Red Sox 1, Yankees 5: Back to Earth

After a pretty perfect game saw the Red Sox start their series against the Yankees with a win, Hiroki Kuroda brought Boston back down to earth, quieting the lineup and dealing them a 5-1 loss in game two.

Kuroda has had more than his fair share of difficulties with the Red Sox in the past, but today there was no sign of any struggles from beginning to end. Kuroda started the game with a 1-2-3 first, then struck out the side in the second on twelve pitches. It was not until the third that the Red Sox produced a baserunner, and that came on a single from Christian Vazquez that didn't even manage to leave the infield.

Anthony Ranaudo, meanwhile, was not having nearly so much success. The Yankees picked up two hits in their first three at bats against the young Red Sox starter, but Brett Gardner was caught so easily trying to steal second by Christian Vazquez that he ended up in a rundown. Derek Jeter started towards home, but Jemille Weeks threw behind him to record one out, then Brock Holt fired to second to get Brett Gardner for the second out, ending the frame.

Ranaudo would not be nearly so fortunate in the second. With one on and one out, Ranaudo through a straight fastball high in the zone to Brian McCann, and was punished for it with a second-deck shot down the right field line from the Yankees' catcher, putting the Red Sox in a 2-0 hole.

Ranaudo would settle down some over the next two innings, retiring eight straight Yankees. But the fifth saw McCann get to him again, this time with a ground ball single to start the frame. Chase Headley replaced him at first after a fielder's choice at second, then moved to third on a walk and single, scoring on Jacoby Ellsbury's sacrifice fly to make it 3-0, New York.

The Sox would finally get some offense going in the sixth inning, when Jemile Weeks was hit by a pitch and then scored on Brock Holt's double. But that was it from the Red Sox lineup. Kuroda worked around a Daniel Nava single in the seventh, handing the ball off to Dellin Betances and David Robertson, who recorded scoreless innings in the eight and ninth. The Yankees lineup, meanwhile, tacked on another pair of runs against Alex Wilson in the seventh, leaving it a 5-1 final.

Where Tuesday had seen Mookie Betts, Yoenis Cespedes, Daniel Nava, and Xander Bogaerts come through with big days, on Wednesday Nava was the only one with a positive performance at the plate, and he managed to get himself picked off standing up at first. These Red Sox have nothing to show for these nine innings.