In first game back, Pedroia shows off range

NEW YORK -- Dustin Pedroia was not only back in the lineup on Friday night, but back to doing the things he has done so often over his career, helping the Red Sox to a 4-1 win over the Yankees.
In the fifth, Pedroia ranged to his left and made a diving stop of a grounder by Jacoby Ellsbury that first baseman Mitch Moreland couldn't quite get to. Pedroia gathered himself and fired to Doug Fister covering for the out.
Two innings later, Pedroia was at his instinctive best, gathering a grounder from Ellsbury that caromed off Moreland's glove and then throwing it to Moreland for the inning-ending out.
At the plate, Pedroia went 1-for-4.
"That was awesome," said Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi of Pedroia's return. "He brings an energy and he comes in and makes those plays at second base like he hasn't missed a day. He gets his knock that he seems to always get. It seems like he didn't miss a day."

Pedroia played seven innings, keeping in line with the team's plan to build him back slowly from his left knee injury after playing just one game since July 28.
Pedroia will be out of the lineup on Saturday. There was no resistance to the conservative plan for Pedroia, considering he had to go back on the disabled list after just one game in his previous return to action.
"We kind of have one chance at this thing to do it right," Pedroia said. "We're going to do that."
Pedroia was one of several roster adjustments on Friday. Reliever Matt Barnes also from the 10-day disabled list, and four September callups from Triple-A Pawtucket were also added to the roster.
Eduardo Núñez had been holding down second base during Pedroia's absence, but he moved to shortstop on Friday and smashed a homer, giving manager John Farrell the chance to rest a slumping Xander Bogaerts.

In 164 at-bats since July 8, Bogaerts is slashing .201/.276/.299 with two homers and 11 RBIs. He could be out of the lineup for a couple of days.
"Trying to regroup here a little bit, get some additional work done," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "We know he's been banged up a little bit, nicked up with some things physically. I think the combination of all of it has kind of come to a head here a little bit. Get him off his feet here tonight, possibly tomorrow."
The Friday callups were first baseman Sam Travis, right-hander Austin Maddox, catcher Blake Swihart and left-hander Roenis Elías. Infielder Tzu-Wei Lin, who impressed in an earlier stint with the Red Sox, will be added to the roster on Saturday, along with Jackie Bradley Jr., who will be activated from the disabled list.
Outfielder Bryce Brentz, who has 30 homers for Pawtucket this season, was not among the initial round of callups. He is not on the 40-man roster, but Farrell didn't rule out the 28-year-old joining the roster at some point.
"That's part of the conversation. We know that there's roster consequences to that, or adjustments need," said Farrell. "The door is not closed on any situation in terms of how our roster stands today."
Travis, who is ranked the Red Sox's No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline.com, is hitting .279 with five doubles in 2017 for Boston. The 24-year-old batted .270 with six homers and 24 RBIs for Pawtucket this year.
The 25-year-old Swihart, who was once expected to be the Red Sox's catcher of the future, is in the Major Leagues for the first time this season. The switch-hitter has battled injuries this season, hitting .190 with four home runs and 22 runs scored in 53 games for Pawtucket. The backstop batted .271 with five home runs and 36 RBIs in 103 games combined for the Red Sox from 2015-16.
Maddox has yet to allow a run in three appearances in the Major Leagues in 2017. He is 2-3 with eight saves and a 2.92 ERA in 37 games split between Double-A Portland and Pawtucket this season.
Elias, 29, is 1-4 with a 6.62 ERA in seven starts for the PawSox this year.