Wray Morrison: Yankees, Red Sox is all I need to hear

The game featured a 45-minute rain delay.

The Boston Red Sox ended their three-game set with the New York Yankees on a high note, but there was some worry early in the game.

By quirk of the schedule, the Yankees will head back to Detroit on Friday – the first time they have played the Tigers since an episode late last August that made Wednesday night’s dust-up seem quaint. But let’s be crystalline clear about something: No team in any town plays under a greater tonnage of expectations than the Yankees in the Big Apple.

Rick Porcello’s no-hit bid was broken up in the 7th inning.

I know this isn’t hockey where guys lawfully exchange punches on ice as a way to settle personal scores or perceived offenses by the opposing team, but putting a fastball in an opponents backside has been an acceptable part of the game for decades – I dare say for over a century.

“I felt like it was intentional, and I didn’t want to let anybody push myself around or do anything like that”, he told reporters.

Gary Sanchez hit two home runs in a game that twice saw the benches empty and a fight that resulted in four ejections.

Hanley Ramirez took a pitch off the right hand in the first inning, and had to leave the game. Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez held Austin’s jersey back in an attempt to slow him down and potentially stop the events before they happened.

While last season, Gray suffered from a lack of run support in his starts after coming over to the Yankees from the Oakland Athletics, Yankee fans can only hope today that the offensive juggernaut that was kick-started by Sanchez in last night’s game will be in full force again.

Yankees hitting coach Marcus Thames was the one who eventually managed to restrain Austin having to push him towards the infield to the NY side’s bench. After a wild winter that saw the reigning National League MVP, Giancarlo Stanton traded to NY, the “Evil Empire” was officially back on the map. Then the Yankees won their next eight games, and that was that, finishing in first place with a 22-game cushion. Boston closer Craig Kimbrel entered to get the final three outs for his fourth save.

“We needed length tonight”, Cora said, “he did it”.

They now have alarming evidence Sonny Gray isn’t going to provide much help against their rivals. Buster Posey laced a two-run double and Hunter Pence hit a two-run single to back Stratton, who allowed only a single by San Diego hurler Clayton Richard during his seven innings of work. NY is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the total has gone over in six of those seven.

Jose Martinez drove in six runs and belted one of the Cardinals’ four home runs in a 13-4 thrashing of the Reds.