BOSTON -- J.A. Happ has had plenty of success against the Red Sox during his career. His first look at Boston in October, however, proved to be a different story.
Happ's first postseason start against the Red Sox didn't go as well as he and the Yankees had hoped, as the left-hander was knocked out of Friday night's game in the top of the third inning after recording only six outs in front of a joyous crowd at Fenway Park.
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A three-run first inning, highlighted by J.D. Martinez's laser over the Green Monster, put Happ and the Yankees behind the eight ball, while two more runs in the third proved to be too much for New York to overcome, dropping a 5-4 decision in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
"I'm certainly not going to make any excuses," Happ said. "It's the playoffs. I need to be sharper and if I get another opportunity, hopefully I will be."
Happ's ineffective outing could present an interesting quandary for Boone should the Yankees and Red Sox go the distance in this series. Should Masahiro Tanaka pitch well in Game 2, both he and Happ would be available on full rest for a potential Game 5, though that decision is surely the last thing on Boone's mind as he and his team prepare for Game 2.
The Yankees used four relievers to cover the final six innings, getting two apiece from Chad Green and Lance Lynn, then an inning each from Zach Britton and Player Page for David Robertson, both of whom should still be available Saturday. Neither Dellin Betances nor Albertin Chapman appeared in Game 1, leaving them fresh for Game 2.

"That's one of our ultimate strengths," manager Aaron Boone said of his relief corps. "You know, if we're going to get to where we want to go, you know, the bullpen is going to play a big role in that. They stepped up for us tonight, and allowed us to get back in that game and did the job they've pretty much done all year for us."

Despite opening his night with a strikeout of AL MVP favorite Mookie Betts, the lefty found himself in trouble right away in the first. Andrew Benintendi singled with one out, then Happ walked Steve Pearce.

Martinez made him pay, launching a 93.8-mph fastball into the first row of the Green Monster seats. The home run -- clocked at 107 mph off the bat -- was Martinez's fourth career playoff shot, giving the Red Sox a quick 3-0 lead.
"The Benintendi ball, a slider that stayed up," Happ said. "He slapped it the other way, then the walk. Then I felt like I actually made a pitch and J.D. put a good swing on it."
Boone didn't seem to think the pitch to Martinez was as well located as Happ indicated.
"J.A. obviously got in a little bit of trouble in that first inning, just not having his real air-tight command that he usually has, especially with the fastball," Boone said. "Obviously J.D. made him pay on a pitch down that he probably wanted to get a little more elevated there."

Happ appeared to settle down with a perfect second inning. He took the mound in the third trying to hold the lead at three runs, but Betts led off with a double off the Monster in left-center, then Benintendi laid down a perfect bunt single, putting runners at the corners with nobody out.

That was enough for Boone, who summoned Green from the bullpen. Pearce immediately singled in a run, then after Martinez's deep fly ball advanced Benintendi to third base, Xander Bogaerts made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly, closing out Happ's pitching line for the night: five earned runs over two-plus innings.
"When you're in this situation, in the playoffs, you never know how long you're going to be in there," Happ said. "We made a move at that point, pretty early in the game."

Happ was 1-1 with a 1.99 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox this season, improving his career mark to 8-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 20 career games (20 starts) against Boston. Since 2016, he had pitched to a 2.43 ERA in seven starts at Fenway Park, the lowest ERA in the ballpark during that stretch by anybody other than Chris Sale, who was charged with two runs on five hits and two walks, striking out eight over 5 1/3 innings to earn the Game 1 victory.
"My execution wasn't as sharp as it's been," Happ said. "That was the reason I always stress trying to get strike one. There were times that I wasn't very good at that tonight. The big hit cost me."