a two-run lead in the final inning.
3. Jordan Montgomery was throwing one of his better games of 2021 before the rain started in the fifth, allowing just three baserunners in four scoreless innings. In the third, he escaped first-and-third, one-out and bases-loaded, two-out jams. The 55-minute rain delay knocked Houck out of the game, but Montgomery returned for the bottom of the fifth to his same effectiveness, retiring the next five batters he faced. But after allowing a single to Xander Bogaerts, he was pulled for Sal Romano – he allowed a single to J.D. Martinez, but got Hunter Renfroe to end the inning and finalize Montgomery’s line. The lefty finished with 5.2 innings of no-run, three-hit ball while walking one and striking out six.
4. With the game tied at one, DJ LeMahieu walked to lead off the eighth inning, and stole second against the slow-moving Adam Ottavino. Gardner walked to bring Stanton up with none out. The slugger dunked one into shallow left, driving in LeMahieu and giving the Yanks a 2-1. After a Rougned Odor sac bunt to move the runners to second and third, Torres hit a deep sac fly to make it a 3-1 game.
Highlights
What’s next
The Yankees face the Red Sox for the second of four games at Fenway Park at Fenway Park on Friday at 7:10 p.m.
Gerrit Cole gets the start for the Yanks and will face Boston’s Eduardo Rodriguez.