BOSTON — The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning thanks to Yankees closer Clay Holmes’ inability to find the strike zone. But Alex Verdugo grounded into a 5-6-3 double play to end it.
The Yankees won the first game of the doubleheader, 3-2. Game 2 is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. If the Red Sox lose, they will drop into a tie for last place in the AL East with New York.
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Holmes retired Wilyer Abreu on a groundout to first base on a 3-1 pitch to begin the ninth. But the righty then walked the next three batters. Ceddanne Rafaela walked on a 3-2 pitch, Enmanuel Valdez walked on a 3-1 pitch and Reese McGuire walked on a 3-1 pitch.
Ten of Holmes’ previous 12 pitches were balls but Verdugo swung at the first pitch of his at-bat and grounded into a game-ending double play. Only seven of his 22 pitches were strikes.
But manager Alex Cora was OK with Verdugo swinging at the first pitch for two reasons.
“I don’t know the numbers with Dugie against that guy but I think he’s been really good,” Cora said. “So it’s hard for me to second-guess his at-bats against him because he’s been really good against him and that pitch was middle-middle.”
The pitch, a 97.1 mph sinker, was thrown right down the middle of the plate.
Verdugo entered the at-bat 3-for-5 with three singles, two RBIs, three walks and one strikeout against Holmes.
Cora also was pleased with the patience young hitters Rafaela and Valdez showed.
“They did a good job and then Ceddanne did a good job putting pressure on him (Holmes) at second, which is great,” Cora said. ”Got a bunch of athletes that are doing a lot of good things. I think the at-bats were great. It just happened that we were short.”
Boston enters Game 2 with a 73-71 record. New York is 72-72.
