BOSTON – The Red Sox showed off their wheels on Sunday, stealing a franchise-record nine bases and a series from the Yankees with a 9-3 win at Fenway Park.
Boston took full advantage of Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, who ranks second-to-last in pop time to second base (2.07 seconds) and dead last in arm strength (71.3 mph) among catchers. While the Platinum Glove winner excels in numerous other ways behind the plate, gunning runners down is not one of them. That showed on “Sunday Night Baseball,” as four of Boston’s runs followed stolen bases.
David Hamilton led the way for the Red Sox, swiping four bags and scoring three runs. Two of his steals came in the fifth inning, when he took second and third.
New data just came in! The Yankees (well, Highlanders) allowed 13 steals in a 1907 game vs. Washington. So there’s that.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 17, 2024
Marcus Stroman also deserved some blame for the Red Sox running wild. While he did nab one would-be base-stealer by stepping off the mound, the righty surrendered seven hits and four walks over five innings.
Stroman, whose timing is slightly below league average when it comes to getting the ball to the plate, also totaled four earned runs, three strikeouts and 102 pitches in his first start at Fenway Park as a Yankee.
Boston first scored in the second inning when Ceddanne Rafaela plated two with a single. A double play led to another run in the third, while Rafael Devers brought a run in with a sac fly in the fifth.
With Luke Weaver on the mound in the seventh, Devers knocked an RBI single before Connor Wong lined a two-run triple, which Alex Verdugo took a poor route to in right field.
Two of those runs were charged to Caleb Ferguson, who recorded just one out while allowing one hit and one walk.
Hamilton added an RBI single to his impressive night in the eighth. Wong then singled him home.
As for the Yankees’ offense, Aaron Judge started the game on a high note, as his 26th home run of the season, a solo shot, cleared The Green Monster with ease in the first inning.
Trevino got a run back for the Yankees in the sixth with his own blast over Fenway’s big green wall, while Anthony Volpe scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.
Those three runs were charged to Kutter Crawford, who logged six innings, three hits, one walk, nine strikeouts and 84 pitches.
The Yankees had a chance to tack on in the seventh, as they had the bases loaded with nobody out. However, Gleyber Torres turned a 3-0 count into a strikeout. Trevino then fanned on three pitches before DJ LeMahieu lined out to center, which sparked a animated scream from Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly.
Just before the botched rally, Anthony Rizzo exited the game after colliding with Boston’s Brennan Bernardino at first base. The two banged hips, but Rizzo took a tumble and appeared to land on his right wrist, as he held the joint while lying on the ground in pain.
Per a press box announcement, Rizzo officially left the game with a right lower arm injury. The first baseman will see team physicians and undergo imaging in New York on Monday.
Anthony Rizzo left the game after this collision at first base. pic.twitter.com/ee4gurvVFR
— ESPN (@espn) June 17, 2024
With the season’s first Red Sox matchup out of the way, the Yankees are off on Monday. They’ll start a three-game series with another American League East rival when the Orioles visit the Bronx on Tuesday.
Albert Suárez, Cade Povich and Cole Irvin are scheduled to pitch for the O’s, who have lost more than a few starters to the injured list.
Nestor Cortes will start for the Yankees on Tuesday, while Luis Gil will get the ball on Thursday. The Yankees had not announced their Wednesday starter at the time of publication, leaving the door open for Gerrit Cole’s 2024 debut.
