Yankees hammer Price again in win vs. Red Sox

NEW YORK — Gary Sanchez homered twice to drive in five runs and the New York Yankees pounded David Price again in a 9-1 victory Thursday, one night after the Boston Red Sox ace had an angry exchange with a reporter.

Michael Pineda (7-3) rebounded from a rough outing with seven brilliant innings, and New York took two of three from its rival in their first series at Yankee Stadium this season. On the strength of stingy starts by CC Sabathia and Pineda, the Yankees outscored Boston 17-1 in the final two games and increased their AL East lead to three games over the second-place Red Sox.

Making his third appearance this season since recovering from a strained left elbow, Price (1-1) was tagged for six runs, eight hits and four walks in five innings. He served up both of Sanchez’s homers, a three-run shot in the third and a two-run drive in the fifth.

Minutes after Wednesday night’s game, Price got into a heated argument with a Red Sox beat writer just outside the team’s clubhouse. According to reports, Price cursed at the reporter and then two others when they asked to interview him.

“I can’t say he was not disrespectful,” Boston manager John Farrell said Thursday.

Yankees 9, Red Sox 1

Farrell said he didn’t think the altercation would affect Price on the mound. The manager said Price would be spoken to and the situation would be “handled” at another time because he didn’t want to distract the 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner on a day he was pitching.

“Obviously, it was an emotional conversation,” Farrell said. “There will be follow-up, yeah.”

Whatever the reason, Price wasn’t sharp in a ballpark that’s been nothing but trouble for him lately. He threw back his head in disgust after giving up Sanchez’s threerun homer and dropped to 14-11 with a 4.70 ERA versus New York, which batted .373 against him last year. He has a 3.01 career ERA against all other big league team’s.

Price was 1-3 with a 7.89 ERA in five outings against the Yankees last season, including 0-3 with a 8.10 ERA in three starts in the Bronx. He has made 36 career starts against the Yankees, 11 more than he has versus any other team.

Pineda yielded four hits and struck out eight. He did not permit an earned run after getting knocked around last Friday in a loss at Toronto that ended a long run of solid starts.