NY has dropped four of five since Cespedes strained his right quadriceps on July 8.
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“I think everybody understood how important it was to win today, ” Tanaka said through a translator.
Down 1-0 after Dustin Pedroia snuck a homer over the left-field wall in the first, the Yankees used five hits, including Starlin Castro’s double, to get the runs across. Austin Romine’s line drive deflected off Pedroia’s glove and skidded into center field, bringing home Castro from second. He has thrown a total of 11.2 innings against them and has given up 15 base hits.
“We had to bounce back, ” Gregorius said. They will have Monday off to prepare for the NL West leading Giants, who come into Fenway for an odd two-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
NY responded with excellent pitching and a handful of timely hits.
“It’s hard because you need that big bat in the middle”, Girardi said before the game. Price kept it to a two-run game by getting Carlos Beltran on a grounder to the left side. Well aware he could be an attractive trade target if the Yankees (45-46) decide to sell before the August 1 deadline, Beltran said the current 10-game homestand is important to “what the future holds for a lot of guys here”.
David Price was solid through the first three innings, but came unraveled in the fourth, allowing all three NY runs on five hits, which saddled the Boston ace with his seventh loss of the season.
Price (9-7) had only one strikeout following three consecutive outings with 10. They sit in fourth place in the American League East with first-place Baltimore coming into the Bronx for a four-game set. That was Ross’ final batter, as Red Sox manager John Farrell favored a righty-on-righty matchup with Heath Hembree. He was 1-2 with a 5.33 ERA in eight games on four days rest, which is considered normal for big league pitchers.
“More rest means more time to sort of get the inflammation out of your body, ” Tanaka said. He threw just 87 pitches – but that was all the Yankees needed because their three big bullpen arms were all fresh and ready to go. “We have those three big guys down there for a reason, so I’m going to go to them”. A shutdown performance from Dellin Betances, then Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman.
With the Orioles and Giants (three games) remaining on a crucial homestand, the Yankees are 1-2 and likely need six more victories to avoid having their slim chances of playing in October vanish. Price leads the AL with 140 strikeouts, most by a Red Sox lefty before the All-Star break.
The Yankees have already shown that they can hit Price, so they should be able to help Tanaka pick up his seventh win of the year.
In two starts versus the Yankees this year, Price is 1-1 with a very high 9.26 ERA. The left-hander gave up six hits to left-handed hitters (in 11 at-bats), matching a career high.
Red Sox: RHP Junichi Tazawa (shoulder impingement) threw all his stuff in a 40-pitch bullpen session.
Mark Teixeira (left foot pain) didn’t play after fouling a ball off himself Saturday. X-rays were negative, and the slumping switch-hitter was sent for a CT scan Sunday. “He’s just sore, and he’ll probably be out a few days, ” Girardi said. Tanaka is 5-0 in six starts with Romine behind the plate.
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The Yankees’ three-run fourth inning put the game out of reach for Boston, who lead the season series, 6-3. He went 4.2 innings in that game and gave up seven runs (three earned) while walking two batters and striking out five. Nova hasn’t lasted six innings in any of his past five starts.
