The second half of the 2013 season began much like the first half began and ended. The Yankees' offense was as quiet as we've come to think of it recently and the team lost yet another player to the disabled list. Andy Pettitte struggled early in the game, giving up a home run to Jacoby Ellsbury on the second pitch, but he settled in and retired 14 of the last 17 batters he faced. Unfortunately, that was too much for the feeble offense to overcome.
Jonny Gomes also managed to take Pettitte deep one inning after Ellsbury. Pettitte walked one batter and struck out four in his 6.1 innings of work. Shawn Kelley, Boone Logan, and Preston Claiborne followed Pettitte from the bullpen and held the Red Sox to no runs for the remainder of the game.
Brett Gardner got the Yankees on the board in the fourth without a run when he walked, stole second, and stole third. Jarrod Saltalamacchia threw the ball into left field trying to catch Gardner at third, which allowed the run to score. Lyle Overbay doubled and came home to score on a double by Chris Stewart in the fifth inning. Gardner was up next and could have tied the game at three with a single, but was called out on a 3-2 low strike (the second strike was actually worse since that one was a ball). Gardner fired his helmet down in disgust, and home plate umpire Mike Everitt tossed from the game, forcing the Yankees to use Alberto Gonzalez in left field and bat leadoff. Can't be doing that.
The two runs would be the only Yankees offense for the night. They had a chance to tie the game again in the eighth inning against lefty reliever Craig Breslow when Ichiro and Robinson Cano came up with back-to-back one-out hits, a single and a double. The game could again have been tied with a single (or at least halved with a timely fly ball), but because the Yankees' 4-5 hitters were Vernon Wells and Luis Cruz, they Vernon Wellsed and Luis Cruzed. A soft lineout and grounder to short ended the threat, and the Yankees went down quietly in the ninth against Koji Uehara.
In true 2013 fashion, not all participants on the Yankees side made it out alive. Zoilo Almonte injured his ankle in the second inning of the game and was forced to leave in the fifth. He's now headed to the disabled list with an ankle sprain. Of course he is.
John Lackey and Hiroki Kuroda square off tomorrow at 4:05 eastern time for the second game of the series on FOX.
Almonte headed to DL with ankle sprain. Second half starts pretty much the way the first half went.
— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) July 20, 2013
Melky Mesa and Thomas Neal packing their bags, heading for New York.
— Donnie Collins (@RailRidersTT) July 20, 2013
More from Pinstriped Bible:
- Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 15: Attack of the Humbler
- Yankees GIFs of the Week: Failing in the rain and Mariano's All-Star finale
- Looking for a second half rebound from Andy Pettitte
- Does A-Rod have anything left?
- Derek Jeter to the DL with quad strain, Brent Lillibridge called up, Brennan Boesch released