DOUG ALDEN
Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — The game ball that Red Sox right-hander Anthony Ranaudo will treasure from his major league debut wasn’t the one from the final out in Boston’s 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees.
Instead, his teammates made sure to save the ball he threw to strike out Derek Jeter in the third inning — Ranaudo’s first major league strikeout.
“I think that’s pretty cool,” said Ranaudo, who grew up in New Jersey rooting for Jeter and the Yankees. “That’s something that will be part of my life the rest of my life.”
Ranaudo (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits over six innings while winning his first start in the majors. He made a few mistakes, including a solo homer Carlos Beltran hit into the New York bullpen in the fourth, but scattered them well enough for Boston to hang on after taking a 2-0 lead in the third.
“He did a good job keeping the game under control,” Boston manager John Farrell said.
Ranaudo walked four and struck out two. The first was against Jeter, who followed up with a homer off reliever Junichi Tazawa over the Green Monster to pull the Yankees within 4-3.
The Red Sox, mired deep in last place in the AL East after losing eight of nine, have won three straight over the Yankees.
“We’ve got to win games this time of year,” New York third baseman Chase Headley said. “That’s where the frustration comes.”
Koji Uehara pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.
Boston got to Chris Capuano (1-2) in the third when Brock Holt hit a one-out triple down the right-field line, then scored when Dustin Pedroia followed with a drive over Jacoby Ellsbury’s head in center. The ball bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double and Pedroia scored easily from second on a single by David Ortiz.
After Beltran’s 13th homer of the season cut the lead to 2-1, the Red Sox got an RBI single from David Ross in the fourth and added an insurance run in the seventh when Pedroia singled home Mookie Betts, who led off with a single and advanced on a sacrifice.
Capuano pitched 6 1-3 innings for New York, allowing four runs and eight hits. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter.
FURTHER REVIEW
Ellsbury was called out attempting to steal second after a leadoff walk in the sixth. The Yankees challenged and won, leading to a run when Ellsbury scored on Beltran’s single to give Boston a 3-2 lead. Ellsbury appeared to have an extra-base hit in the eighth on a drive to his former territory in the center-field triangle, but was robbed on a lunging catch by Betts — an infielder who’s getting a chance in the outfield.
“For a guy who’s transitioning positions, it’s a very athletic play,” Farrell said.
BIG MONTH FOR BIG PAPI
Ortiz led the majors with 25 RBIs in July. He got August off to a good start by driving in one on Friday, giving him 78 RBIs for the season.
MOVING DAY
The Yankees made three roster moves before the game, designating INF Brian Roberts for assignment and optioning INF Zelous Wheeler and OF Zoilo Almonte to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Red Sox had some moves of their own, adding OF Yoenis Cespedes and OF Allen Craig to the roster; recalling Betts, LHP Tommy Layne, Ranaudo and RHP Alex Wilson from Triple-A Pawtucket; activating 3B Will Middlebrooks from the 15-day disabled list; placing OF Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to July 31) due to a lower back strain and designating 1B/OF Mike Carp for assignment.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Michael Pineda will start in Triple-A Scranton on Sunday with a limit of about four innings or 65 pitches. Doctors will evaluate Masahiro Tanaka on Monday, three weeks after he was given a platelet-rich plasma injection in his torn ulnar collateral ligament as an alternative to surgery.
Red Sox: Middlebrooks returned for Boston after missing 67 games with a broken finger and started at third base. Ross came up limping when he grounded out to end the sixth. He left the game and was replaced by Christian Vazquez.
ON DECK
Yankees: Shane Greene (2-1) makes his fifth start in the same ballpark where he made his major league debut on April 24. Greene got plenty of run support as the Yankees routed the Red Sox 14-5.
Red Sox: Allen Webster (1-0) makes his second start of the season as the Red Sox try to re-establish the rotation after trading starters Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jake Peavy and Felix Doubront. Webster went 5 1-3 innings last week against the Rays, allowing two runs and five hits and getting the victory as Boston snapped a five-game losing streak.
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