BOSTON — Yankees right-hander Domingo German was on a hot streak, but the Red Sox put an abrupt end to his recent streak of success on Friday night.
German, who boasted a 2.20 ERA in his previous seven starts, recorded his shortest outing of the season, a two-run implosion that saw him charged with seven earned runs. Trouble started in the German’s 32-shot first inning when, with a 1-0 lead, he gave up a two-run brace to Masataka Yoshida. The reader just missed clearing the green monster.
Justin Turner, meanwhile, had the distance when he hit a two-run homer off the big wall at Fenway Park in the second, the biggest outburst of a game that saw the last-place Red Sox beat their third-place rivals in the American League East, 15-5.
“It’s definitely not the start I was looking for, that’s for sure,” German said. “You have to give them credit. They had a good plan of attack tonight. I tried to fight all night and stay as long as possible until [Aaron Boone] took the ball from me.
“They were better tonight.”
While German thought the Red Sox were putting good hits on good pitches, Boone felt the pitcher’s drive and curveball were wrong. The German walked twice in as many innings.
“Fair overall, not his best,” Boone said. But he and the last-place Red Sox barely finished, as they easily beat their third-place American League East rivals 15-5.
Turner added a grand slam in the third inning after some Yankees defensive mishaps. This time he went away from Matt Krook, who made his long-awaited major league debut on Friday. Krook had spent 12 total days on the Yankees’ active roster before seeing action, but the 28-year-old rookie left his first MLB game with a 27.00 ERA after allowing five earned runs in 1, 2 sleeve.
While Krook was unhappy with the results, he took a moment to savor his debut after spending part of seven seasons in the minors.
“I’m just super grateful for this opportunity,” said the southpaw, who pitched past his wife. “I worked a long time to get here. So that means a lot.
Turner finished the night with a record six RBIs, while Yoshida totaled three to go along with four hits. Triston Casas, Connor Wong and Pablo Reyes combined for four more RBIs.
The Yankees, meanwhile, made their first run on an Anthony Rizzo pitch in the opening frame. Rizzo then drove two more with an RBI double in the sixth. Billy McKinney also added an RBI single in the sixth.
Josh Donaldson then hit a solo homer on the Monster and on Fenway in the eighth inning, but the Yankees were in too big a hole by then. That pit deepened in the eighth, when super utility Isiah Kiner-Falefa gave up an extra point on his second rake appearance of the season.
Tanner Houck held the Yankees at bay for the second straight start, but his night ended prematurely after a line drive from Kyle Higashioka hit the Red Sox in the right face in the fifth inning. Houck, who left the field under his own power but with a towel over his face, allowed one run in four innings.
The Red Sox said Houck came out with a facial contusion, but did not provide details during the explosive game.
While the Yankees’ pitchers were ineffective Friday, a handful of poor defensive plays also contributed to the lopsided score. The Yankees were only charged with two errors, but that number could have doubled if not for the generous decisions of the official scorers.
“We didn’t play well tonight,” Boone said of the Yankees’ slack, though he was happy to get some points on the board. “We just didn’t play a very clean game.”
Added Donaldson, who missed a ball before Turner’s grand slam, “It wasn’t the brand of baseball we’re used to playing. A little sloppy defensively, or a lot sloppy defensively today. It’s not in our DNA to do that. It happens sometimes. We will look to bounce back and play better tomorrow.
With another Boston Massacre in the history books, Clarke Schmidt is set to face Brayan Bello on Saturday. However, Boone didn’t seem optimistic about the rain forecast ahead of Friday’s game, and he expected a doubleheader on Sunday if Saturday’s game was to be called off.
Luis Severino and James Paxton are Sunday’s likely pitchers.