SB Nation Boston - Yankees 4, Red Sox 1: Ichiro Suzuki's Two Homers Send Boston To Series Loss

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Final Score: Ichiro's Two Homers Power New York To 4-1 Win

2012-08-20T03:01:23Z

The Yankees avenged their 4-1 loss to Boston on Saturday with a 4-1 win Sunday, sending the Red Sox to yet another series loss on the power of two Ichiro Suzuki homers.

Josh Beckett was not a complete disaster for the Red Sox like he has been in recent games, but he was far from impressive. Surrendering a two-out run in the first inning, Beckett found himself behind early and never really entirely settled down. Some bad defense from Ryan Lavarnway would help New York to push across another run in the third, leaving the Sox down 2-0 one third of the way through the game.

The real daggers for Josh Beckett's night, however, would come from an unusual source: Ichiro Suzuki. There is nothing so historically odd about Ichiro getting big hits, but this year he's hardly able to pick up singles with regularity. Against Beckett, however, the outfielder somehow stumbled upon a rarely-used power swing. A solo shot to right field in the fourth made it three runs in four innings for Beckett, and after the Boston starter managed to escape a bases loaded, one out jam in the fifth, Ichiro would strike for another solo shot in the sixth, leaving Beckett with four earned runs to his name in six innings.

Hiroki Kuroda, meanwhile, had been absolutely stifling. Where Beckett was getting behind in the count, Kuroda was getting ahead, mowing through the Boston lineup with ruthless efficiency. About the only positives the Sox saw were long at bats, and those were few and far between. Nick Punto got them their first hit in the third, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia didn't made it two until the fifth.

The only damage the Sox would manage to muster came in the seventh, when Adrian Gonzalez got a breaking ball that hung up just high enough for him to really turn on it. There was never any doubt that the long fly ball was headed into the stands, but it was good for just one run, leaving the Red Sox still trailing by three. With the Sox never really threatening again, they left New Yankee Stadium losers in yet another series.

Final - 8.19.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R
Boston Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
New York Yankees	1	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	X	4

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Read more on the Red Sox at Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. Baseball Nation is your source for news and analysis around Major League Baseball.

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Live Blog: Inning By Inning Updates For Game 3

2012-08-20T00:33:49Z

The Red Sox are out for a series win against the hated New York Yankees as they send Josh Beckett to the mound against Hiroki Kuroda.

We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Fenway Park.

Yankees 4, Red Sox 1, End 8th -- Junichi Tazawa keeps the Sox in save range of the Yankees in the eighth, but they're staring a loss in the face right about now.

Yankees 4, Red Sox 1, Mid 8th -- The Sox are just three outs away from being the victims of a near-perfect revenge game. 4-1 was the score last night, with the one run coming from a solo shot.

Yankees 4, Red Sox 1, End 7th -- Andrew Miller does a good job in the bottom of the seventh, making up for a walk to Robinson Cano by striking out the next two batters he faced.

Yankees 4, Red Sox 1, Mid 7th -- A breaking ball hangs just a bit too high in the bottom half of the zone to Adrian Gonzalez, and he gets all of it, sending a long homer to right field--his second in two nights. Gonzalez has been much more consistent with his homers since July then he was in the first half of the year or in 2011, avoiding long droughts.

Yankees 4, Red Sox 0, End 6th -- Believe it or not, the fourth run comes on another Ichiro Suzuki home run. If Ichiro had played his whole career with that short right porch, he may have been a real monster at the plate.

Yankees 3, Red Sox 0, Mid 6th -- More impotence from the Red Sox lineup, as Hiroki Kuroda enjoys a 1-2-3 sixth. He's at 89 pitches, at least, so the Sox might see him tire some, but it's been a real struggle to get anything off of him.

Yankees 3, Red Sox 0, End 5th -- Josh Beckett gets into and out of a huge mess. With two singles and a walk loading the bases with just one out, Beckett fell behind Eric Chavez 3-0 and offered up a fastball over the plate to Eric Chavez. Much to Beckett's relief, Chavez managed only a pop-up into foul territory, getting the Boston starter his second out and making Raul Ibanez' fly ball an inning-ender.

