NEW YORK -- As the Boston Red Sox clubhouse emptied out after another loss, maintaining Boston's status at the bottom of the American League East standings, the Star Wars "Imperial March" blared off a phone speaker in the hallway. Like it has so many times in Red Sox history, a loss at Yankee Stadium at the hands of the rival Evil Empire served as wakeup call Tuesday night. Darth Vader's theme merely served as a nail in the coffin in a blowout 8-0 loss, one that saw Boston confront its most pressing issues.
Chris Sale looked better Tuesday night, throwing his best stuff of the season, according to manager Alex Cora.