The first MLB game in London, England and Europe did not disappoint baseball newcomers with the New York Yankees defeating the Boston Red Sox 17-13 during an offensive onslaught that also featured 37 hits and 5 home runs.
London Stadium, which hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics and is home to West Ham United of the EPL, transformed into a baseball stadium for this special two-game series to introduce baseball to Great Britain and the rest of Europe for the first time. Attendance topped over 59,000 per game.
The red-hot Yankees, who won 13 out of their last 14 games, pulled off a comeback victory in Game 2 to sweep the two-game London Series.
Aaron Hicks hit the first home run in Europe with a first-inning blast in Game 1. Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Michael Chavis all homered inside London Stadium during the historic game.
The Bronx Bombers put on a hitting clinic by scoring 29 runs in two games with 32 hits.
(American) Football Score
NFL teams struggle to score points during London games, so it’s not too often you see a team post 17 points across the pond. Yet, the Yankees and Red Sox final score resembles more of an American football final score than a baseball boxscore.
Everyone warned fans that the field configuration would create a super-hitter-friendly ballpark with a centerfield at only 385 feet and a short porch down both lines at 330 feet.
The Yankees jumped out with 6 runs in the top of the first inning. The Red Sox countered with 6 runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning. The first inning alone took over an hour to play out. Yanks/Sox games tend to go long in the 4-plus hour range, but after the first inning the game was on pace as a 9-hour game.
The Yankees unleashed another 6-run inning in the top of the fourth to take a 14-6 lead.
The Red Sox posted another 6-run inning when the Yankees bullpen lost their mud in the bottom of the 7th. The Sox cut the lead 17-13, but the Yanks held on for the win.
Game 2: Another Outburst
After 30 runs in the first game, oddsmakers set the total for game 2 anywhere from 15 to 17.5 runs. The Red Sox jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead after back-to-back home runs from Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez. The Yankees were playing for behind for most of the game.
The Yanks trimmed the deficit 4-2 and finally knocked out Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez. The Yankees batted around and exploded for 9 runs in the top of the 7th without the benefit of a home run. The Yanks seized a 11-4 lead courtesy of two doubles in the inning by All-Star DJ LeMahieu.
The Bronx Bombers finally went yard on Sunday when shortstop Didi Gregorius, the lone European on the Yankees from the Netherlands, smoked a 420-foot solo home run in the 8th inning.They extended their home run streak to 31 games in a row.
The Red Sox still had some fight left in them and put up four in the bottom of the 8th before Zack Britton worked out of a bases loaded jam. The Yankees held on to win 12-8 to complete a two-game series sweep in London.
The Yankees won five in a row and 13 out of their last 14 games. They improved to 54-28 and they lead the AL in wins. They also have an MLB-best road record at 23-14. With the loss, the Red Sox (44-39) fell 11 games behind the first place Yanks.
Both teams were scheduled a day off on Monday, but return to action on Tuesday to finish out the rest of the week before the All-Star Break begins next Monday, July 8.