BOSTON -- First impressions of the Red Sox 5-4 win over New York:
Gary Sanchez may be the new Red Sox-killer, but Hanley Ramirez is undoubtedly the new Yankee-killer.
Talk about some fireworks, these two each had an amazing series at the plate. They combined to knock in 14 of the series’ 43 runs (32.6 percent).
Ramirez knocked in nine runs, left the ballpark four times and finished 9-for-16 (.563) -- with both of his Sunday night home runs leaving Fenway in a blink.
Speaking of hard hit homers, Sanchez’s longball in the third inning nearly dented the “AAA” sign above the Green Monster. It’s almost like the 23-year-old doesn’t know how to hit a ball soft. He went 7-for-19 (.368) in the series, and two of his hits were doubles and two were blistering homers -- and one was a long single that nearly went over the monster Sunday night. All told, he knocked in five RBIs, too.
The two are almost 10 years apart in age, but that doesn’t mean that can’t provide a few old school slugfests over the next few seasons.
Boston Red Sox
Drew Pomeranz continues to show why he’s the odd man out for the postseason’s starting rotation.
Whether it’s fatigue or his general struggles on the mound, Pomeranz did not look good on the mound.
Sunday night wasn’t one of the cases where he made a few bad pitches, or the Yankee hitters got lucky on some well-placed pitches. Pomeranz was throwing balls over the heart of the plate, and New York made him pay.
None more than Gary Sanchez, who launched his second home run in as many days
The Red Sox mount another late comeback.
When it happens all series you have to wonder if it’s just as much a problem for the Yankees as it is a positive for the Red Sox.
Either way, it’s not a problem for Boston and that’s really all that matters.
Hanley Ramirez almost single-handedly won this series with his bat, knocking in 36 percent of Boston’s runs in the four-game sweep. Clearly the Thursday night walk-off carried a lot of momentum for him and his teammates.
The bullpen got the job done again.
With Pomeranz bowing out early, the Red Sox saw six relievers trot to the mound, and they all got the job done.
As much as the late comebacks have served as a huge momentum shift for the Red Sox offense, it’s been a lift for the bullpen, too.