Field Level Media
Jul 25, 2019
Xander Bogaerts crushed a three-run home run as part of a seven-run first inning, and the Boston Red Sox never looked back, routing the visiting New York Yankees 19-3 Thursday in the opener of a four-game series.
Bogaerts later added a solo shot and had four hits, and Rafael Devers and Sandy Leon also hit homers as the Red Sox set a single-game franchise record for scoring against the Yankees. Boston slugged 10 doubles among its 23 hits on its way to beating New York for just the second time in eight meetings this season.
Kyle Higashioka homered for the Yankees.
The storied rivals continued a trend of battering each other when they play. They've combined to score 85 runs in their past four meetings, with Boston reaching eight runs in each of those contests -- the first time it has accomplished that feat in four straight against New York since 1912.
The Red Sox wasted no time Thursday, sending 11 men to the plate in the first inning against Masahiro Tanaka. Bogaerts had the big blow, and Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts each added two-run doubles for the 7-0 lead.
The Yankees came right back in the second with four straight one-out hits, including a Gleyber Torres RBI single. A bases-loaded walk later made it 7-2, but Rick Porcello, on his 47th pitch of the inning, got Aaron Judge to fly out to end the threat.
The rest of the night was all Boston, which put the game away with a five-run fourth. Higashioka's homer in the fifth got New York within single digits, down 12-3, before the Red Sox scored three in the fifth and one in the sixth to go up 16-3.
Boston scored three more times in the eighth against New York catcher Austin Romine, who made his regular-season pitching debut.
Tanaka (7-6) gave up 12 earned runs, the most ever by a Yankees pitcher against the Red Sox. He was tagged for 12 hits, walked three and struck out four in 3 1/3 innings.
Porcello (9-7) gutted his way through six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five.
Boston second baseman Brock Holt was ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes.
--Field Level Media