Red Sox bullpen implodes in eighth inning in loss to Yankees

NEW YORK — By the late innings of a tied game against their biggest rival, the Red Sox were entrenched in the definitely risky, potentially rewarding portion of the afternoon. Only two outcomes remained: one of the greater thrills of the year, or another punch in the gut.

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The Red Sox received the latter.

They lost to the Yankees, 6-1, on Sunday after the bullpen imploded to give up five runs with two outs in the eighth inning. Justin Slaten allowed New York to sneak ahead, and Joe La Sorsa allowed them to blow it open.

And so the Sox settled for a split of the rain-interrupted two-game series. They won Friday, rested Saturday, and kept it close for most of Sunday, not that it mattered in the end.

Slaten, promoted to eighth-inning man amid the absence of Garrett Whitlock, retired his first two batters, getting Paul Goldschmidt and Ben Rice to strike out swinging. 

Then he left a cutter over the plate to Cody Bellinger, who parked it in the right-field seats for a sudden Yankees lead.

It all fell apart after that. Amed Rosario singled, stole second, and scored on Trent Grisham’s single. Then Grisham stole second, and Anthony Volpe walked.

That was when interim manager Chad Tracy turned to La Sorsa. His first pitch as a member of the Red Sox was a sinker on the inner edge of the plate. Jazz Chisholm Jr. hammered it an estimated 411 feet to right-center.

In a pitchers’ duel, the highlight across the first half of the game or so came in the top of the fifth, when a cloud blocked the sun to create glorious, fleeting shade. The announced sellout crowd of 46,144 cheered.

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The Yankees broke through first, after José Caballero doubled with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Paul Goldschmidt flipped a single to right field to bring him in, despite a smooth play by Wilyer Abreu to make it interesting. Abreu’s slide attempt resulted in a backhanded trapping of the ball, and his quick throw made the play at the plate closer than it should have been.

The Sox got the run right back in the top of the sixth. Ceddanne Rafaela singled with one out and came around on Willson Contreras’ two-out double off the left-field wall. 

That marked the end of the day for righthander Cam Schlittler, who wasn’t quite as sharp as his previous two start against the Red Sox (16 innings, one run).

In grinding through 5⅔ frames, he worked around four hits and a walk, his first since May 20. A key moment in ending his day early: Marcelo Mayer fought him for 10 pitches before grounding out to end the top of the fifth.

Suarez similarly exited after 6⅓ innings, one run, and six hits — his longest outing since April. He struck out six, including Jazz Chisholm Jr. three times, and walked none.

The Yankees went 0 for 9 against Suarez in the first three innings and 6 for 15 in the next three.

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