AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
GAME ONE
YANKEES 4
RED SOX 5
FINAL
Chris Sale is arm weary; Chris Sale is fading; Chris Sale is just not a good second-half pitcher. All these maladies are based in truth. Sale's history as a starter says so. He indeed suffered shoulder inflammation this season. To what extent, we don't know. But his regular season speaks for itself. After making 18 starts from March/April through June, he is limited to just nine starts from July through September. His velocity goes from upwards of 98-mph in the first half, down to the low 90's by September.
However, Alex Cora continually downplays Sale's condition throughout the second-half. As I wrote yesterday, no one person understands his own team better than Cora - Dave Dombrowski included. He put both the Red Sox and Yankees through a comprehensive audit last season while serving as bench coach with the Houston Astros. Last year's post-season experience makes him a veritable treasure trove of information with unique insight into his own club, the Yankees, and the defending champion Astros.
For as long as the Red Sox maintain a somewhat commanding regular season lead over the Yankees, Cora is afforded an opportunity to utilize Chris Sale sparingly, and massage him back into the post-season rotation. Friday against the Yankees, Aaron Sale is charged with two earned runs on five hits through 5.1 innings pitched, with eight strikeouts for the victory. He tops out at 96-mph.
The Red Sox lead the Yankees 5-0 through the fifth. With two on and one out in the sixth, Cora removes Sale. That's when the fun stops. Boston's bullpen goes on to surrender four earned runs (two charged to Sale) on five hits and three walks. Despite their overall inefficiencies, Cora's move to bring in Rick Porcello proves brilliant. Utilizing him on his throw day, Cora gets fifteen pitches and two important outs from his Game Three starter.
Aaron Judge's home run off Craig Kimbrel leading off the ninth cuts the Red Sox lead down to one. But Kimbrel regroups to strike out the next three Yankee batters and complete a four out save.
So much for J.A. Happ's career success against the Red Sox - the very reason why Brian Cashman acquired him in the first place. Happ surrenders a three-run home run to J.D. Martinez in the first inning, and is removed before recording an out in the third. For the record, Happ allows five runs on four hits and a walk over two innings pitched for the loss.
Giancarlo Stanton goes 1 for 5 with four strikeouts. The bottom four of the line-up (Didi Gregorius, Miguel Andujar, Gary Sanchez, Glayber Torres) go 2 for 13 with four strikeouts. Yankee batters total 13 strikeouts for the game; the Red Sox fan seven times (three by Ian Kinsler). On that note, the Yankees leave ten runners on base, and go just 1 for 7 with RiSP. The Red Sox are 3 for 6 with RiSP, and leave just six runners on base.
Yet, the Yankees out-hit the Red Sox by a 10-8 margin, and more importantly make Boston pitchers throw 182 pitches, versus just 127 pitches thrown by the Yankees. They were able to piece together three runs before Aaron Judge's blast in the ninth, which is important for a team that generally lives and dies with the long ball. Meanwhile, Judge appears healthy as ever, going 3 for 5 with an RBI and run scored.
The Yankees bullpen throws six scoreless innings of four-hit ball, issuing just two walks and fanning five. Although called upon to pitch more innings than anticipated, Sunday is an off day as the series shifts to Bronx. For the moment, Aaron Boone should be able to absorb the tax.
Overall, the margin of difference in this game proves very slim.
The move bringing in Rick Porcello to pitch the eighth saves the day.
But make no mistake, the Yankees can easily escape Boston with a split. Masahiro Tanaka faces off against Yankees pinata David Price in Game Two, Saturday night at Fenway Park.
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