THE RIGHT MOVE
Acquisition of Pearce — in June — gives Sox trade-deadline edge
B OSTON — After witnessing this Back Bay shellacking, does there seem a more ludicrous notion right now than that of the Yankees having gained ground on the Red Sox at the non-waiver trade deadline?
The Yankees won the headlines and the plaudits in the past week with their imports. Then, their biggest game of the season to date went sideways because of a guy the Red Sox acquired … in June.
Remember Steve Pearce? If you didn’t recall his layover with the 2012 Yankees, you surely will remember him now.
Pearce, the righty-hitting role player, slammed three homers and drove home six runs, both career highs, to lead the Red Sox’s powercharged, 15-7 victory over the Yankees on Thursday night at Fenway Park. In this crucial rivalry series opener, Pearce joined an exclusive club of Sawx players to go deep three times in a game against the Yankees: Mo Vaughn (1997), Kevin Millar (2004) and him, as the Red Sox increased their American League East lead over the Yankees to 6 ¹/2 games.
“It was a good night, fun night. Great team win,” Pearce, a softspoken infielder-outfielder, said. “It was something I’ll never forget.”
Second baseman Ian Kinsler, who joined Boston this week, added three singles, two runs scored, two RBIs, a stolen base and strong defense. At this rate, the Red Sox’s other in-season import, former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi, will throw a perfect game against his old pals when he takes the mound Saturday afternoon.
Yet in a Red Sox season replete with excellence — at 76-34, they’re on pace to finish 112-50, which would be the fourth-highest wins total in the modern era — this stood out. For the eight-run, eight-hit fourth inning that wiped out a 4-2 Yankees advantage (that began as 4-0), prompting rookie manager Alex Cora to call it “probably our best offensive inning of the season.” For the sky-high energy level in the Fenway stands.
And for Pearce getting to hit in the bottom of the eighth against Zach Britton with a chance for his fourth round-tripper against four pitchers. Britton, one of the Yankees’ trade-deadline acquisitions along with J.A. Happ and Lance Lynn, walked Pearce, avoiding joining the company of CC Sabathia, Jonathan Holder and Luis Cessa.
Asked whether he thought about hitting a fourth homer, which would have tied the all-time record, Pearce smiled and said: “Sure. I’m not ignorant. I knew what was going on. I tried to keep the same approach, stay within what I could do and try to stay in the zone.”
The Red Sox remain in their zone of doing little wrong. They were proactive in getting Pearce from the Blue Jays for minor
league infielder Santiago Espinal more than a month ahead of the deadline, and he has rewarded them with a .318/.389/.583 slash line and eight homers in 132 atbats.
“I know July 31 is a big day in baseball because of the trades and everything that goes on, but we made a good baseball move earlier in the season,” Cora said of Pearce. “He’s been great for us. Great at-bats against lefties, good at-bats against righties. He’s into the program. We’re happy to have him.”
The feeling is mutual. The deal to the Sawx gave Pearce a clean sweep of the AL East, as he has now played for all five teams. He said he doesn’t remember a great deal about his 12 games with the 2012 Yankees be- sides looking around a clubhouse featuring Sabathia, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez and thinking, “Hall of Famer, Hall of Famer, Hall of Famer, Hall of Famer … where am I going to fit in on this team?”
He fits great on this Red Sox team, and at 35, he hit a new peak on Thursday. He made the Red Sox look smart and the Yankees silly.
“It’s been a grind my whole career to get to where I am today,” Pearce said. “Then you look back on it. Was it worth it? You bet your butt it was worth it. Especially for a night like tonight.”
Validation for Pearce, vindication for the Red Sox. Only humiliation for the Yankees.