Yankees' AL East hopes all but die with loss to Red Sox

by Felix Pantaleón

The Yankees fell, 4-1, to the Red Sox on Friday, all but ending manager Aaron Boone’s team’s hopes of catching Boston and avoiding the Wild Card game.

BOSTON — Aaron Boone should circle Oct. 3 on his calendar.

It’s time to start playing for the Wild Card.

A 4-1 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Friday night all but sealed it for the Yankees.

They’re not going to win the American League East. They have baseball’s second best record — something usually good enough to secure a division win. But not with the Boston juggernaut sprinting ahead of them.

And doing it with something the Yankees sorely lack. Wait. Make that many things.

The Red Sox, for the second straight night, smacked the Yankees with better pitching, better bats and just the kind of life you’d expect from a team with World Series aspirations.

The Yankees watched their ace, Luis Severino, struggle yet again, and they’ll give a rookie his first big-league start Saturday. They watched Rick Porcello, an N.J. native, dominate them for a complete game on only 86 pitches.

And Boston’s manager Alex Cora, thrown out in the first inning, watched it all from the clubhouse — surely with his feet up, a huge smile on his face.

What it means

The Yankees fell a whopping 7 1/2 games back of the Red Sox in the division. They will face them just eight more times this season.

The Yankees could still split the series by winning Saturday and Sunday before heading to Chicago on Monday.

Booted

Cora got thrown out when tensions looked like they would boil over and the teams would engage in their second brawl of the season.

Porcello hit Yankees leadoff man Brett Gardner to start the game. Gardner didn’t look happy about it.

So Severino retaliated, going up and in on Boston leadoff man Mookie Betts to start the bottom of the first.

The prompted the plate umpire to issue warnings — probably too early — to both sides to prevent anybody getting hurt and from things getting out of hand.

Cora appeared to curse at the plate umpire and then went at him. Cora was quickly tossed. He appeared to shove an umpire, too.

Bad Luis

Severino wasn’t good for his fifth straight start — an alarming trend in itself, but something even more worrisome considering the Yankees’ pitching staff has been in shambles.

He lasted only 5 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs. He struck out just two batters and walked three.

The Yankees’ supposed ace hasn’t made it through six innings since July 1. Entering the game, he was 1-2 with an 8.84 ERA in his previous four starts.

The Red Sox hung three runs on Severino in the first inning and never looked back.

After Betts grounded out to start the game, Andrew Benintendi ripped a ground-rule double that skipped over the wall in right.

Then ex-Yankee Pearce continued his terrorization of his former team. Pearce took a 1-0 98-mph fastball Severino left over the plate and demolished it over the Green Monster. That made it 2-0 Boston.

Then another ex-Yankee, Eduardo Nunez, lifted a pop up to shallow right-center field. Second baseman Gleyber Torres could get there in time. It fell in for a hit. Ian Kinsler, who had walked and stole second base, scored.

Boston further separated itself in the fifth, making it 4-1.

With two outs, Severino gave up a double (J.D. Martinez). Mitch Moreland hit a groundball up the middle. Torres was there to reach it thanks to the shift, but it went under his backhand into center field. Martinez scored.

The Yankees go their only run on Miguel Andujar’s solo shot over the Green Monster in the third inning. That made it 3-1 Red Sox.

Next

Yankees righty Chance Adams (MLB debut) vs. Red Sox righty Nathan Eovaldi (4-4, 3.60 ERA) at 4:05 p.m. Saturday at Fenway Park.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.