Yankees 3, Red Sox 0, Mid 5th -- Jarrod Saltlamacchia gives the Sox just their second hit of the game with a single to center. Once again, though, Hiroki Kuroda is up to the task of stranding the runner without taking any damage.

Yankees 3, Red Sox 0, End 4th -- Beckett offers up a bad fastball to Ichiro Suzuki, and Suzuki turns it into a no-doubt homer to right field. He can do that when he's really feeling like it, but it probably doesn't hurt that Beckett is just awful right now.

Yankees 2, Red Sox 0, Mid 4th -- Three more ground balls have Hiroki Kuroda through the fourth. He's been unbelievable so far for the Yankees, much to Boston's chagrin.

Yankees 2, Red Sox 0, End 3rd -- Beckett coughs up another run in the third courtesy of another double from Derek Jeter, this time coming with one out. While Beckett manages to get the strikeouts he needs to escape the inning, they only come after a stolen base and wild pitch allow Jeter to come in to score the second New York run.

Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 3rd -- Nick Punto flairs a single into the outfield for the first Red Sox hit and baserunner of the night, but Jacoby Ellsbury strikes out behind him to end the inning.

Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, End 2nd -- Josh Beckett gives up some more loud contact, and Ryan Lavarnway gives Yankees fans something to jeer about when he airmails Nick Punto trying to go around the horn, but at least Beckett has a 1-2-3 inning under his belt.

Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 2nd -- Kuroda only gets better in the second, inducing a pop-up and ground ball around a strikeout of Ryan Lavarnway. The Sox need a Pedro Ciriaco at bat here real quick-like.

Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, End 1st -- Where Kuroda has been sharp, Josh Beckett has been miserable, and he too stays true to form in the first. His second pitch of the night is launched by Derek Jeter deep to center and over the outstretched arm of a running Jacoby Ellsbury for a double. While Beckett manages to strike out Robinson Cano after Nick Swisher moved Jeter to third, he couldn't keep the run out, giving up a line drive down the right field line to Curtis Granderson to put the Yankees up 1-0.

Red Sox 0, Yankees 0, Mid 1st -- Not many pitchers have been hotter over the last month than Hiroki Kuroda, and he comes out of the gates with nothing lost. That Carl Crawford manages to battle off seven pitches before going down the eighth--on a ground ball like the other Boston batters--is the only positive.

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Lineups: Both Catchers In Against Hiroki Kuroda

2012-08-19T21:16:03Z

The Red Sox are out for a series win Sunday night as they send Josh Beckett to the mound against Hiroki Kuroda. First pitch is at 8:05 p.m. EST with broadcasts on ESPN and WEEI.

Bobby Valentine will gamble with his lineup tonight in hopes of getting to the tough righty they face in Kuroda. Both catchers will appear in the order, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia taking the role of DH while Ryan Lavarnway starts behind the plate. This will allow the Sox to give their young prospect more time at the position he needs to learn while still keeping Salty's bat.

Cody Ross will miss out on the lineup, likely due to his unfavorable splits against RHP. Scott Podsednik will start in his place in right field, while Nick Punto and Pedro Ciriaco get the starts at third and short respectively.

Boston Red Sox (59-62)

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Ryan Lavarnway, C
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, DH
Scott Podsednik, RF
Pedro Ciriaco, SS
Nick Punto, 3B

New York Yankees (71-49)

Derek Jeter, SS
Nick Swisher, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Curtis Granderson, CF
Eric Chavez, 3B
Raul Ibanez, LF
Russell Martin, C
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Casey McGehee, DH

Next Game

Boston Red Sox
@ New York Yankees

Sunday, Aug 19, 2012, 8:00 PM EDT
Yankee Stadium

Josh Beckett vs Hiroki Kuroda

Clear. Winds blowing out to left field at 0-5 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 75.

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Read more on the Red Sox at Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. Baseball Nation is your source for news and analysis around Major League Baseball.

