By Kate Joseph
Staff Writer
The Boston Red Sox capped off their 2014 season with a 9-5 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday, Sept. 28, in Fenway Park.
The game was the third in a three game series over the weekend in which Boston lost, 3-2, on Friday and won, 10-4, on Saturday.
Sunday’s game also marked Yankees player Derek Jeter’s last game of his career.
Jeter also played in Saturday’s game, but sat out on Friday following his last game at Yankee stadium on Thursday.
In Friday’s action Boston was first to score after Bryce Brentz hit a single which sent Allen Craig home.
New York matched the Red Sox in the next inning with Eury Perez scoring after a single by Francisco Cervelli.
The team racked up another point after Cervelli crossed the plate and John Ryan Murphy also scored for the Yankees in the sixth inning after a sacrifice fly by Zelous Wheeler.
Rusney Castillo brought the score to 3-2 after a home run, but it wasn’t enough to catch up to New York’s lead.
“Learning how to make adjustments in the game has been very helpful,” Castillo said through a translator.
Saturday saw the Sox hitting back in a big way.
After one run in the first thanks to a single by Yoenis Cespedes sent Books home, the team reeled in eight runs in the second inning.
Two hits in particular—Daniel Nava’s infield single and Craig’s single-turned-double after an error—each sent two players over the plate.
New York was able to sink one run in the seventh and three in the eighth, but it was barely halfway to reaching Boston’s 10-point standing.
During the Red Sox’s continuous victories throughout the game, fans cheered Jeter each time he stepped up to the plate.
“Our fans are great baseball fans,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell. “They recognize a guy that they’ve seen for 20 years here and to acknowledge the career he’s had, not surprising in any way.”
Fans continued to show respect for Jeter on Sunday afternoon.
Before Sunday’s game several former and current Boston sports players including Carl Yastrzemski, Bobby Orr, and Paul Pierce, as well as the entire Red Sox team, honored Jeter. The now former Yankees player was presented with a second base with his No. 2 and a check for $22,222.22 for his Turn 2 Foundation.
After two empty innings, New York scored four runs in the third inning.
Ichiro kicked off the inning with a triple to center field that sent Cervelli and Jose Pirela home. Jeter also scored a single to send Suzuki home.
The Yankees continued their streak in the seventh, tacking an additional five runs onto their score.
Boston came back strong in the seventh after a double by Dan Butler sent home Craig and Garin Cecchini, as well as Castillo after a fielding error.
The Sox gained an additional two runs on a double to deep left from Betts.
Ultimately, the small comeback was not enough to beat the Yankees, who won the season closer.
“I don’t know how people could really unite a crowd like he did today,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. “Such big rivals, so much history between the teams, but you would have thought that it was one team, in a sense, today. I think it shows you the respect he has even against your toughest rival.”
