El Kraken homers twice to back Pineda's gem as Yankees roll past Red Sox 9-1

The Yankees and the Red Sox matched up for only the fifth time this season, as Michael Pineda and David Price took the mound in the rubber match of the series in the Bronx, in what turned out to be a one sided Yankees victory.

Photo Credit: AP

Michael Pineda was in trouble right out of the gate, as Mookie Betts registered an infield hit before being thrown out at second base by an absolute missile courtesy of Gary Sanchez. Pineda proceeded to give up another infield hit and a walk before getting Hanley Ramirez to strike out on a slider down and away to get out of the inning with a zero still on the board.

Price also looked shaky early on, walking three of the first six batters he faced. After getting out of a first inning jam without letting a run across, he could not do the same in the second, as the Yanks struck first off a two out RBI single by Brett Gardner, scoring Sanchez from second and moving Didi to third. Price would get out of the inning without further damage after striking out Aaron Hicks on a high fastball, but would find himself right back in trouble in the third.

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After an Aaron Judge single and a Matt Holliday walk, Sanchez stepped up to the plate and followed up his phenomenal throw in the first inning with a no doubt three-run home run off Price, who put a backdoor cutter right down the middle. A couple of innings later in the fifth, Gary took Price deep once again, this time an opposite field two-run shot to make it 6-1. This was Gary’s second multi-home run game of the season, and is now 4-7 with four home runs against Price in his career. Price exited the game after five tough innings in which he never looked calm as he constantly displayed poor body language. The Yanks then tacked on another run on a Starlin Castro single off relief pitcher Fernando Abad to make it a 7-1 game.

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Unlike Price, Pineda settled in after his hectic first, retiring seven straight before a downright awful error by Headley and a bunt single to the left side of the infield during a shift, giving the Red Sox two on with no one out. After getting a double play, Pineda threw a 2-0 pitch down in the zone that hit off Gary’s glove and scored on the passed ball to make it a 4-1 game. Pineda did not get discouraged after the passed ball however, as he continued to dominate the Red Sox lineup, going seven innings, striking out eight, and throwing a season high 110 pitches.

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Adam Warren came on in relief for Pineda in the eighth, working a perfect eighth, while the Yanks got a couple more insurance runs with a solo shot to center in the bottom half of the inning by Gardner and a groundout by Castro that scored a run to make it 9-1. In the top of the ninth, Giovanny Gallegos got out both men he faced, as Dellin Betances came in to get the final out of the game after loading the bases to end it by the score of 9-1.

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This was yet another great start for Pineda, who has been the Yankees most consistent pitcher in the rotation throughout the season, and has been spectacular at home, picking up six of his seven wins at the Stadium. Pineda’s slider continued to be unhittable tonight just as it has been all season.

The Yankees improve to 34-23, and extend their AL East lead to three games. The Yankees are back at it again tomorrow night, as they have yet another tough divisional series as they face the Baltimore Orioles in the Stadium for a three game weekend set.

  

Winning Pitcher: Michael Pineda (7-3, 3.39 ERA) 7 IP, 4 H, 1R (0 ER,) 2 BB, 8 K

Losing Pitcher: David Price (1-1, 5.29 ERA) 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 BB, 4 K

Notables:

Gary Sanchez: 2-4, 2 HR (8), 5 RBI

Brett Gardner: 2-5, HR (13), 2 RBI

Aaron Judge: 3-4, 2 R, 1 BB

Starlin Castro: 2-5, 2 RBI

Article by: Matt Luzzi
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