El Bronx, NY. The Boston Red Sox came to the Bronx having won its last 11 games and 16 of last 19. With a 12th consecutive win in the first game of their last 3-game series at the stadium, they would clinch the Easter Division Title of the American League. Yankees delay this goal by winning 6-4.
9/11: Bad Omen for the Yankees?
Since that date, the Yankees in their last 15 games managed a 4-11 won-lost record. Then only 3 games back in the division, they sunk to 12 games back in this bad stretch. They are eliminated from the division race. They trail Baltimore by 5 games for the second AL Wild Card and losing 2 games will totally eliminate them from the postseason.
After having gone hitless in his last 3 consecutive games, Gary Sanchez returned to form by belting the first pitch from left-hander BoSox starter David Price over the left-center field fence for his 20th homerun of the season. It is his 51st game and ties him with Wally Berger as the fastest players in baseball history to hit 20 home runs. This also advances his chance to become Rookie of the Year.
The Yankees starting pitcher Luis Cessa is a 24-year-old right-hander who becomes the 4th Mexican-born to pitch for the Yankees -- something either Donald Trump does not know, or would deny.
On the top of the sixth Boston scored its first run on an infield hit, the runner reaching second on an errant throw to first by Luis Cessa covering the ball. The runner scored on Dustin Pedroia grounder-single up the middle. The next batter, Short Stop Xander Bogarts, doubled putting runners on second and third for David Ortiz, hitless in two previous at-bats. Fans who acknowledged his impending retirement --- gave cheers, while others their resounding boos. The mighty Ortiz gave the fans something to cheer about as he struck out.
All bets would then have been on Mookie Betts, the Boston cleanup hitter with a 12-game hitting streak behind him. He hit a hard grounder to second allowing for the Red Sox second run of the inning to score from third. Hanley Ramirez the next batter struck out and Cessa got of further trouble.
The Yankees got the run back on Didi Gregorius 20th home run of the season.
Seventh inning: Boston ties game then Yankees pull ahead.
Luis Cessa (6Inn, 5H, 1BB, 2K was replaced by LHP Tommy Lane who surrendered a home run to pinch-hitter Aaron Hill, the first batter he faced on the top of the seventh. With a runner on second and two outs, pesky Dustin Pedroia singled to right tying the game at 4-4. Luis Cessa would not win this game. Would that Presidential contender rejoice?
RHP Blake Parker replaced Lane, gave up a hit to Xander Bogarts and then faced David Ortiz. He grounded out for the final out. But in the bottom of the seventh, after Austin Romine singles, Tyler Austin hit his fourth home run of the season to return the lead to the Yankees. David Price who started the bottom of the 7th in hopes to reach his 18th victory of the season is removed from the game with one out in the inning. Price's line: 6.1 Innings, 12 Hits, 6 runs, 1 walk and only 2 strikeouts.
Who closes?
With Dellin Betances going through some woes and perhaps some overuse, the top of the ninth was given to Tyler Clippard to face the bottom of the Boston lineup, but with Boston's potent lineup, this was not a cakewalk, but maybe a little in Yankee Stadium. Clippard struck out the first batter then allowed a double and a walk to the next batters allowing David Ortiz to try once again hurt the Yankees. The third such opportunity in the game. But with two strikes, two outs, the Mighty Ortiz...the count reached 3 balls and 2 strikes ...The Mighty Ortiz struck out.
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