The Yankees had beaten the Sox only twice before this season and played like a team desperate to win. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild was ejected in the seventh inning and manager Joe Girardi in the ninth.
Girardi also left CC Sabathia in long enough to throw 128 pitches, two shy of his career high.
Sabathia (18-7) gave up two runs on 10 hits over six innings but also struck out 10 to beat the Sox for the first time in five tries this season. Four relievers helped secure the win with Mariano Rivera getting his 35th save.
The Sox got the tying run to the plate in the ninth with two outs but pinch hitter Josh Reddick lined to left. The Sox had 13 hits, drew four walks, and were hit twice but left 16 runners on base, nine in scoring position. They were 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
“We worked CC hard, we made throw a lot of pitches,’’ manager Terry Francona said. “But when he needed to, he made pitches. We stranded, certainly, a ton of runners. We had our chances.’’
John Lackey (12-10) went seven innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and four walks. But it was his one hit batter that caused most of the excitement.
With the Yankees ahead, 3-2, in the fifth inning, Lackey fell behind No. 9 hitter Francisco Cervelli 3-and-1 and left an 88-mile per hour fastball over the plate.
“I didn’t want to walk him. Probably the only time I gave in all night,’’ Lackey said.
Cervelli drove the pitch over the Monster Seats for his second home run of the season and the third in 472 major league at-bats.
Cervelli smacked his hands together enthusiastically as he crossed the plate, something Lackey and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia took offense to. Lackey stared at Cervelli until he went into the dugout.
“He was pumped for that [third] home run of his career,’’ Lackey said. “I thought it was a little excessive, honestly.’’
Said Saltalamacchia: “He’s done a lot of that stuff. He likes to get excited. That’s fine. As far as the clapping goes, yeah, it could have been a little much. You don’t show anybody up. You play the game the way you play it. You’ve got to stay in your boundaries.’’
