Masahiro Tanaka Leads Yankees To 3-1 Win Over Red Sox To Avoid Sweep

Masahiro Tanaka topped David Price in their first matchup to win his fourth straight decision, and the New York Yankees ended the Boston Red Sox’ six-game winning streak Sunday night with a 3-1 home victory.

Masahiro Tanaka Leads Yankees To 3-1 Win Over Red Sox To Avoid Sweep

Tanaka limited the Red Sox to just three hits in an 87-pitch, six-inning performance as he walked one and struck out seven. Price, meanwhile, allowed 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings. All of New York’s hits off the Boston left-hander came in a three-run fourth inning, highlighted by run-scoring hits from Starlin Castro, Austin Romine and Jacoby Ellsbury. 

“We didn’t necessarily have a meeting and talk about how important tonight’s game was, but I think everybody understood the importance,” Tanaka, a Japanese right-hander, said through an interpreter. “We needed to win today.”

Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia hit a first-inning homer, his 10th, to mark the only blast off Tanaka. Yankees manager Joe Girardi then turned the pitching over to his relief trio after the sixth: right-hander Dellin Betances and left-handers Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, all of whom kept the Red Sox scoreless.

New York moved back to a game below .500 at 45-46. The Red Sox, meanwhile, defeated the Yankees in New York 5-3 on Friday and 5-2 on Saturday. Boston hasn’t swept a series of at least three games away from home since May 2013 in Minnesota. The Red Sox also haven’t won seven straight overall since June 1, 2014.

“You’re the guy who goes out there and doesn’t help us win that seventh one, that’s tough,” said Price, in his first season with Boston after signing a $217 million, seven-year contract.

After getting men on in each of the first three innings, the Yankees’ first run-scoring knock against Price came as Castro blasted a one-out double to the wall in left field to plate Didi Gregorius from first base. This tied the score at 1 in the fourth. According to Statcast™, Gregorius went from first to home in 10.11 seconds, and hit a max speed of 20.5 mph. The shortstop is hitting 370 (30-for-81) against left-handed pitching this year.

Price threw 28 pitches in the three-run fourth and gave up five hits. He had just one strikeout, equaling a season-low set over a 2 1/3 inning showing in Texas on June 24. Price has now gone less than six innings for only the second time in his last 13 starts.

After Price left with two outs in the sixth, relievers Robbie Ross Jr., Heath Hembree and Tommy Layne took over and didn’t allow any hits.

The Yankees improved to 14-5 in games which Tanaka has pitched, compared to a 31-41 (.431) record with all other starters in 2016.

“I thought he gave us everything he had, and I thought he aired it out in the sixth inning,” Girardi said. “So I just said, “It’s an important game and we have those big three guys down there for a reason, and I’m going to go to them.”

After a day off on Monday, the Red Sox (51-39, 2nd in AL East) will host the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night for the first time since 2007 for the first of a two-game series. Righty Rick Porcello, who is 8-0 in nine Fenway starts this season, opens the series, while the Giants will start former Red Sox right-hander Jake Peavy. 

The Yankees will open a four-game home series against the division-leading Baltimore Orioles on Monday night, with right-hander Ivan Nova (6-5, 5.18 ERA) on the mound. Righty Kevin Gausman (1-6, 4.16 ERA) will start for the Orioles.

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 17: Masahiro Tanaka #19 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on July 17, 2016 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)