The Yankees have a 1-0 lead on the Red Sox after two innings in Fenway Park Tuesday night.
For John Lackey, the trouble came, as it often does with any pitcher, on a walk. After striking out Mark Teixeira, Lackey couldn’t put Robinson Cano away. The Yankees’ power-hitting second baseman worked an eight-pitch at bat before finally taking ball four and heading down to first. Nick Swisher moved him to second with a line drive right back at Lackey, and scored when Dustin Pedroia couldn’t make a highlight play on a slow chopper back up the middle.
The Red Sox would threaten to return fire against the Yankees in the bottom of the inning, putting two men on with one out, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out on a pitch well out of the strike zone, and after Darnell McDonald walked, Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out weakly to end the threat.
The only good news: CC Sabathia is up to 50 pitches through just two innings. Another short outing? For now, it seems so.