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The Red Sox (10-2) trot out Rick Porcello (2-0, 2.84 ERA) to face the Yankees (6-6) in the rubber match of a three-game set at Fenway Park that has serious potential for another brawl (7:10 p.m., NESN, MLBN out-of-market).
About tonight’s game: A day after dropping their first contest since Opening Day, Porcello looks to right the ship. He’ll be matched by Yankees right Sonny Gray (1-0, 3.60 ERA), but, of course, the starting pitchers are hardly the story. By that I mean... Andrew Benintendi is back and batting second, of course! No, it’s that Sandy Leon is back behind the plate. Or not. Is it that Tyler Austin is out of the Yankees’ lineup? I feel like I’m getting closer...
About last night’s game: Ah yes. It’s this:
Benches clear, punches thrown in Yankees-Red Sox after Tyler Austin is hit by a pitch from Joe Kelly. pic.twitter.com/wvqoak8QMV
— MLB (@MLB) April 12, 2018
That bit of mayhem followed a hard Tyler Austin slide into second base earlier in the game, during which he spiked Brock Holt and the two of them yelled back and forth, effectively ensuring something like this would happen. The fight overshadowed what had become a good game despite David Price’s injury-related exit after a first inning during which he gave up 4 runs and and in which the Sox found themselves down only 8-6 — most of the way back from 8-1 — after a J.D. Martinez grand slam. The Yankees would win 10-7, and more bad news came today: Bobby Poyner is headed to the DL with a hamstring injury, with Marcus Walden taking his place.
Forecast: Flurries (of punches).
A good tweet from yesterday, even for someone who doesn’t love Sox fights (other teams brawling is cool tho):
Joe Kelly saying "let's go" is my new spirit animal pic.twitter.com/KKXVXqxUHj
— Red (@SurvivingGrady) April 12, 2018
LINEUPS
Game 12 vs. Yankees
Lineup Spot | Yankees | Red Sox |
---|---|---|
Lineup Spot | Yankees | Red Sox |
1 | Brett Gardner, CF | Mookie Betts, RF |
2 | Aaron Judge, RF | Andrew Benintendi, LF |
3 | Giancarlo Stanton, LF | Hanley Ramirez, 1B |
4 | Didi Gregorius, SS | J.D. Martinez, DH |
5 | Gary Sanchez, C | Rafael Devers, 3B |
6 | Aaron Hicks, DH | Eduardo Nunez, 2B |
7 | Neil Walker, 1B | Jackie Bradley Jr., CF |
8 | Tyler Wade, 2B | Sandy Leon, C |
9 | Ronald Torreyes, 3B | Brock Holt, SS |
SP | Sonny Gray, RHP | Rick Porcello, RHP |