Felix Doubront Injury Update: Doubront Heads To DL

2012-08-19T00:00:08Z

The Boston Red Sox have announced that they've played starting pitcher Felix Doubront on the 15-day Disabled List due to fatigue and a lingering knee injury, according to ESPN.com.

The designation to the DL is retroactive to August 10, making Doubront eligible to play in a week's time.

To fill the roster out in Doubront's absense, infielder Mauro Gomez was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket. He's currently with the team in New York.

Doubront has been inconsistent this season fro Boston, posting a 10-6 record but a 4.70 ERA. In his final two starts before having to go on the DL, the 24-year-old struggled mightily, allowing nine runs in 9.1 innings of work.

The sophomore southpaw is expected back sometime this month, with his injuries not thought to be serious.

Doubront is incredibly the 26th Red Sox to be placed on the DL this year, according to the team's official site.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Final Score: Jon Lester Leads Way As Boston Evens Series With 4-1 Win

2012-08-18T23:39:15Z

The Red Sox got seven strong innings of work from Jon Lester and a two-run shot from Adrian Gonzalez as they evened their series against the Yankees with a 4-1 win.

Gonzalez' blast would come very early on, putting the Yankees in an immediate hole. After a single from Carl Crawford gave Gonzalez a chance in the first inning, he put a charge into a pitch low and away, taking it out into the stands in the opposite field and giving the Red Sox a quick 2-0 lead.

Jon Lester would appear shaky early, getting into trouble by letting the first two batters he faced reach base before getting out of it with a pair of strikeouts. He would give up a leadoff walk in the second inning as well, but managed to instantly erase the runner with a double play ball from Russell Martin.

The lone run Lester would allow would come later on a solo shot in the fourth off the bat of Curtis Granderson, but the double play ball was the real turning point in yet another impressive outing. Beyond the homer, the Yankees wouldn't have any real threats against Lester, who induced ground ball after ground ball to the left side, effectively working away from right-handers and utilizing his once-missing cutter to great effect against lefties. The seventh inning threat would again be provided by Curtis Granderson, who doubled to start the inning, but Lester was up to the task of retiring the side without allowing him to score.

By that point, the Sox had already managed to increase their lead back to two runs, as Pedro Ciriaco and Nick Punto put together a single and triple (respectively) to respond instantly to Granderson's homer in the top of the fifth. It was just one instance of the duo frankly dominating the game. Punto would only collect the one hit, and while he also drew a walk it was really his work with the glove that earned him praise today, scooping up everything that was hit near him and making a few flashy plays along the way. Ciriaco, for his part, just had another four-hit game against the Yankees.

Ciriaco would score the one run in the fifth, and contribute to a ninth-inning insurance run as well. With Andrew Bailey, Craig Breslow, and Alfredo Aceves recording the last six outs, the Red Sox took a feel-good win Saturday afternoon.

Final - 8.18.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	4	10	0
New York Yankees	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	1
WP: Jon Lester (7 - 10) SV: Alfredo Aceves (25) LP: David Phelps (3 - 4)

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Read more on the Red Sox at Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. Baseball Nation is your source for news and analysis around Major League Baseball.

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Live Blog: Inning By Inning Updates For Game 2

2012-08-18T20:40:27Z

The Red Sox are giving it another go against the Yankees, this time with Jon Lester up against a reliever making a spot start in David Phelps.

We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in New Yankee Stadium.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1, End 8th -- Andrew Bailey gets one out and gives up a single to Nick Swisher before being pulled for Craig Breslow to take on the left-handed Cano. The move turns out to be effective, too, as Breslow quickly gets a ground ball to start an inning-ending double play.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1, Mid 8th -- The Sox get a threat in the form of Dustin Pedroia when he doubles into right field, but the Yankees get out of it by giving Adrian Gonzalez first and calling in Cody Eppley to get a strikeout of Cody Ross and ground ball from Ryan Lavarnway.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1, End 7th -- Lester is likely done for the day, but got to end his night on a high note. After allowing a leadoff double to Curtis Granderson, Lester did an admirable job of keeping him away from home plate, getting the bottom three of the New York lineup in order to keep the lead at 3-1.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1, Mid 7th -- Pedro Ciriaco drops a beautiful bunt down the third base line with one out, but

