Domingo German was ineffective and the Yankees defense wasn't much better as New York was pummeled by the Boston Red Sox, 15-5, at Fenway Park on Friday night.
Takeaways
- German, coming off two straight quality starts, simply didn’t have it on Friday. He gave up two runs in a 32-pitch first inning, with the damage coming off a Masataka Yoshida double off the Green Monster.
Justin Turner got German with a two-out, two-run homer in the second inning to put the Red Sox up 4-1. The Yoshida and Turner hits were on German’s curveball, which was flat and caught way too much plate. Yoshida would drive in another run in the third, chasing German.
German's breaking pitches were up, and his fastball was all over the place as he couldn't get an out in the second. He went two-plus innings (56 pitches) on Friday night, giving up seven hits, seven runs (two scored after he left) and two walks while striking out just one.
- The death blow of this game came in the third. After German was chased and the Yanks were down 5-1, Matt Krook came in for his first MLB game after being called up 12 days ago when Nestor Cortes went on the IL. Krook came in with men on second and third with zero out and got the first two outs. He was close to getting out of the inning when he got a ground ball to Josh Donaldson. The third baseman bobbled the transfer allowing a run to score -- called an infield single -- and the inning to be prolonged.
The next batter grounded out to second, but Anthony Rizzo inexplicably cut Gleyber Torres off. That combined with Krook not covering first allowed the inning to continue, again. Turner came up next and launched a grand slam to straight away center, putting the Red Sox up 10-1.
Rizzo muffed a ground ball to him in the fourth inning, which was also scored an infield single. Later in the inning, catcher Connor Wong singled to score a run but Jake Bauers’ throw to Donaldson was too errant and got past the third baseman. Albert Abreu, who was pitching at the time, did not back up Donaldson and allowed Wong to advance to second on the throwing error. In the sixth, Torres threw the ball too far to Rizzo's right that allowed another run to score -- which was also scored an infield single. He did get an error for the run scoring, though.
Overall, the Yankees had two official errors. It's likely some of these other misplays will be changed accordingly later.
- The Yankees offense started quick. Bauers hit a leadoff double on the first pitch of the game and eventually came around to score on a Rizzo groundout -- with a Giancarlo Stanton strikeout and Torres single sandwiched in between. Torres went from first to third on the grounder, but Donaldson struck out with the Yanks getting just one run.
Rizzo would hit a two-run double in the sixth to cut the Red Sox lead to 13-3. Rizzo finished with three RBI, the same amount he had over the last 15 games combined. He finished 1-for-4 with that double.
Billy McKinney's RBI single accounted for the fourth run for the Yanks. He now has a hit in all eight games he's played with the Yankees this season.
Donaldson would launch a homer over the Green Monster in the eighth inning to give the Yanks their fifth run. He went 2-for-4 with a single earlier in the game. The single was Donaldson's first non-home run hit since Opening Day.
- With Friday being the first of a three-game set, the Yankees' bullpen usage was crucial. After Krook's outing, the rest of the bullpen kept the Red Sox down. But the blowout allowed Isiah Kiner-Falefa to pitch the eighth inning to give the bullpen a reprieve. Here's the bullpen breakdown.
- Krook: 1.2 IP, four hits, five runs, one walk
- Abreu: 1.2 IP, three hits, two runs (both unearned), two strikeouts
- Nick Ramirez: 1.2 IP, one hit and two strikeouts
- IKF: one inning, two hits, one run
- There was a scary moment in the top of the fifth inning. Kyle Higashioka led off with a line drive off the cheek of starter Tanner Houck. Houck left the game but was very effective before that. He pitched four-plus innings (59 pitches), gave up four hits, one run, one walk and two strikeouts. The team later announced he left with a facial contusion.