Red Sox RHP Buchholz leaves with elbow tightness

Buchholz has been pitching like an ace of late, so it’s a potentially big blow.

After being missing for a week, Mike Napoli is back at first and in the Red Sox lineup Friday night as they start what actually seems like an important series again against New York in Boston. The Red Sox should have an update on his status shortly.

Red Sox starter exited Friday’s start due to an injury, presumably.

Everything went south in the fourth inning.

Buchholz (7-7), who had won his previous four starts to spur Boston’s recent turnaround, left with elbow tightness with one out in the third. The Yankees rank second in the Major League Baseball with 393 runs scored and have been successful against Buchholz over the years. Figueroa popped out to second baseman B.Holt.

The Red Sox should have been out of the bases-loaded jam unscathed when Jacoby Ellsbury grounded to second base.

The tone was set when Rodriguez, back at DH after taking Thursday off, sent Buchholz’s 2-1 changeup onto the street over the Green Monster seats, and the Yankees were on to their third straight win and fifth in a row over their rivals.

Another demon of speed, Brett Gardner, grounded a ball to Napoli. Nonetheless it bounced off him, and as he raced to the ball, Ross raced to the bag.

Left-hander Robbie Ross Jr. replaced Buchholz, who left trailing 1-0. It was a disastrous frame all-around for Boston.

Ramirez, selected earlier in the day from Triple-A Pawtucket, was charged with four runs – two earned – and gave up three hits.

This time, the win hinged on Red Sox mistakes as much as the Yankees’ impact bats. He retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced. Dellin Betances struck out two in a ideal eighth before Andrew Miller pitched around a leadoff error in a scoreless ninth. In the middle of a Stephen Drew at-bat, catcher Sandy Leon went to the mound and called for manager John Farrell and the trainer. “That gets us out of the inning there with no runs, so that was a big one”.

Brentz had his best season in the minors in 2011, when he hit.

The Rays scored two runs on RBI groundouts in the sixth and added a run in the seventh on a solo homer by right fielder Brandon Guyer.

Only two players playing this weekend were even around for the events above – David Ortiz and Rodriguez (who, by the way, is now the most-tenured Yankee).

If you want MORE coverage of your team, check out Red Sox Beat Podcast here on CLNS Radio! Pineda has had trouble against some of the league’s better offenses this year, such as the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles, but he has also dominated the high-powered Blue Jays (1-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 12 strikeouts in two starts).