Matt Holliday took center stage in the latest edition of the storied Yankees-Red Sox rivalry on Saturday afternoon.
BOSTON — Matt Holliday took center stage in the latest edition of the storied Yankees-Red Sox rivalry on Saturday afternoon.
He was the reason the game went deep into extras before the Bombers beat the BoSox 4-1 in 16 innings.
He was also the reason it was played under protest by Boston.
Holliday blasted a dramatic 443-foot game-tying solo homer over the Green Monster off a 96-mph fastball from flamethrowing closer Craig Kimbrel leading off the ninth inning.
“We needed that game, ” Holliday said after blasting his 16th homer of the year. “He’s got a really good fastball. I was just trying to stay on the fastball and put a good swing on it. I caught it, luckily.”
Two innings later, Holliday’s baserunning on Jacoby Ellsbury’s grounder looked like a skit from the Abbott and Costello routine: “Who’s on First?”
Holliday was on first in the 11th when Ellsbury hit a one-hopper to Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland.
That’s when the chaos began.
Explained Holliday: “The ball was behind me. I was thinking with Ellsbury running, (Mitch) would touch the base and throw to second for the tag-out. I wasn’t just going to run into that out, so I was just going back to first. I assumed that he touched the base, and he didn’t.”
Moreland threw to second for the force. But Holliday unknowingly went back to first just as Ellsbury was trying to beat a potential 3-6-3 doubleplay. Meanwhile, Moreland had no path back to first to catch shortstop Xander Bogaerts, which deflected off Ellsbury and just up the line. Holliday ended up at second.
“At that point, I was confused as to what had happened, ” Holliday said. “It’s crazy, but I didn’t really concern myself with it too much.”
So was everyone else.
The call on the field was that Ellsbury was safe and Holliday was out. The Red Sox argued for interference under Official Baseball Rule 6.01 (a) . A 4-minute, 59-second delay ensued. The call didn’t change. So Boston elected to play the game under protest.
“That is to do with a rules’ check, ” crew chief Gary Cederstrom told a pool reporter. “That isn’t to look at the play. That is to do rules’ check. John wanted to protest it. He wanted him called out for interference running the bases and we told him, ‘No we can’t.'”
Holliday saved the Yankees, who had been held in check by Red Sox ace Chris Sale across 7.2 shutout innings. Sale allowed just three hits and two walks and struck 13.
“He’s just got great stuff, ” Holliday said. “He’s a guy that you don’t want to get two strikes on you, and at the same time, he doesn’t give you much to hit. He’s got three of the best pitches in the league. That’s what makes him so tough. That’s why he strikes everybody out.”
