Sunday, August 13, 2017

Mo Mentum Swings Back to Red Sox

Maurice "Mo" Mentum is that most enigmatic of athletes, jumping from one team to another without warning.

Less than 24 hours after the biggest win of the season, the Yankees had the most depressing defeat. This time, there would be no come-from-behind against the Red Sox.

Gary Sanchez got the game going the right way, hitting a 2-run home run in the 1st inning, his 19th dinger of the season. In all the fuss over Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier, El Gary is putting together a good season.

The Yankees took that 2-0 lead into the top of the 3rd inning. Luis Severino ended up having the inning that may turn out to have sunk our season. With 1 out, he walked the Sox' Number 8 hitter, Christian Vazquez, and then their Number 9 hitter, Jackie Bradley Jr.

Then former Yankee Eduardo Nunez grounded to 3rd. Todd Frazier should have been able to turn it into an inning-ending double play. But he bobbled it, his 1st error in 22 games as a Yankee. The bases were loaded.

Mookie Betts singled home Vazquez and Bradley. And Andrew Benintendi hit a home run to make it 5-2 Boston.

Benintendi hit another home run in the 5th. Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury hit home runs in the 9th inning, their 7th and 5th of the season, respectively, but it was too little, too late. Red Sox 10, Yankees 5. WP: Drew Pomeranz (12-4). No save. LP: Severino (9-5). The Yankees fell to 4 1/2 games behind the Red Sox, with 47 to play.

The series concludes tonight. Chris Sale, the much-hyped, and rightly-so as it has turned out, Boston acquisition of the 2016-17 off-season, but unable to help the Red Sox win either of his 2 starts against the Yankees in 2017 thus far, starts for them tonight.

For the Yankees, Jordan Montgomery starts, despite a scary moment yesterday: While signing autographs as the Red Sox took batting practice, he was hit in the head by a ball. As it turns out, he was fine, with no concussion, and no injury beyond a cut on his ear.

It should be noted that August 13 is not a good day for the Yankees. It is the anniversary of the deaths of both Mickey Mantle (1995) and Phil Rizzuto (2007).

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