Eduardo Rodriguez Impressive Vs. Yankees, But Red Sox Lose 2-1

For the second time in his young career, Eduardo Rodriguez showed an impressive amount of poise while facing Boston's biggest rival.

Certainly, that's something positive the last-place Red Sox can take out of this season.

Rodriguez made one big mistake in seven sharp innings, a homer to Jacoby Ellsbury, but the Red Sox failed to break through against CC Sabathia and lost to the New York Yankees 2-1 Thursday night.

"I know it's the Yankees, but like I said, they have the bat, I have the ball, so I just try to make good pitches," Rodriguez said.

The 22-year-old lefty beat New York at Fenway Park on July 11, tossing six 2-3 solid innings. He was just as good this time at an unfriendly — and packed — Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez (6-4) allowed six hits and two runs. He walked two — one an intentional pass to Alex Rodriguez that loaded the bases in the fifth — and struck out five.

A-Rod had an RBI double in the third, but Eduardo Rodriguez was cool on the mound.

He gave up a pair of singles to start the fifth and, when a sacrifice put runners on second and third for Alex Rodriguez, who already had two hits, Eduardo Rodriguez walked him to face Mark Teixeira.

The slugger popped out foul to the catcher, and Chris Young popped up to shortstop to end the threat.

"A good young arm," Ellsbury said. "He definitely has a bright future ahead of him."

Justin Wilson (4-0) struck out three batters in the seventh to help the Yankees take two of three from the Red Sox, who are 48-61.

Dellin Betances gave up a hit in the eighth. Andrew Miller put two on in the ninth but struck out Rusney Castillo to remain perfect in 24 save chances.

Ellsbury connected with two outs in the seventh.

The former Red Sox center fielder was in a 3-for-23 slump entering Thursday. His average had dipped from .322, when he came off the disabled list on July 8, to .277 coming in.

Sabathia left his previous start with dehydration, wilted by the Texas heat. He was ornery in this outing, yelling at plate umpire Rob Drake over a called ball early on and giving a fist-pumping shimmy after using a 94 mph fastball to strike out David Ortiz with the bases loaded to end the fifth.

"He threw me some good pitches," Ortiz said. "Tonight was the best I have seen him in a while. He was locating his pitches well."

The big left-hander had just walked Xander Bogaerts following Castillo's run-scoring single that ticked off the glove of diving shortstop Didi Gregorius to tie it 1-all. Castillo's hit came right after Sabathia walked .100 hitter Jackie Bradley Jr.

Pitching on an extra day of rest, Sabathia stalked around the mound and used pinpoint control to strike out eight. He yielded three hits and three walks after allowing five runs in each of his previous two starts.

"I was fired up," Sabathia said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: At his request, OF Mookie Betts saw concussion specialist Dr. Michael Collins in Pittsburgh. "As far as I know, reports were good," general manager Ben Cherington said. Betts is expected to join the Red Sox in Detroit this weekend, but there is still no target date for his return. ... Cherington said top prospect Brian Johnson, a first-round draft pick in 2012, has inflammation around his pitching elbow but there is "no evidence that there is anything going on around the ligament."

Yankees: Brian McCann (stiff knee) was out of the starting lineup for a second straight night, but manager Joe Girardi said the catcher could've played. He said McCann is day to day and it shouldn't be a long absence.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Joe Kelly (3-6) starts the series opener against Detroit. The right-hander has allowed at least four runs in each of his last four starts.

Yankees: Nathan Eovaldi (11-2) makes his first start against Toronto's potent offense. New York faces a second knuckleballer this week in R.A. Dickey (6-10) after being held to a run in eight innings by Boston RHP Steven Wright on Wednesday.