Ryan Yarbrough allows eight runs, Yankees' comeback falls short in 10-7 loss to Red Sox

Ryan Yarbrough was knocked around for eight runs and the Yankees’ comeback fell short in their 10-7 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday night in The Bronx.

Before Saturday, Yarbrough allowed six total runs in his first five starts since moving to the rotation, and had not allowed more than two runs in any start.

The Yanks (39-24) struck out 15 times to drop the middle game of this three-game set.

Here are the takeaways…

-The Red Sox would get to the southpaw early. After Yarbrough stranded Rafael Devers, who doubled with one out in the first, he couldn’t do the same in the second. After allowing a leadoff double, struggling rookie Kristian Campbell slapped a two-out single the opposite way into right field to give Boston a 1-0 lead.

With Anthony Volpe (elbow) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (rest) out of the lineup, Aaron Boone had to go with a ragtag bunch for Saturday’s game. Pablo Reyes started at third and Oswald Peraza started at shortstop. And that configuration would play a big part in the Red Sox’s five-run third inning.

After Yarbrough hit Devers to lead off, Rob Refsnyder doubled on a ball that Cody Bellinger tried to catch on a slide, but whiffed, allowing runners on second and third with no out. Carlos Narvaez hit a hard groundball to Paul Goldschmidt, but the Gold Glove first baseman picked the grounder and threw home to get Devers out at home. After Peraza grabbed a groundball in the hole on the left side, but Reyes didn’t cover third in time to get the force, resulting in an infield hit that loaded the bases, Abraham Toro blooped a single to center to cut the Yankees’ lead to 3-2. Trevor Story followed with a bases-clearing double that bounced off of Reyes’ glove to put Boston up 5-3. Campbell singled to cap off the five-run third.

It wouldn’t get much better for Yarbrough, who gave up a two-run shot to Romy Gonzalez — his first of the season — in the fourth.

Yarbrough would only go four innings (67 pitches/45 strikes), allowing eight runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out three batters. His ERA jumped from 2.83 to 4.17.

-On the other side, Garrett Crochet was making his Yankee Stadium and Red Sox/Yankees rivalry debut on Saturday. The hard-throwing lefty came into the start allowing more than two runs in a start just once this season, but Austin Wells upped that to two with his three-run blast in the second inning. The home run was set up by a leadoff infield single by Bellinger and a one-out walk to DJ LeMahieu. Wells jumped on the first-pitch cutter to send it over the short porch.

Wells would get Crochet again in the fourth with a double in the left-center gap with runners on first and second and one out to drive in his fourth run of the game. Reyes got the Yankees closer with an RBI groundout.

But aside from that, Crochet was great. He would go six innings (97 pitches/67 strikes), allowing the five runs on six hits, one walk, while striking out nine batters. Aaron Judge struck out three times against the southpaw, who settled down and gave Boston what they needed.

-The Yankees lineup wouldn’t wake up until the eighth inning. After Ben Rice led off with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Judge moved him to third on a flyout before Bellinger walked ahed of Jasson Dominguez. Bellinger stole second, but Dominguez struck out. LeMahieu picked up his teammate with a two-run single to cut the Red Sox’s lead to 8-7 and advanced to second on an overthrow from the outfield, setting up Wells to potentially drive in the tying run. But the catcher struck out to end the inning.

-In relief of Yarbrough, Yerry De los Santos pitched three innings of one-hit ball — with two walks mixed in — to keep the Red Sox off the board. Mark Leiter Jr. pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but Ian Hamilton wouldn’t have the same success in the ninth. A walk, and back-to-back singles loaded the bases with no outs for the Red Sox. Story made Yankees pitching pay again with a single up the middle to drive in two. Hamilton would finish the inning without allowing another run, but the damage was done.

Longtime Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman came on for the Red Sox in the ninth. He struck out Chisholm swinging, Peraza and Goldschmidtgrounded out to end the game.

-Judge finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts to drop his average to .390. Reyes finished 0-for-2 with an RBI and Chisholm pinch-hit for him and finished 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. Volpe pinch-ran for LeMahieu in the eighth and stayed in to play shortstop in the ninth.

Peraza went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Game MVP: Trevor Story

The veteran shortstop had the big hit in that five-run third and the huge two-run single in the ninth when the Yankees were lurking. Three hits and five RBI for Story

Highlights

What’s next

The Yankees and Red Sox complete their first series of the season on Sunday night. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.

Carlos Rodon (8-3, 2.49 ERA) will look to continue to his hot streak of starts while Boston will have Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 4.06 ERA) on the bump.

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