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1, End 6th -- Lester gets his first completely clean inning in the sixth, getting two ground balls and one in the air against the middle of the Yankees' order to retire the side 1-2-3.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1, Mid 6th -- Dustin Pedroia is robbed of a hit by a well-placed Robinson Cano, and while Adrian Gonzalez is able to lace a hit into center field, he's left stranded at first.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1, End 5th -- Nick Punto is having himself a game. Even when the third baseman made a defensive mistake, booting a ground ball up into the air, he was able to recover, barehanding the ball in mid-air and spinning to throw to first for the second out in a scoreless fifth.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1, Mid 5th -- The bottom of the Sox lineup responds to Granderson's shot instantly. After a one-out single from Pedro Ciriaco, Nick Punto knocks a line drive down the right field line and all the way to the wall. Andruw Jones has trouble getting the ball from the corner, allowing Ciriaco to race all the way home as Punto made his way to third with an RBI triple. Unfortunately for the Sox, neither Ellsbury nor Crawford could get Punto home, but they'll take the run.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 1, End 4th -- It took them until the fourth inning this time, but the Yankees were not to be denied the long ball. Curtis Granderson gets a fastball down the pipe from Jon Lester, and launches a towering shot to dead center to get the Yankees on the board and cut the Boston lead in half.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 4th -- Cody Ross strikes out in the midst of another 1-2-3 inning from Phelps.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, End 3rd -- Lester can't record his first completely clean inning, as Nick Swisher manages to line a single into right field. But it comes after two ground balls and before a pop-up, letting Lester get out of the inning without ever being really threatened.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 3rd -- The top three go down in short order in the third inning, as David Phelps seems to have settled down after the first. The thing is, he's not a guy who can be relied on to throw a ton of pitches, so those two runs may be enough for how long he's going to last.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, End 2nd -- Another leadoff walk coming on just four piches is a bad sign for Jon Lester, but a ground ball turns it into a double play, leaving Lester with a scoreless second on just ten pitches.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 2nd -- Pedro Ciriaco slaps a single into right field and steals second base, but it comes with two outs, and Nick Punto can only strike out behind him, ending the inning in relatively short order for David Phelps.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, End 1st -- A control-free Jon Lester finds himself in early trouble, throwing six of his first seven pitches for balls, and giving up a leadoff walk and single to put two on with nobody out. Lester battles back to strike out Robinson Cano on a cutter that makes him look like his 2010 self, however, and after Nick Punto makes a nice play on a ground ball from Andruw Jones, Lester gets McGehee swinging as well to end the frame.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 1st -- While Carl Crawford may have Tommy John Surgery in his future, for now he's still taking his swings, and producing for the team. A one out single puts him on first base, and while he ends up stealing second, Adrian Gonzalez makes sure it doesn't matter. Getting a fastball low and away, Adrian Gonzalez showed off his opposite-field power swing, lifting a fly ball that just barely carried into the stands for a two-run shot. It's his eighth homer since the All-Star Break.

Red Sox Prospect Brian Johnson Injured In Futures Game

2012-08-18T20:27:06Z

Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Brian Johnson broke multiple orbital bones when he was struck by a line drive in Saturday's Futures game at Fenway Park, according to multiple reports.

According to Sean McAdam, the pitcher was hit on the left side of his face, but doesn't have any signs of being concussed. Johnson is now comfortably resting in the hospital.

Johnson, 21, is one of the Red Sox biggest prospects in the minor leagues. He was drafted 31st overall by Boston in the 2012 MLB Draft, and currently pitches for short-season Single-A Lowell. In college he was very successful, twice playing in the College World Series with the Florida Gators.

The 6-foot-4, 220 pound hurler has only pitched in three games thus far for Lowell, and in 5.1 innings hasn't allowed a run. Johnson has surrendered just two hits and a walk in that time, while striking out four.

