BOSTON -- For 6-1/3 innings, Masahiro Tanaka had the Boston Red Sox under control, limiting them to three singles, one of them an infield hit by David Ortiz, of all the unlikely results, and his pitch count was still just in the 80s. It seemed a given that not only would he turn in his third consecutive seven-inning outing, but that the Yankees 2-0 lead would hold up in a ballpark where it used to be said no lead was ever safe.
And as it turned out, this lead was not safe, either. In the space of five pitches, the Red Sox had two runners on after sharp singles by Travis Shaw and Brock Holt, and two batters later, the game was tied and Tanaka was headed to the clubhouse.