Recap - Red Sox bring back 2012 in 5-2 loss to Yankees

Jim Monaghan
Contributing writer

For three-plus hours, it was as if the 2012 Red Sox had resurfaced. Bad base running, a complete lack of hitting, a little bad luck, and some sloppy defense added up to a 5-2 Red Sox loss to the Yankees on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park. The only thing missing was a cameo appearance by former manager Bobby Valentine.

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John Lackey (pictured) started for Boston and pitched well enough to lose, allowing ten hits in 6.1 innings whilie striking out seven. Two of the runners came in after Lackey had been lifted for reliever Matt Thornton who was making his Fenway debut.

The Red Sox had three runners thrown out on the base paths, including two at home plate and another at second on a foul pop up behind the plate with Daniel Nava being part of two of the plays. He was nailed at home attempting to score on a base hit to left by David Ortiz; third base coach Brian Butterfield sent him even though Vernon Wells had the ball before Nava even reach third. Then with Ortiz in the on-deck circle later in the game, Nava attempted to tag from first on a foul pop behind the plate; Yankees catcher Chris Stewart reached into the stands for the grab and then fired a strike to second base to nail Nava.

Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda held the Red Sox offense to just five hits over seven innings although Jacoby Ellsbury and Nava both hit the ball hard twice apiece and had nothing to show for it. Meanwhile, Brett Gardner, Lyle Overbay and the immortal Eduardo Nunez each had three hits for the Yankees.

Both teams made an error. Boston's was charged to Dustin Pedroia in the ninth inning on a ground ball that could have resulted in a double play.

Mariano Rivera came on in the bottom of the ninth inning and was greeted by a standing ovation from the Fenway crowd in one of the more touching moments of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. He picked up his 31st save of the season.


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