For more on Brian Johnson and the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Media Roundup: The Media Is Not To Blame For 2012 Red Sox Disaster

2012-08-18T17:49:55Z

Apparently, I need to clarify something.

The Boston sports media is not responsible for the conflagration that is the 2012 Boston Red Sox.

While that may not qualify as breaking news for most of you out there, it seems that some people are of the belief that I (and Red Sox management) think that the media is somehow to blame for this disaster of a season.

I'm not talking about asking how much influence Michael Felger's daily rants about Josh Beckett led to his being booed in a game in which he had to leave due to injury. I'm talking about those who think that someone like me, who is critical of the coverage of the team, actually believes that the media is somehow having an impact on what is going on out on the field.

Being critical of the media and its coverage and blaming them for the failure of this baseball team are two different things.

The following is an actual comment received on my website this week:

MESSAGE TO ALL THE FANBOYS…THE LOCAL MEDIA IS NOT TO BLAME FOR THE SOX TROUBLES….IN FACT THE BASEBALL GUYS IN THIS TOWN ARE IN THE BAG FOR THE SOX…PLEASE STOP DIRECTING YOUR ANGER AT GUYS LIKE HAGS AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THIS TEAM YOU MAKE EXCUSES FOR IS A BUNCH OF OVERPAID BABIES WITH NO CLASS AND PROFESSIONALISM AND STOP BLAMING THE HOCKEY GUY FOR EXPOSING YOUR TEAM FOR THE JOKE THAT IT IS.

OK. I actually don't have much issue with this fine young man's (I'm assuming) characterization of the Red Sox. But when it comes to the media, I get critical of them when they go overboard and pound stories into the ground which are not deserving.

Josh Beckett playing golf on his day off, injured or not, was a red herring. John Lackey drinking beer in the road clubhouse is a red herring. The local media went beserk over those stories, which may have been valid things to report in themselves, (not on the days-long news cycle they generated) but at the same time, the media somehow missed out on the larger stories which were unearthed this season by the likes of national writers Buster Olney (ESPN) and Jeff Passan (Yahoo!). Were they spending too much time on the micro and not the macro?

Other writers were too busy fawning over Bobby Valentine - a trend which continues, as a glance at the top story of the Sunday Globe's Sports Section last week will attest - and wondering about Carl Crawford's mental and physical makeup. Some have honed in on the subpar performances of Jon Lester, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Andrew Bailey.

None of those things individually is to blame, and some have been overstated in terms of importance, but I would never make the leap that the media is somehow to blame for this disaster of a season.

That's an opinion I'm not sure the owners of the club share. In a head-scratching email on Wednesday afternoon, principal owner John Henry seemed more focused on telling us that the media was inaccurate in their reports, and expressing horror that someone leaked details of the meeting to the media rather than personally stating the resolve to do whatever it took to turn this thing around.

Then on Thursday morning, in a soft-shoe interview with WEEI, Larry Lucchino said, "There is an intensity and a breadth of the media coverage here that is different from most other places.” He went on to add, “I’m just trying to respond generally to the notion of the intense media coverage that exists in Boston. I recognize that it’s a double-edged sword. It’s one of the things that keeps our fans interested and passionate and to some degree, knowledgeable. As I said earlier, there is a real danger of misleading the public that comes about with some of these circumstances.”

Again, it sound liked Lucchino was more concerned with how the media was reporting what was happening (misleading the public!) instead of giving assurances.

Normally, I love some good media-bashing from ownership and front-office types, but in this case, it's not warranted. The Red Sox have no one to blame but themselves for this mess. As much as the owners insist they are every bit as invested in the Red Sox time-wise as they have ever been, the perception is much different. When the Red Sox were winning, it seemed like the owners were omnipresent. Now, they're antipresent.

Meanwhile, the players have underperformed, and Bobby Valentine has stuck his foot in his mouth on more occasions than we can remember.

The organization is a mess from top to bottom, and it can only be fixed from the top down.

The media has nothing to do with that.