Baseball World Series: Yankees at Diamondbacks

strike zone | October 9, 2015 | Baseball, News | No Comments

Video: Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees.

“When guys at the top of the lineup get on base, we’re going to score a lot of runs, and we’re doing that,” McCann said. “We’re getting good [at-bats] from top to bottom.”

The mid-game rally spoiled the debut of Boston left-hander Henry Owens, who held the Yanks to a run over the first five frames before surrendering two hits opening the sixth. Mark Teixeira greeted reliever Robbie Ross Jr. with a game-tying single and a McCann double restored New York’s lead.

Brian McCann puts the Yankees on top in the 6th with an RBI double into the gap in right field. “The most blunt way to say it is, we have a lot of really good hitters,” Young said. “The group of guys we have, we have a great balance of speed and power. Guys are not giving too many at-bats away and grinding. Just from top to bottom, everybody’s a threat right now.”

Pablo Sandoval homered to chase Tanaka in the seventh, but New York relievers Justin Wilson and Dellin Betances squelched that late rally and the Yanks’ bats put the game out of reach. Ross was charged with the loss, permitting three runs and five hits in five-plus frames.

Owens settles down in debut: After a 34-pitch first inning, Owens got on a roll. Chase Headley led off the second with a single and Owens then retired 12 in a row. With two on and none out in the sixth, Owens (96 pitches) was removed in favor of Ross. The lefty reliever quickly unraveled, as the Yankees tied the game and then took the lead.

Henry Owens goes five-plus innings, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five in his Major League debut. “I was anxious to be out here. Very excited,” said Owens. “I was pleased with the opportunity, and I tried to seize it the best I could. I ran into a couple of tough innings, but hopefully there’s more to come.”

Tanaka grinds deep: Tanaka retired 13 of the first 14 Red Sox he faced and worked into the seventh inning to earn his fourth consecutive victory at home, where he has thrown five straight quality starts. The Yankees have won 11 of Tanaka’s 15 starts this season, and while he is pleased by that statistic, he also recognizes that he has not been quite as dominant as in the first half of last season. That sets the bar rather high for Tanaka to finish the season on a strong note, especially with Michael Pineda on the disabled list until September.

Masahiro Tanaka goes six-plus innings, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three. “You always go out there and try to win that game, so my goal is to try to bring a win for the team,” Tanaka said through an interpreter. “So, yes, I’m really happy about that. But I think that I haven’t been that good recently, so I think that there has been a lot of weight on the relief guys and I think I’m being helped a lot from our offense.”

Yankees manager Joe Girardi discusses Masahiro Tanaka’s pitching performance and the Yankees’ big 7th inning. Bullpen falters badly for Boston: Aside from Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara, Red Sox manager John Farrell continues to have problems finding any reliability from the bullpen. That was never more evident than Tuesday, when Ross, Jean Machi, Craig Breslow and Alexi Ogando all struggled, turning a close game into a rout for the Yankees. The Red Sox trailed just 4-3 entering the bottom of the seventh, but Machi, Breslow and Ogando combined to give up nine runs in that frame.

“Well, every guy that we brought to the mound, some pitches found the middle of the plate and they didn’t miss them,” Farrell said after the game. “A nine-run inning, that’s a rough night. Obviously, we’re looking for better. Their lineup had their way with our bullpen.”

Two-strike pitching change: Yankees manager Joe Girardi made a curious move in the seventh as he lifted Wilson with a 1-2 count on Jackie Bradley Jr. in favor of Betances, who threw three pitches out of the strike zone to walk the No. 9 hitter. Betances regained his control and struck out All-Star Brock Holt, stranding two men. Girardi wouldn’t detail his thinking, citing “strategy.”

Looking to preserve a one-run lead, Joe Girardi removes Justin Wilson from the game in the middle of an at-bat for Dellin Betances. “I think it’s odd just because it was in the middle of an at-bat, but for him to bring in Dellin after me is not odd,” Wilson said. “I never want to come out. I felt like I could finish the inning. It all worked out and we won.”

Dellin Betances strikes out Brock Holt on a pitch in the dirt to escape a scoring threat to preserve the Yankees’ lead in the 7th. Owens became the first Red Sox starter to make his Major League debut with a road start at Yankee Stadium since Robinson Checo on Sept. 16, 1997. At 23 years and 14 days, Owens was the youngest Boston starter to debut at Yankee Stadium since Billy Rohr on April 14, 1967.