Sports on Draft

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are treated to a royal classic as the Yankees top the Red Sox 17-13

It was the first of a two game series in London and it didn’t take long to set the tone. The Yankees opened up the first inning with SIX runs to one out. New York retired starter Rick Porcello after only 30 pitches! (11B 13S.) The first MLB score ever in Europe belonged to DJ LeMahieu, and began with a double by Luke Voit.

There was no stopping a powerful Yankee offense, taking what they do in America and transmuting it right to London. With Gary Sanchez already on base (2nd batter of game walked) Didi Gregorious’ bat caught some fire on a line drive double (2) bringing in both Voit and Sanchez; putting the Yankees ahead 3-0 with 1 out. He didn’t wait on base long as Edwin Encarnacion (recently acquired in a trade from the Mariners) doubled (9) for an RBI; his 55th of the year.

This game alone was pure unblemished history, but one of the most immense milestones of this game belongs to Aaron Hicks, who carried the New York Yankees 29 game home run streak to London and increased it to 30 with a long ball to right center field. It was his 9th home run of the year and was enough for Alex Cora to see, and the first pitch change of Europe was made. Colton Brewer closed out what added up to be a 27 minute inning by retiring two of the next 3 batters and ending the first. Red Sox down 6-0

For any other MLB team that might have been enough to bury them and end the game. The Red Sox though, are not any other MLB team, and this wasn’t any other MLB game… This was the greatest rivalry in perhaps all of sports history!

Mookie Betts wasted no time performing for the Royal Family as he singled on a line drive to left fielder Brett Gardner. Rafael Devers proceeded to hit his 24th double of the year and Betts booked it around the bags scoring Boston’s first European run. The Yankees proceeded to load the bases for the ‘Sox with Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and J.D. Martinez. A sac fly by Christian Vazquez brought Rafael Devers in, and a single by Brock Holt brought in Bogaerts. With 2 out, 2 on, and 3 runs down Michael Chavis, The Ice Horse, stepped to the plate, and with redemption for a possible game changing mistake in the first inning on his mind, he put Boston in the history books with their first European home run and his lucky 13th dinger of the season, tying the game 6-6.

“Ladies and gentleman of Great Britain” said Fox Commentator Joe Buck, “they’re not all like this, but I’m glad this one is!” With the game tied now the Yankees pulled their starter. With an inning that lasted well over 30 minutes, these two teams we’re putting on an offensive clinic over seas. A quiet second inning gave way to another Yankees lead in the 3rd when Brett Gardner went deep for his 12th home run of the year. This brought in SS Gleyber Torres and the Yankees would go ahead 8-6.

Boston failed to answer; and went through two more pitchers before the Yankees rallied to another epic 6 run inning in the Top of the 4th. Luke Voit got things going by getting on base with a double (13) to start the inning. The ‘Sox got two back to back outs, (following a Didi Gregorious walk) and it looked like they might get out of the inning safely when a Gleyber Torres single loaded the bases and a Brett Gardner walk brought in a run. Up to the plate next was red hot DJ LeMahieu and a double (17) to left field cleared the bases for Aaron Judge. The Judge needed no jury to slam his gavel down on a line drive Home Run (7) to right field. Now 14-6 in the Yankees favor, this MLB score was starting to look like an NFL score.

The ‘Sox now trailing 8 did nothing to help there cause, in fact they only worsened it, as they kept digging into their bullpen in hope to pull out a miracle. Instead, they gave up three more runs in the 5th when Gregorius and LeMahieu singled on grounders to center and left respectively, bringing in Gio Urshela, Aaron Hicks and Gleyber Torres. It seemed over for Boston.

BUT….

After all the Prince and Meghan are watching, and these are the Boston Red Sox, the defending World Champs… and it’s never over, until it’s over.

After a Jackie Bradley homer (9) in the bottom of the 6th, the Red Sox defense was able to hold the Yankees for two innings; and in the bottom of the 7th trailing by 10, the Boston offense came back to life. Producing the FOURTH 6 run inning of the game in a contest that had a mind boggling 30 hit total, the Red Sox showed they may have a little fight still left in them. The Ice Horse homered for the 14th time this season, and his second 3-run blast of the game, to get the comeback attempt going. The Red Sox did what they do best, extend the inning, with 2 runners down. They closed the inning out with RBI’s from Marco Hernandez and J.D. Martinez, while Mookie Betts scored on a wild pitch to Xander Bogaerts.

Unfortunately for Boston, that was where the comeback ended; and while they had many opportunities with runners in scoring position, in fact they had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th. However, they failed to capitalize, and they fell short in the inaugural London game, as the Yankees claimed the first European victory in MLB history. It truly was a slug fest. A true pitchers nightmare, as each team had to go deep into their bullpen in search of a way to stop the two offensive powerhouses. With a final score of 17-13, this was the second highest scoring game in Red Sox v. Yankee history, falling 1 short of a 31 game outing on August 21, 2009.

There was probably no better way to introduce MLB to Europe than with an iconic rivalry. The Royal Family and fans in Great Britain got quite the spectacle. Both teams are chasing history this season as the Yankees have one more year to continue their streak of a World Series appearance in every decade dating back to the 1920’s. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are looking to win their first ever back to back World Series title since they started the Yankees streak by trading ‘The Great Bambino’ to New York in December 1919.

Stephen Tarpley (0-0, 6.48 ERA) takes the mound at 10:10 AM EST for the Yankees. While Eduardo Rodriguez (8-4, 4.87 ERA) takes the mound for the Red Sox. Tune in to ESPN this morning to catch the latest in the legendary rivalry.