Yankees 4, Red Sox 2

 

Well, at least it's over. The New York Yankees are moving on, taking their pinstriped asses out of Fenway so at least we won't have to look at Aaron Judge's big buck-toothed face any longer or wonder exactly which Reich Shit Hitler is supposed to represent.

The Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox in Fenway, 4-0, 4-1, and 4-2. Yesterday, Carlos Narváez hit a solo homer for the Sox and Marcelo Mayer hit an RBI double, but that was about it.

Predictably, the press coverage was all about Schittler's so-called dominating performance over the Red Sox. Aaron Boone kept Schittler in the game for eight innings, because of course he did, but he gave up both of Boston's two runs and only got the Sox to strike out five times. Meanwhile, Payton Tolle, in his first MLB start of the season, got 11 K's and allowed only one run, but Alex Cora pulled him after six, because of course he did, and relief pitcher Danny Coulombe promptly gave up three earned runs before Weissert had to be called in to end the inning. 

But the press covered the game as "Schittler Outdueled Tolle" even though, statistically, Tolle had the better game (game ERA of 1.50 versus Schittler's 1.77). The real story, as I see it, is Alex Cora, possibly the worst coach in MLB so far this season, pulled his pitcher early and cost his team the game.

The Yankees fucking suck, man. I mean, they really fucking suck.

Meanwhile, the last-place Red Sox are 9-16 and seven games back, and the only reason they aren't winning the race to the bottom of the American League is because Kansas City has gone 1-9 over the last ten. Hard to compete against a performance like that.     

Okay, time to move on. The Red Sox leave Fenway after a 2-5 home stand and head off down the road to third-place Baltimore (12-13). Tonight, Brayan Bello (1-2, 6.75) starts against the Orioles' Brandon Young.  Young has pitched only five innings so far this season, but gave up no runs and earned the win, so his record is 1-0 and his ERA, 0.00. Last year, he was 1-7 with an ERA of 6.24.

Bello is 4-2 against Baltimore in eight career starts, and he has 45 strikeouts against Orioles batters, the third highest of any team he's faced (his highest number of career strikeouts is against the Yankees, but his start was pushed back from yesterday against New York to today against Baltimore, because Cora).

The Red Sox current OPS (on-base plus slugging) is .636, their lowest since 1917. They have the lowest slugging percentage (.331) in MLB and third lowest batting average (.223), tied with New York (Yankees suck).  They're tied with San Francisco for the least number of home runs (14) this season, and the only reason they aren't all alone in that category is because of last night's Narváez blast.

Perhaps Baltimore, home to crabcakes and Edgar Allen Poe, is where the season will turn around for the Red Sox.