NEW YORK -- In a game lost by seven runs, it wouldn't seem that the turning point involved missed double plays in the bottom of the first inning and another in the third.
But they sure didn't help.
The Red Sox had grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Dustin Pedroia's solo homer. In the bottom of the inning, with one out and runners at first and third, Red Sox starter Aaron Cook got Mark Teixeira to hit a ball to the right side.
Pedroia fielded the ball, but because the Sox were shifted around on the lefthand-hitting Teixeira, shortstop Mike Aviles was pulled around to the right of second.
Pedroia tried to time his throw in order to give Aviles time to cover the bag to force Robinson Cano, but Aviles couldn't get much on the throw to first and Teixeira, far from a fast runner, beat the throw as Curtis Granderson scored from third.
But the failure to turn the double play really came into play on the next batter when Cook allowed a two-run homer to right by Raul Ibanez.
The Yankees were up 3-1 and never looked back on their way to a 10-3 rout of the Sox.
Boston Red Sox
"He's playing the shift and he comes over to the base from the other side,'' said Bobby Valentine of Aviles. "It's an awkward throw. I'm not sure if he took more time than he had to or he needed a better grip on it, but whatever it was, we didn't turn it.
"I think we could turn that double play. (Aviles) just misfired.''
"It was one of those deals where Mikey's in a bad spot,'' said Pedroia. "He hit it hard, right to me, so I tried to kind of turn and throw it to him. I don't think he found the bag. But we've got to turn that ball.
''That's a tough play for Mike because he's got to get all his momentum going one way, then throw back the other way. But like I said, we have to turn that, especially with the team that they have and an offense like that. We take pride in making sure we turn double plays and we just didn't do it.''
There was more of the same in the third when, with Derek Jeter on first, Curtis Granderson hit a ball up the middle. Both Pedroia and Aviles converged, but each thought the other was going to field the ball and it snaked into the outfield as Jeter took third and scored a batter later on a sacrifice fly.
"I went to the base because I thought (Aviles) was going to be right there,'' said Pedroia. "It was just one of those where it got by us.''
Aviles, usually among the most accessible players, walked past reporters and muttered: "I don't have anything to say -- sorry.''
"Our guys have been playing great defense behind me all year,'' said Cook. ''They're busting their tails, day in and day out, to make good plays. It's just one of those things. It's an odd play; it happened. I could have made better pitches moving forward to minimize the damage right there and that's on me.''