Ahead of their showdown at London Stadium, the record-breaking Boston Red Sox have had a tough start to defending their World Series title, whilst rivals New York Yankees are in second place in the American League East standings.
Having eclipsed a 106-year record last campaign, winning 106 games, the Red Sox have only managed two victories so far this term.
The Yankee Stadium savoured that night, with their team running out comprehensive 8-0 winners to inflict further pain onto their rivals. Pitcher James Paxton struck 12 out, only getting two hits in his debut against the reigning champions.
The final tickets for Mitel and MLB Present London Series 19 remain on sale directly from London Stadium here…
Acquired from Seattle in the off-season, Paxton was sending 99mph balls to Red Sox hitters, who were unable to deal with the left-hander’s deliveries. As for Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale, he had a difficult night, conceding half the runs and only striking out six.
Mike Tauchmann hit his first Major League homer and added four more runs to the total, Clint Frazier and Gleyber Torres also scored for the Yankees. It was a highlight of the season for the Yankees, who despite being second, also had lost more than they’d won.
The rivals hadn’t played with both .500 at this point in the season, since 1992, although the Yankees have picked up since. They defeated the record-breaking Red Sox last season, thrashed them at Yankee Stadium, then overturned a 3-0 deficit to win again the next day.
A 100th career home-run for Brett Gardner sealed an amazing 5-3 comeback over the falling World Series champions. His 364 feet hit off Ryan Brasier in the seventh, capped a two-game sweep over Red Sox and meant Yankees had won a home series for the first time this season.
J.D. Martinez had Red Sox off to the perfect start with a homer in the first off J.A. Happ, a two-run homer from Christian Vazquez had Boston comfortably in front.
The Yankees stormed back following Clint Frazier’s RBI in the fourth. Tauchmann and Austin Romine made it round from Frazier’s hits, leaving the scores balanced in the seventh. Gardner was two strikes down against Brasier, before unleashing a hit that sent Yankee Stadium wild, and took his side 5-3 ahead.
Yankees shut-down Red Sox to close-out the game and secure bragging rights heading towards London Stadium next month. Red Sox fell to 6-13 in the season, the worst start for the World Series champions since Florida Mariners in 1998. Yankees are currently second, 18-13.
The final tickets for Mitel and MLB Present London Series 19 remain on sale directly from London Stadium here…
