BOSTON _ The good news for the Yankees, and maybe even this is a stretch, was Luis Severino somewhat settled down after a first inning Friday night that seemed to portend another rough outing.
But that was about it in the good-news department as it was another mostly disastrous night for the Yankees in Boston.
One night after the Red Sox tattooed them to the tune of 19 hits, Rick Porcello threw a complete-game one-hitter in a 4-1 Boston win that put the Yankees 7{ games back in the AL East.
Severino, after allowing three runs in a 31-pitch first, did manage to go 52/3 innings, somewhat saving a bullpen that has become increasingly taxed. Severino, who came in 1-2 with an 8.84 ERA in his last four starts, allowed four runs and seven hits.
But the hard-throwing right-hander still isn't throwing quite as hard and he generated few swings and misses. Severino walked three and struck out two.
"I know what he's capable of and that's being one of the elite pitchers in the game and has been this year," Aaron Boone said before the game. "I believe tonight could be that turnaround because I'm not seeing a big fall off in the stuff. It's just a matter of the command. I expect him to go out and pitch well tonight."
He was OK, but not in the same universe as Porcello, who needed just 86 pitches in throwing his seventh career complete game and first since 2016.
The right-hander allowed one hit, a third-inning homer to Miguel Andujar that brought the Yankees within 3-1, and then retired the final 21 batters he faced.
Porcello drew the ire of the Yankees in the first, hitting leadoff man Brett Gardner in the right shoulder area with a 0-and-2 fastball.
Severino came in high and tight against Mookie Betts (4-for-4 with two walks the night before) with his first pitch leading off the bottom half of the inning. After a brief moment, plate umpire Adam Hamari issued warnings to both dugouts.
That brought a fuming Alex Cora out of the dugout and the Red Sox manager was soon tossed for arguing the warnings (for umpire trivia buffs, Hamari was the plate umpire in the video that recently went viral that included Noah Syndergaard and Terry Collins being ejected).
After that kerfuffle, Andrew Benintendi, who had three hits Thursday, doubled to right. Steve Pearce then launched a 1-and-0 98-mph fastball to left to make it 2-0, giving the former Yankee his fourth homer in two games. Ian Kinsler walked, stole second and scored on Eduardo Nunez's blooped single to center, making it 3-0. Brock Holt stung one to center where Hicks made a terrific sliding catch to end the inning.
Andujar got the Yankees on the board in the third, hammering a 0-and-1 pitch well over the Green Monster in left, the rookie's 14th homer making it 3-1.
The Red Sox tacked on in the fifth. J.D. Martinez doubled to right with two outs and the lefty-hitting Mitch Moreland grounded one past second baseman Gleyber Torres, who was deep in the grass on the shift, the RBI single making it 4-1.
