Yanks rally late, survive ninth-inning scare to beat Sox
Yanks rally late, survive ninth-inning scare to beat Sox:- Aaron Hicks had already contributed a huge hit on Friday night, a two-run homer that brought a listless Yankees’ lineup back to life against the Red Sox.
And in the ninth, Hicks’ throw from left field – completing a crucial double play – might have saved Aroldis Chapman from a critical blown save.
“That was a big night for this team and a big night for him,’’ Brett Gardner said after the Yankees hung on for a 5-4 win against the Red Sox, rewarding what had been an agitated crowd of 46,509 at the Stadium.
With a three-run lead, the Red Sox were six outs away from scoring their ninth straight win and opening a 5.5 game first place edge. But the Yanks scored four times in the eighth inning against the upgraded Boston bullpen.
“Very important (win). It just shows that we’re willing to fight back,’’ Hicks said of a late kick that moved the Yankees to within 3.5 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox.
Chapman opened the ninth by walking the bases loaded, but caught a break on an over-aggressive baserunning play by old friend Eduardo Nunez.
Trying to tag up from second to third base on Andrew Benintendi’s sacrifice fly, Nunez was gunned down for the second out by the rocket-armed Hicks in left field – assisted by a great tag by Todd Frazier.
The play survived a replay challenge and Chapman recorded the final out.
“He’s a game-changer on both sides of the ball. We’re glad to have him back,’’ Gardner said of Hicks’ contributions in his second game back from the disabled list, after missing six weeks with a strained oblique.
“That play saved the game,’’ Chapman said, adding that it “helped me to relax.’’
“These are extremely important games,’’ manager Joe Girardi acknowledged again before Friday’s series opener. “They’re within our division and we’re chasing the Red Sox and we need to make up ground to win our division. So these are important.’’
Down 3-0, and facing ex-Met reliver Addison Reed, pinch-hitter Brett Gardner led off the eighth by being hit by a pitch – a result the Yanks had to achieve via manager’s challenge; video clearly showed Gardner was hit in the foot.
Hicks followed by corking a two-run homer inside the right field foul pole, cutting it to 3-2.
“It kind of got us going, made it a different game,’’ Girardi said. Hicks had never previously faced Reed and was just “looking to get a ball up and try to get a hit in that situation.’’ He got a slider up and “of course I was talking to the ball,’’ Hicks said with a laugh, trying to get it to stay fair.
And his blast seemed to wake up a dormant ballpark.
Gary Sanchez lashed a single and moved up on a wild pitch before Aaron Judge walked, ending Reed’s night.
Facing right-hander Joe Kelly, cleanup hitter Didi Gregorius sliced an RBI single to left, scoring Sanchez with the tying run and pushing Judge to third.
Todd Frazier followed by dunking the go-ahead, RBI single to left field. A sacrifice fly by Ronald Torreyes made it 5-3 and completed a rally that few saw coming.
The schedule makers had gone a little batty in 2017, squeezing six Yankees-Red Sox games into a 10-day, mid-August period.
Allowing fans from Yawkey Way to Babe Ruth Plaza an opportunity to gorge on ‘The Rivalry’ is one thing.
On the field, this stretch represents a chance for the Yanks to regain some footing, and for the Red Sox to expand their AL East lead.
And for a while, it appeared that lead would swell to 5.5 games over the second-place Yanks (61-53).
The Red Sox (65-50) jumped to a 3-0 lead via the long ball.
In his second start as a Yankee, lefty Jaime Garcia was mediocre again, following his season-long trend.
Garcia gave up a first-inning, two-run homer to Hanley Ramirez with two out. Andrew Benintendi’s two-out, solo homer made it 3-0 in the fifth.
And the Yankees managed just four baserunners – two doubles, two walks – against Boston lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who lasted six innings.
In 5.2 innings, Garcia was charged with three runs on seven hits and three walks. He had six strikeouts. Rodriguez had seven Ks.
Source:- https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/yankees/2017/08/11/yanks-rally-late-survive-ninth-inning-scare-beat-sox/561667001/
