Piercing Attack

Steve Pearce

Not leaving anything to chance, the AL-East-leading Red Sox made a splash at this year’s trade deadline, acquiring Gold Glover Ian Kinsler to sure up second base while also adding flamethrower Nathan Eovaldi to bolster the team’s starting rotation. But a month before either of those trades took place, the Red Sox added a platoon partner for Mitch Moreland at first base by poaching veteran Steve Pearce from the division-rival Blue Jays.

At the time, not much was made of the Pearce addition. But on Thursday night, the 35-year-old gave a performance for the ages, lifting the Red Sox to a series-opening 15-7 victory over the visiting Yankees on the strength of three home runs and six RBI.

Early on, it looked like the Yankees had the Red Sox right where they wanted them. Didi Gregorius staked the Bombers to a 3-0 advantage by swatting a home run into the right-field bullpen (his first of two long balls on the night) while Aaron Hicks added another tater to stretch New York’s lead to four. CC Sabathia, who has owned the Red Sox in recent years, labored through three ineffective innings before getting the hook from first-year manager Aaron Boone. Sabathia took a line drive off his leg in the third inning, which may have been a factor in Boone’s decision.

Jonathan Holder has emerged as a legitimate force in the Yankees’ bullpen this year but the 25-year-old ran into a buzz-saw Thursday night. Pitching in relief of Sabathia, the right-hander faced seven hitters in the fourth inning without recording a single out. Holder completely self-destructed, allowing five hits including four for extra bases. The back-breaker was Pearce’s three-run missile to left field, which gave the Red Sox their first lead of the night. Holder seemed oblivious to Boston’s base-runners, allowing steals to Andrew Benintendi and Ian Kinsler. He also botched a fielder’s choice, allowing Jackie Bradley to score from third base, though it took an impossible slide for him to elude Austin Romine’s tag at home plate. In total, the Red Sox sent 13 men to the plate as part of an eight-run fourth inning. The half-inning took 31 minutes to complete as three Yankees (including Luis Cessa, who was scheduled to start Saturday’s game) combined to throw an exhausting 43 pitches.

The game was already well in hand by the time Pearce clobbered his third round-tripper of the evening, a majestic blast over the Green Monster in left field. The veteran came to the dish with a chance for his fourth home run of the night (which would have tied a major league record), but instead drew a one-out walk to load the bases in the eighth inning. Pearce, who has now played for every team in the AL East including his opponent Thursday night, has been a man possessed since arriving in Bean-town. He’s hit a blistering .358 over 53 at-bats for his new club. With first-time All-Star Mitch Moreland beginning to fade (4-for-28 with eight strikeouts in the second half), Pearce may be ready to shed his platoon status and become a regular in Boston’s starting nine. Whether he plays enough to warrant fantasy attention remains to be seen, but after watching him erupt for three homers on Thursday night, it’s clear that Pearce has a chance to be a big contributor down the stretch.

Pearce was the headliner on Thursday but his teammates were also busy with the bats, including Mookie Betts, who went 4-for-4 with three singles, a double and a stolen base while reaching in all six of his plate appearances. Mookie’s four-hit outburst raised his season average to .346, which leads the major leagues. The top-five hitters in Boston’s order—that includes Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Pearce, J.D. Martinez and newcomer Ian Kinsler—combined to go 16-for-26 (.615) with five doubles, three homers and 13 RBI in Thursday’s slugfest.

It seems ridiculous to suggest the Yankees, a team on pace for over 100 victories, have entered must-win territory. But with the prospect of a one-game Wild Card against the sizzling-hot A’s staring them in the face, the Bombers have to be thinking now or never. The Yankees have essentially played .500 ball over the past month (16-14 in their last 30 games), which probably won’t cut it with Boston steamrolling their opponents on a near-nightly basis. If the Yankees don’t at least split the weekend series at Fenway, they can probably kiss the division goodbye.

New York’s resiliency has been tested all year, but now the obstacles are really piling up. Aaron Judge, who has hit a monstrous .455 against the Red Sox this year, is still two weeks away from returning from a fractured wrist while Gary Sanchez, who has tormented David Price throughout his Yankees tenure, remains on the shelf with a strained groin. Yankees fans probably had a good chuckle at the Mets’ expense when Noah Syndergaard landed on the DL with hand, foot, mouth disease but now the tables have turned—left-hander J.A. Happ is battling the same illness. And just when it looked like Sonny Gray had it all figured out, the right-hander unraveled Wednesday in an ugly loss to Baltimore, allowing eight hits and seven runs over 2 2/3 lackluster innings. Thursday Boone announced that Gray will shift to the bullpen with Lance Lynn, who the Bombers acquired from Minnesota earlier this week, will occupy his spot in the starting rotation. On top of all those concerns, staff ace Luis Severino has face-planted to a brutal 8.84 ERA over his last four starts.

