Clay Buchholz Hit Hard as Red Sox Fall to Yankees

Apr 12, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter

(13) hits a three run double in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Clay Buchholz took the mound Sunday night in the Bronx with the hopes of pitching the Boston Red Sox (4-2) to a series sweep over their rival New York Yankees (2-4). Instead, Alex Rodriguez and his mates jumped all over Buchholz from start and walked away with an impressive 14-4 beatdown of Boston.

Buchholz was tagged for nine earned runs on nine hits over just 3 1/3 innings of work. He walked two and struck out three. Masahiro Tanaka countered for the Yankees and allowed just three runs over five innings. He scattered four hits and racked up four strikeouts.

Buchholz was not sharp and the Yankees made him pay right out of the gate.

In the first, Carlos Beltran opened up the scoring upon grounding into a fielder’s choice. Rodriguez then blasted a three-run double to deep center to make it 4-0. Buchholz would then surrender a two-run homer to Chase Headley and a solo homer to Stephen Drew before escaping the opening frame.

Down 7-0 in the fourth, the Red Sox staged a mini comeback. Hanley Ramirez plated David Ortiz on  a sacrifice fly to deep right. Xander Bogaerts followed with a double to left that scored Pablo Sandoval and Mike Napoli.

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The Yankees would add three more runs in the fifth to make it 10-3. Brett Gardner singled home a pair and Mark Teixiera connected on a sacrifice fly.

Ramirez launched his third homer of the season off Tanaka in the fifth to cut the Yankees lead to 10-4. It was a monstrous hit that landed out in the right-center field bleachers. Unfortunately for Boston, it was the final run the Yankees would allow.

The game was put out of reach in the sixth as the Yankees grabbed a 13-4 lead. Rodriguez collected his fourth RBI of the game in the inning after drawing a base-loaded walk off Red Sox reliever Tommy Layne. Layne was also victimized by Headley and Drew who each drove home a run.

New York’s final run came in the eighth when Brian McCann crushed a homer to right off temporary closer Edward Mujica. Regular closer Koji Uehara is expected to join the Red Sox on Monday.

David Carpenter and Kyle Davies pitched brilliantly in relief of Tanaka. They allowed only four hits over the final four innings and did not give up a run.

Mike Napoli of Boston picked up his first hit of the season in eighth on a ripped single to center after beginning the season 0-for-19.

The Red Sox will make their way to Fenway Park on Monday for a showdown with the Washington Nationals in their 2015 home opener. Rick Porcello is expected to oppose Jordan Zimmerman.