BLOWN OUT IN BEANTOWN
YANKEES CRUSHED 15-7 IN OPENER OF CRUCIAL SERIES WITH RED SOX
BOSTON— Ex-Bomber Steve Pearce homered three times, the second a three-run drive in an eight-run fourth inning, as the Yankees lost their early lead in a 15-7 rout by the Red Sox on Thursday night.
In the opener of a four-game series that gave New York the potential to erase most of its division deficit, Boston instead expanded the lead to a seasonhigh 6½ games, taking advan- tage of manager Aaron Boone's decision to pull starter CC Sabathia after three innings with a 4-2 lead.
Sabathia allowed two earned runs, surrendering three hits and four walks in three innings. Jonathan Holder (1-2) came in, faced seven batters and did not record an out, allowing seven runs.
"We have to do a better job playing a better brand of baseball especially against a real good opponent," Boone said. "When it's difficult, not everything going our way, we need to be airtight to minimize damage on the other side."
Mookie Betts had four hits and two walks, reaching safely all six times he came to the plate. Pearce — who had 6 RBI — J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Andrew Benintendi had three hits apiece for Boston, which has won five of its last six games and 20 of its last 25 to match a season-high 42 games above .500.
"It was a good night. A fun night. A great team win, and something that I'll never forget," said Pearce, who joins Mo Vaughn and Kevin Millar as the only Red Sox players to have three home runs in a game against the Bombers.
Didi Gregorius homered twice, Aaron Hicks hit one and Giancarlo Stanton got his 25th of the season for the Yankees, who have lost just twice in the past week — playing sloppily both times — but dropped two games in the division. The rivals will meet nine more times, including the final three games of the season
Brian Johnson, making a spot
start because AL ERA and strikeout leader Chris Sale went on the disabled list, fanned a career-high 11 for his first victory since April 2. He allowed five runs — four earned — six hits and two walks in five innings.
Johnson (2-3) spotted the Yankees a 4-0 lead, but the Red Sox got one in the second and one in the third before surging ahead in the fourth.
With runners on second and third and nobody out, Benintendi hit a chopper back to the mound. Holder threw behind Jackie Bradley Jr., who broke for home and beat the throw to the plate with a head-first slide.
Pearce homered for a 6-4 lead, Martinez doubled and scored on Kinsler's single and then, after Kinsler stole second, Eduardo Nunez doubled to make it 8-4 and chase Holder. Chad Green got the next two batters before Bradley doubled in another run, Betts singled and Benintendi added an RBI single.
Luis Cessa replaced Green and got Pearce on a ground ball to end the 13-batter, seven-hit (five for extra bases), 46-minute inning.
Pearce, who homered in the third, did it again in the threerun sixth, when Boston took a 14-5 lead. The Fenway crowd booed when he was walked in the eighth on five pitches.