The Yankees face a light schedule this month with upcoming series against the White Sox, Rangers, Marlins and Orioles. Beating up on inferior competition could be a way for New York to close the gap in the AL East, but if the surging Red Sox continue their historic pace, it might not matter.

AL Quick Hits: Tommy Pham left Thursday’s game against the Angels after taking a pitch off his right foot. Fortunately, his X-rays came back negative. The Rays outfielder was acquired in a trade with St. Louis earlier this week … Blake Snell will return to the mound Saturday against the White Sox after missing time with a shoulder injury. Along with recent trade acquisition Tyler Glasnow, Snell is one of just two starting pitchers on the Rays’ major league roster … Xander Bogaerts was held out Thursday against the Yankees. The Red Sox shortstop suffered a hand contusion when he was bit by a pitch Tuesday night. He was available off the bench Thursday night and could return to the starting lineup as soon as Friday … Mike Trout sat out Thursday’s matinee against Tampa Bay with a jammed right wrist, though his X-rays and MRI results both came back negative. The Halos are calling him day-to-day … Chris Sale was sent to the DL with left shoulder inflammation earlier this week but is slated to return Wednesday against the Blue Jays. The Red Sox ace has cruised to a dominant 0.69 ERA over his eight-start unbeaten streak … Tyler Clippard started Thursday against Seattle, though he only logged an inning in what the Blue Jays billed as a “bullpen game.” It was the veteran’s first major league start in over 10 years … Thursday Rougned Odor became the fourth player in major league history to record five walks and a home run in the same game. The others were Hank Aaron, Edgar Martinez and Mark McGwire … Chris Tillman inked a minor league deal with Texas on Thursday following his release from Baltimore. He’ll begin his Rangers tenure with Triple-A Round Rock … Dee Gordon exited Thursday’s game after turning his ankle on a play at second base. He went 1-for-3 with a single and a stolen base before his departure.

NL Quick Hits: Marcell Ozuna bowed out of Thursday’s action due to left toe discomfort. However, he expects to return to the Cardinals’ starting nine on Friday after having a corn removed from his foot … Jose Martinez slugged a walk-off single Thursday in the Cardinals’ come-from-behind victory over Colorado. Rockies closer Wade Davis was charged with his fifth blown save in Thursday’s defeat … Maikel Franco launched a walk-off homer Thursday against the Marlins and punctuated his blast with a righteous bat flip. The game-winner extended his hitting streak to five games … Wil Myers exited Thursday’s game against the Cubs with a left foot contusion. X-rays were negative, though the Padres outfielder left the stadium in a walking boot and is scheduled to undergo both an MRI and a CT scan … Justin Turner, who had been on the disabled list with a strained groin, returned to the Dodgers’ lineup Thursday against the Brewers. He went 1-for-2 with a homer and three runs scored as L.A. cruised to a stress-free 21-5 victory … Johnny Cueto underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Thursday. The operation was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. Assuming the normal recovery time, there’s a good chance we won’t see Cueto back on a big-league mound until 2020 … Pablo Sandoval will head for season-ending surgery after an MRI revealed a “significant” tear in his right hamstring. The Giants third baseman hit .248 with nine homers over 230 at-bats this season … Hunter Strickland threw 20 pitches to live hitters Thursday at the Giants’ spring training facility in Scottsdale. The Giants reliever has been out with a broken hand since mid-June but expects to return from the disabled list when first eligible on August 19 … Jake Lamb has opted for surgery to repair a “fraying” left rotator cuff. The surgery will sideline Lamb for the remainder of 2018, though the D’Backs third baseman should be ready for the start of spring training … David Peralta was back in Arizona’s starting lineup Thursday after missing the previous two games with left shoulder tightness. He returned in style, notching four hits in a loss to San Francisco … Todd Frazier returned from the DL Thursday and went 0-for-4 in a loss to Atlanta. It took the 32-year-old a little less than a month to recover from a left rib cage strain … Steven Matz has been diagnosed with a mild flexor-pronator strain. The left-hander will likely need a stint on the disabled list, though the Mets have yet to make a roster move … Remember Rick Ankiel? Well apparently the 39-year-old is considering a comeback. The former Cardinal wants to give pitching another shot despite spending the latter part of his career as an outfielder.  

Ankiel