Masahiro Tanaka Takes Complete Game Loss As Yankees Lose To Red Sox

Jun 28, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter

(12) watches a fan catch the home run ball hit by Boston Red Sox first baseman

(not pictured) during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Boston Red Sox won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Napoli hit a home run off of Masahiro Tanaka in the top of the ninth inning Saturday to break a 1-1 tie as the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 2-1 at Yankee Stadium.

Tanaka and  Jon Lester dueled through eight innings. In the bottom of the eighth, controversy brewed when Jacoby Ellsbury attempted a steal of  second base with two outs and Mark Teixeira at the plate. The attempted pick off throw scooted into right field and Ellsbury headed to third.

But Teixeira had been called out on strikes. Yankees manager Joe Girardi dashed out of the dugout and asked for explanation. Replays made it difficult to detect a strike three motion by the home plate umpire, and Teixeira was still standing in the batters box in disbelief as Ellsbury reached third base.

The scoring opened in the third inning on a home run by Bostons David Ross in the top of the third.  But the Yankees quickly tied it up with a run in the bottom of the inning. After Brian Roberts reached on an error by Boston’s Stephen Drew, Lester hit Yangervis Solarte on the foot. After a textbook sacrifice bunt by Brett Gardner, Roberts scored on a Derek Jeter ground out.

In the fifth inning, Solarte appeared to break up Lester´s no-hit bid by legging out an infield hit. But a replay overturned the call. The replay calls evened out in the top of the sixth when Boston´s Dustin Pedroia attempted to stretch a single into a double. Pedroia was originally ruled safe on the throw from Ellsbury, but then was ruled out after further review.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Yankees broke up the Lester’s no-hitter with three singles. Gardner was thrown out on attempting to steal second base. Lester got Teixeira to fly out and struck out Carlos Beltran to end the inning.

Tanaka  struck out eight and allowed seven hits as his record went to 11-3.