*Photo from WCVB*
The Boston Red Sox came into the night having an 8-2 record against the hated New York Yankees this season, but they wanted it to be 9-2. So, they commenced the offense. Rafael Devers homered twice, the bullpen held strong, and the Red Sox rallied past the Yankees 6-2 on Friday night.
However, for Boston, the night started out concerning. After cruising through the first inning, starter Eduardo Rodriguez got into a little trouble in the second inning, and after giving up an RBI double to Brett Gardner, appeared in discomfort and motioned for the training staff. After a short amount of time, he was taken out of the game with migraine symptoms.
After that, it was up to the bullpen to get things done. Phillips Valdez was first, and he had the best pitching performance all night, working out of a bases loaded jam in the second, and then proceeding to throw two more brilliant innings after that, striking out 7 hitters. It was Yacksel Rios who got the win, pitching two shutout innings after Valdez left. Garrett Whitlock, Darwinzon Hernandez, and Brandon Workman also pitched.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said "It was a team effort from top to bottom. We didn’t win the game early on, but we were winning innings. Valdy was amazing. He came in throwing 95 mph sinkers and obviously he has a good changeup."
The Red Sox offense then got going in the 5th inning. It started with a Xander Bogaerts sac fly to tie the game 1-1. Then, Devers connected on a pitch and sent it on top of the green monster for a two run homer, giving Boston a 3-1 lead after 5 innings. In the 7th, he hit a 3 run homer to straight away center field, opening up the game, to the tune of a 6-1 score.
Devers said "Yeah, we’re out there being aggressive and giving good quality at-bats. We have a lot of guys that have been taking bases on balls and also stealing bases and just getting on. Just doing everything that needs to be done, all the little things, all the fundamental things that we learn to be able to continue to have the success that we’re having."
The Yankees got the scoring started in the second inning, with a Gardner RBI double off Rodriguez to score Gary Sanchez and give the Yankees a 1-0 lead to start things off. They did not score again until the 9th, when Rougned Odor hit an RBI double down the left field line that cut the Boston lead to 6-2, which was all they could get.
Gerrit Cole got hit with the loss for the Yankees, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and two walks, striking out 8 hitters, but only lasting 5 innings due to a high pitch count. Nestor Cortes then allowed 3 runs in two innings of relief work, and Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Cole said "I felt I had enough to get through it. I finished making all the pitches I wanted to make. It's kind of hard for me to sit here and beat myself up about those kind of things because I just felt like we made really good pitches all night. Ultimately, those pitches need to be better."
Boston and New York continue their series this afternoon, with Jameson Taillon starting for the Yankees, and Nathan Eovaldi toeing the rubber for Boston.
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