BOSTON (AP) — So much for the Red Sox only beating up on baseball’s weaklings.After Yankees general manager Brian Cashman cast doubt on the quality of Boston’s record heading into their series at Fenway Park
Mike Schmidt Jersey , the Red Sox swept four games from their AL East rivals to expand their lead in the division to a season-high 9 1/2 games.Noting that the Red Sox had been 4-5 against New York before the series Cashman said, “You wonder what their record would be if they weren’t playing us.”The words made their way around the Boston clubhouse.“Yeah, we saw it,” outfielder Mookie Betts said. “We weren’t paying it any attention. We know what we are, we know what we can do and we went out and showed it.”J.D. Martinez singled in a pair of runs to key a ninth-inning rally and Andrew Benintendi drove in the game-winner in the 10th on Sunday night to help the Red Sox complete the sweep. After coming to Boston with hopes of closing the gap in the division, the Yankees left with a renewed focus on the wild-card race.“Everybody knew how big this series was,” Benintendi said. “We came in and did what we wanted to do. Kind of stole this one. Every win counts the same, but now again we have to re-shift our focus toward Toronto.”The Red Sox had the day off on Monday before opening a three-game series against the Blue Jays. That gave them a little extra time to enjoy their best-in-baseball record of 79-34 — 45 games above .500 (and just one game below .700) for the first time since Ted Williams returned from World War II to lead the 1946 team to a 104-50 record.The Yankees are stuck in a season-high five-game losing streak. It was just the seventh time they have been swept by the Red Sox in a series of four or more games in the last 100 seasons. (Of course, they also lost four straight in the 2004 AL Championship Series.)“A tough way to obviously end a tough weekend,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “But we can’t let this define what’s been a great season.”The Yankees were on the verge of snapping their skid on Sunday night before closer Aroldis Chapman walked the bases loaded in the ninth and then, with two out, J.D. Martinez singled in a pair of runs. Jackie Bradley Jr. scored from first on a throwing error by third baseman Miguel Andujar to send the game into extra innings.In the 10th, Benintendi bounced one up the middle to score Tony Renda, who came in as a pinch runner to make his major league debut, to win it.Boston improved to 7-3 in extra-inning games and has four walk-off wins in its last 13 games at Fenway. The Red Sox have a best-in-baseball 11 sweeps this season while not getting swept themselves at all.They are 8-5 against the Yankees, putting to rest any doubts Cashman might have had when he said: “You wonder what their record would be if they weren’t playing us. Because when we go head to head, we do some damage against them and it doesn’t seem like anybody else is capable.”Asked about the comments before the series
Mitch Williams Jersey , Red Sox manager Alex Cora avoided adding to the controversy.“Don’t lead me into that one,” he said. “He also said that he would love to be in our position, that he respects the way we’re playing. I leave it at that.” MIAMI — When the New York Yankees visit the Miami Marlins on Tuesday for the start of a two-game series, much of the attention will be on the return of right fielder/DH Giancarlo Stanton.A four-time All-Star, Stanton starred for the Marlins last year, leading the league in homers (59), RBIs (132) and slugging percentage (.631). He was named the National League MVP after his incredible 2017 season and yet the Marlins dumped his huge contract this past winter, trading him to the Yankees for second baseman Starlin Castro and two prospects.Stanton, who is battling through hamstring pain, is expecting the unexpected in this brief series in Miami.Article continues below ...“Walking in and going to the visitors’ side of the dugout (at Marlins Park) will be weird,” Stanton said. “But I’m looking forward to it — (Miami) was a big part of my life. It will be a cool experience.”Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he expects this to be emotional for Stanton.“He’s going back to a city where he grew up in a lot of ways,” Boone said. “He came up through their system, made the major leagues and became the face of their franchise.“From what I’ve seen of him the past four or five months, I think he will handle it pretty well.”Stanton, whose OPS is down from a career-best 1.007 last year to .896 this season, is batting .285 with 26 doubles, 32 homers and 80 RBIs in 123 games.He is being relied on more than usual at the moment because the Yankees are without three injured starters who combined to hit 110 homers last season — catcher Gary Sanchez
http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-dave-cash-jersey , shortstop Didi Gregorius and right fielder Aaron Judge.Sanchez (groin injury) could return by the end of this month. Judge (fractured right wrist) will be out until at least early September. Gregorius, who has a left-heel contusion, could return this week but likely not Tuesday.“There’s nothing broken, but he’s got a significant bruise,” Boone said of Gregorius. “There is swelling in there.”Perhaps those injuries might level the playing field a bit between the Yankees (78-46, second place in the American League East) and the Marlins (50-76, last place in the NL East).Tuesday’s pitching matchup features a battle of right-handers — rookie Pablo Lopez (2-3, 3.79 ERA) for the Marlins and veteran Masahiro Tanaka (9-4, 4.03) for the Yankees.Lopez, 22, struggled in his most recent start, allowing six runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Atlanta Braves.A 6-foot-3, 200-pounder from Venezuela, Lopez has a respectable WHIP of 1.17 in his eight major-league starts.But since making his big-league debut on June 30 with a win over the New York Mets, Lopez has never had either three consecutive poor starts or three straight quality outings. What Lopez is or can be as a pitcher has yet to be determined.Tanaka, a 6-3, 215-pounder from Japan who turns 30 in November
Steve Carlton Jersey , is much more established, posting a 61-32 record and a 3.62 ERA in five major-league seasons.He is one victory from his fifth consecutive double-figure-win season. Batters are hitting .232 against him this season, and his WHIP is 1.12.Tanaka has been much better on the road than at home this year, posting a 6-0 record and a 3.86 ERA when not inside Yankee Stadium. He is 3-4 with a 4.27 ERA at home.That could bode well for Tuesday’s start. However, Tanaka wants to reverse a trend that saw him dominate in July (2-0, 1.75 ERA) but struggle so far in August (0-3, 5.17 ERA in three starts).Watch out for Marlins first baseman Derek Dietrich on Tuesday. In six career at-bats against Tanaka, he is batting .667 with a home run and two RBIs.As for the Yankees’ lineup without their injured stars, expect second baseman Gleyber Torres to slide over to shortstop. Neil Walker will likely start at second base. Catcher Austin Romine has passed concussion protocol and should start behind the plate.New York’s outfield, left to right, could be Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks and Stanton.“I think we’ve responded well,” Stanton said when asked about the injuries. “It’s a good test for us to play well when we are not at our full potential. I think other guys will step up.”
