Yanks rally from 9-1 deficit to beat Red Sox 15-9
BOSTON - What appeared would be a comfortable Red Sox win, just their fifth of the season, instead turned into a demoralizing 15-9 loss to the Yankees.
"Sucked," said Red Sox shortstop Mike Aviles. "There's no other way to talk about it. The game sucked. That shouldn't happen. We should play better all around. There's nothing else to say. It wasn't fun. It sure was fun on the other side."
After the fifth inning, the Yankees were down 9-0. Climbing back to win they tied (for the first time in team history) the franchise record for the largest deficit overcome in a win.
"When you're down 9-0, I know we have a good offense, but you don't see a comeback like that at any level of baseball," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
He saw it in this game.
"I've played a lot of games," said Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira. "That may be the most fun regular season game I've ever been a part of. To be down 9-nothing and come back, it's pretty cool."
The Red Sox bullpen wasted a fine effort from starter Felix Doubront, who left after six innings with his team up 9-1.
"Those things happen," Doubront said. "That's baseball. I deserved better, but I'm with my team. For me, it was great, but I don't' feel that good because we lost."
Leading by eight runs going into the seventh inning, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine removed Doubront, with Vicente Padilla entering. Padilla struck out his first batter, Andruw Jones, looking at a 94-mph fastball. But after that, the Yankees battered the Sox right-hander, who could not get another out. Consecutive singles by Russell Martin and Eduardo Nunez and a Derek Jeter walk set the stage for a grand slam by Nick Swisher.
"You've got to give Doubront credit," Swisher said. "He keeps us off-balance. We really didn't do anything all night. ... Then it's 9-5, 9-6 and we start saying, 'We can do this.'"
Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine used every reliever except Scott Atchison; all were equally ineffective. Padilla gave up five runs. Matt Albers gave up two. Franklin Morales yielded one.
Alfredo Aceves -- who entered in the eighth for what was a six-out save situation -- gave up five runs, while Justin Thomas allowed one. Only Junichi Tazawa, who pitched 1 1/3 innings, did not give up a run.
The switch-hitting Teixeira went 3-for-6 with three runs scored, 6 RBI, and a home run from each side of the plate. It was the 13th time he homered from both sides in a game, extending his major league lead.
Nick Swisher went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and six RBI. He hit a grand slam in the seventh inning and two-run, go-ahead double in the eighth.
Early in the game it appeared the Sox would easily get their fifth win of the season. They had quickly knocked out struggling Yankees starter Freddy Garcia from the game. Garcia lasted just 1 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits.
Clay Rapada replaced Garcia, allowing a run in one-third of an inning. David Phelps replaced Rapada, going four innings, gave up three runs on six hits, a walk, and a hit batter with two strikeouts.
The six Red Sox relievers combined to give up 14 runs, the most runs allowed by the Boston bullpen since giving up 17 (nine earned) on June 19, 2000, in a 22-1 loss to the Yankees. New York sent a total of 23 batters to the plate in the seventh and eighth innings, with 14 scoring.
Doubront, who was in line for his first win of the season, went six innings, allowing one run on four hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
The Yankees scored seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings. It was just the second time the Yankees had scored at least seven runs in consecutive innings in team history, the first since June 19, 2000, against the Red Sox.
The Sox fall to 4-10 this season.
"Well there was a lot of good things that happened out there tonight," Valentine said. "They will not be lost in the shuffle. But not a very good three innings at the end. Real good beginning. Felix was terrific. David [Ortiz, 4-for-4] was terrific. A lot of guys were terrific tonight. So I don't think the outcome is going to destroy all the good things that happened. The outcome wasn't very good."
Rafael Soriano (2-0) got the win for the Yankees, pitching one scoreless inning, with a hit and a strikeout.
Aceves was charged with the loss, dropping to 0-1 with a 24.00 ERA.
The last time the Red Sox blew a nine-run lead to the Yankees was June 26, 1987, in Yankee Stadium.
NOTES: Red Sox Outfielder Jason Repko, who was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket April 15, has a slightly separated shoulder after crashing into the outfield wall in Friday's loss to the Yankees. Manager Bobby Valentine said Repko would be examined again to determine the extent of the injury and if a disabled list stint would be required. ... Red Sox Left fielder Carl Crawford, on the DL after left wrist surgery in January and elbow soreness, served as the designated hitter in an extended spring training game on Saturday. He went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three walks. He will be re-examined in Boston in the next few days. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said left-hander Andy Pettitte's return to the team is "getting close to a reality now," with three more minor league starts possible. Pettitte started an extended spring training game on Friday against the Pirates organization. He threw five innings, giving up two earned runs on four this with no walks, and five strikeouts. ... Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda was shut down after he felt pain in his shoulder during his first rehab assignment outing. He threw 15 pitches in his outing Saturday. ... Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis left the after the top of the fourth with a left quad contusion. He was hit on the leg by a pitch from David Phelps in his third-inning at-bat.
