Field Level Media
Apr 16, 2019
James Paxton struck out 12 and pitched eight dominant innings of two-hit ball to outpitch Chris Sale, and the New York Yankees rolled to an 8-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Paxton (2-2) delivered his best showing as a Yankee by thriving in the first meeting between the rivals since the Red Sox won Games 3 and 4 of the American League Division Series last October.
The left-hander allowed only doubles to Xander Bogaerts in the fourth inning and Jackie Bradley Jr. in the eighth. He allowed four baserunners while producing the longest start by a Yankee this season.
Paxton recorded his 12th career double-digit strikeout game and struck out six straight hitters from the final out of the sixth until Bradley doubled with two outs in the eighth. After Bradley doubled, Paxton retired Mookie Betts on a fly ball to right.
Paxton reached only two three-ball counts all night -- both to Betts. He also produced 20 swings and misses, and his 110 pitches were eight shy of his career set Aug. 26, 2014, against Texas.
On Sunday, Paxton admitted he was tipping his curveball last Wednesday in Houston. This time, he stayed away from the pitch. Paxton threw only five curveballs and relied mostly on four-seam fastballs and his cutter.
Clint Frazier, Mike Tauchman and Gleyber Torres homered for the Yankees, who scored their most runs in a home game this season.
Frazier hit a solo homer off Sale (0-4) to start the fourth after the Yankees built a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit in the third.
Tauchman had an RBI double off Sale in the fourth and then slugged a three-run homer off Erasmo Ramirez in the sixth. After Tauchman's first career homer, Torres made it 8-0 by opening the seventh with his fourth homer of the season.
The Yankees won hours after Greg Bird (left plantar fascia tear) became their 12th player to land on the injured list.
Sale dropped to 0-4 for the second time in his career, allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings.
"I just flat-out stink right now," Sale told reporters. "I don't know what it is. When you're going good, it's good. When you're going bad, it's pretty bad."
The Red Sox finished with three hits. They lost for the ninth time in their first 12 road games, and their 6-12 record is their worst 18-game start since opening 1996 at 3-15.
--Field Level Media