The Yankees jumped all over Nick Pivetta. It did not matter
The Boston Red Sox have lost each of their first eight series this season against opponents in the American League East. In the ninth, of a four-game series against the first-ranked Yankees, they opened with back-to-back losses and were two runs behind in the tenth inning of Game 3.
That’s when things changed.
A night after winning in extra innings, Boston scored nine unanswered runs on Sunday to recover from a four-run deficit and beat New York 11-6. The division improved the Red Sox to 0-8-1 in streaks against AL East teams, which isn’t great, but it’s a boost when they go into the All-Star break with streaks against the Rays and the Yankees.
Jeter Downs’ base-loaded blooper on Aroldis Chapman fell off DJ LeMahieu’s glove to break a tie in the sixth inning, and the Red Sox bounced back from a 6-2 deficit to win Sunday night. Boston scored one in the third, three in the fifth to equalize, one in the sixth to take the lead and four safe runs in the seventh.
It was the second straight comeback for Downs, a 23-year-old rookie named after former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who was scheduled to start at Triple-A on Saturday but was scrapped so he could go to Fenway Park .
J.D. Martinez homed from two runs to go 6-6 in the fifth, and Franchy Cordero and Christian Vazquez also homed.
Giancarlo Stanton and Matt Carpenter scored for the Yankees, who scored two runs in each of the first three innings against Boston starter Nick Pivetta to open a 6-2 lead.
Vazquez hit a solo home run in the final third and a run with a double in the fifth; Martinez hit the next pitch to right midfield to level the score 6-6. Chapman (0-3), who returned from the IL earlier this month, loaded the bases in the sixth with a single and two walks.
Downs Pinch hit Jarren Duran and blooped one into midfield. LeMahieu rallied from second base and Aaron Hicks came up from center, but the ball bounced off LeMahieu’s glove and fell inside.
Trevor Story scored from third place to make it 7-6, but Rob Refsnyder, who held first, was eliminated in second.
Boston added four more in the seventh inning, charging bases with a miss, a walk and a single before Story hit a high double from the Green Monster into left center field to clear the bases. Substituting for Miguel Castro, Albert Abreu missed a throw on a Cordero bunt, allowing Story to score from second place and make it 10-6.
Chapman was penalized for one run and one hit and two walks, hitting two in one inning. Hirokazu Sawamura (1-1) hit two in two innings for Boston, who are second in the AL East but are 14 games behind the Yankees.
UP NEXT:
Yankees: After taking Monday off, host Cincinnati for the start of a three-game series Tuesday. Cole (8-2) will face Reds RHP Graham Ashcraft (4-2).
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