The Red Sox Got Dinky Homered To Death At Yankee Stadium
Just like the Yankees’ dinky little 340-foot home runs count as much as 500-foot home runs, a 10-1 loss counts just as much as a 3-2 loss. Not a big deal. All three of the Yankees’ home runs would’ve been fly ball outs, ten feet in front of the warning track at Fenway Park. That’s not an excuse; just a fact. The Red Sox still would’ve lost anyway, so that’s the main point here. The Red Sox got beat by the Yankees, and the champagne stayed on ice for the second straight night in the Bronx.
And don’t get me wrong — laughing at Yankee Stadium’s right field porch for being a joke is not the same thing as saying, “The Red Sox should’ve won.” The Red Sox should not have won that game. The Red Sox were playing with the same exact short porch in right field and didn’t take advantage of it. But even Dennis Eckersley, a Hall of Famer, said on the broadcast, “It’s so bad. It’s almost laughable,” after Luke Voit’s home run that he flicked over the wall.
Little League homers aside, Luis Severino pitched his first great game since the Vietnam War, so hats off to him for joining everybody else in the second half of the season. He finally showed up. A little late, since the division race is over, but I do admire the Yankees for showing some fight and not wanting the Red Sox to clinch at Yankee Stadium. Again.
Before a ballpark dimensions war breaks out, let’s address the elephant in the room — no, I’m not “worried” about David Price. He’s been the best (qualified) pitcher in the American League in the second half. I am, however, concerned about him pitching in Yankee Stadium in a playoff game. Being that Game 2 of the ALDS would be at Fenway Park, you wouldn’t have to worry about that at the start of the series, and a potential decisive Game 5 would also be at Fenway Park. I think/hope that this was the last we’re going to see of Price at Yankee Stadium in 2018. Thank Christ.
Yankee Stadium has been a house of horrors for Price this year, as the left-hander has allowed 8 of his 20 homers there this season. If you take out Price’s two starts at Yankee Stadium this year, he’s got a 3.05 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with 166 strikeouts in 162.1 innings this season. That includes his performance against the Yankees last month in the series finale at Fenway Park when Boston swept a four-game series from New York. Price has been great this season…everywhere but Yankee Stadium.
In the series finale, Eduardo Rodriguez will be given the ball as Boston’s last hope to clinch the AL East at Yankee Stadium. Opposing him will be Masahiro Tanaka, who has been excellent in the month of September with a 0.43 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 21 innings over three starts. He hasn’t been nearly as good against the Red Sox, though.
In three starts against Boston in 2018, Tanaka has a 6.60 ERA, giving up 21 hits in 15 innings, five of which were homers. Rodriguez has two starts against the Yankees this year, both at Yankee Stadium. In his first one, he blanked the Yankees over five innings, and gave up five earned runs over six innings in the next.
Final score: Yankees 10, Red Sox 1