Red Sox Ride 4-Run Second Inning To 8-2 Win Over Yankees

The Boston Red Sox got to C.C. Sabathia early and beat the New York Yankees 8-2 on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Jacoby Ellsbury led the Red Sox, going 3-for-6 at the plate and driving in two runs in the win.

Jose Iglesias got the Red Sox on the board with an RBI-single with one out and the bases loaded in the second inning. After Ellsbury grounded into a force play, Shane Victorino drove in two with a single to shallow left and Dustin Pedroia followed with another RBI-single to give the Red Sox a 4-0 lead.

The Yankees responded in the bottom of the fourth when catcher Francisco Cervelli drove in two runs with a line drive down the left-field line to bring the Yankees within two of the Red Sox. John Lester settled down and got through the fifth inning before giving way to the bullpen.

Lester struck out seven and walked two in the win over the Yankees. The Red Sox bullpen followed Lester’s performance with four scoreless innings, capped off by a 1-2-3 ninth by new closer Joel Hanrahan, who struggled this spring but made quick work of the Yankees.

C.C. Sabathia struck out five and walked four in the loss to the Red Sox. Sabathia’s fastball velocity was down as he gave up eight hits over five innings before being relieved.

The Red Sox added to their lead in the seventh inning when rookie Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in Will Middlebrooks with a groundout. Bradley Jr. made the Red Sox roster out of spring training after a long debate within the organization, and walked three times in his first major league game.

Joba Chamberlain came into the game in the top of the ninth inning and gave up back-to-back singles to Ellsbury and Victorino to give the Red Sox an 8-2 lead. Hanrahan finished off the Yankees in the bottom half as a majority of the fans had already left Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees have high expectations this season, though they have been ranked near the bottom of many preseason rankings. The Yankees went into Opening Day without $88 million of their payroll on the field, including Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira.

In hopes of fielding a decent ballclub, the Yankees picked up Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells during the last week of spring training, but neither had a hit Monday as the Yankees lost their first Opening Day home game since 1982 against the Chicago White Sox.

The Red Sox are coming off a horrific start to the 2012 season that turned into a rebuilding year after there was no hopes for the playoffs. Boston now has their rotation in position to make a run for the AL East title in 2013, and proved they can drive in some runs with the big win over the Yankees.

Are the Red Sox a playoff team in 2013? Are the Yankees doomed with so many star players out due to injury?

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