The Red Sox finished the first half of the 2012 season in the same place where they started – at .500 (43-43) and with dozens and dozens of questions regarding the immediate and longterm future of a franchise in flux.
Boston lost to the archrival Yankees 7-3 Sunday night, winning just one of the games in a four-game set.
Jon Lester once again turned in a below-average performance, allowing four earned runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings of work. Mark Teixeira got the New York offense flowing in the first inning with an RBI double that scored Derek Jeter.
Thanks to timely hitting by Andruw Jones (RBI single, home run) and Alex Rodriguez (RBI triple), the Yankees owned a 7-2 lead by the seventh inning and Boston could never mount a true comeback.
Pedro Ciriaco, who has been playing at second for the injured Dustin Pedroia, continued to be one of the lone bright spots for the Red Sox for the second straight day as he had three hits and walked once.
Boston gets back to work Friday against the Rays in Tampa. New York hosts the LA Angels on Friday to kick off its second half.
