The Yankees lost their series opener to the Red Sox, 5-3.
Here are the takeaways
1. Domingo German ran into immediate trouble, allowing four hits in the first inning, including a two-run double to Xander Bogaerts, and another RBI double to Hunter Renfroe. Just like that, the Yankees trailed 3-0 through one. Renfroe added a sac fly on the fourth inning – the run was technically unearned, although it was a German error that advanced the runner originally. In all, German allowed four runs – three earned – on five hits while walking one and striking out three in just four innings. After posting a 2.36 ERA (14 earned runs/53.2 innings) in his previous nine starts, he has allowed 14 earned runs in 12.1 innings (10.22 ERA) in his last three.
2. The Yankees came back rather quickly, though. Clint Frazier drew a bases loaded walk to put the Yankees on the board. DJ LeMahieu followed with a game-tying, two-run single. LeMahieu now has an eight-game hitting streak with as many RBI in that span.
The Yankees had a chance to tack on some more runs with runners on first and second in the third, but Gleyber Torres continued his brutal slump with a 5-4-3 double play. With his 0-for-4 night, Torres is now 2 for his last 39 (.051).
3. Gio Urshela was thrown out at the plate for the first out of the fourth inning after a Miguel Andujar single (one of his three hits). It was the closest they’d get to plating a run until the ninth (more on that below).
4. The Yankees bullpen reverted back to their normal ways after recent struggles, as Lucas Luetge and Jonathan Loaisiga combined for three innings of shutout relief. After Zack Britton left the game with an injury in the ninth, Luis Cessa allowed an RBI single to Christian Vazquez to make it 5-3 Boston, an insurance run that proved to be costly.
But Loaisiga made history, striking out four batters in one inning, becoming the third Yankee to do so (AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes).
5. In the top of the ninth, though, the Yankees did have the lead run at the plate after back-to-back singles by Urshela and Andujar (who were pinch-ran for by Brett Gardner and Tyler Wade, respectively) to lead off the inning off Matt Barnes. Frazier struck out, and LeMahieu grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
What’s next?
Lefty Jordan Montgomery will face former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday at Fenway Park.