A big 1st inning for the Boston Red Sox, culminated by Jason Bay’s three-run home run helped them to a 7-3 win over the New York Yankees in front of 46,810 rain-soaked fans, most of whom had left by the 6th inning, at the new Yankee Stadium.
The win for the Red Sox makes them 5-o on the season against the Yankees and improves their record to 17-10. The Yanks fall back to .500 on the season at 13-13.
Josh Beckett (3-2, 6.75) got the ball for the Red Sox tonight and looked good for the most part. He made one mistake pitch to Johnny Damon and the other time he got in trouble he worked around it. He went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out 5.
I sound like a broken record saying this but the Red Sox bullpen was outstanding tonight. Hideki Okajima worked two perfect innings striking out 2 and Takashi Saito finished it off with a perfect 9th inning, including a strikeout of his own.
After the 1st inning tonight, Joba Chamberlain (1-1, 3.75) had a great outing for the Yankees and showed pinpoint control at that point except when he hit Bay in the back in the 5th inning. Chamberlain went 5 2/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 12. Six Yankees relievers finished it off by allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and 4 walks while recording two strikeouts.
Bay continues to kill the Yankees as his one hit tonight was the 3-run homer in the 1st and also added a stolen base. Dustin Pedroia led the way with 3 hits and David Ortiz had another hit and an RBI. Mike Lowell, Nick Green and Jacoby Ellsbury had the other hits for the Sox with Jeff Bailey (bases loaded walk), Varitek and Green adding the other RBIs.
Ellsbury did leave the game with tightness in his hamstring in the 4th inning after stealing second and then an almost diving catch in center. He was replaced by Jonathan Van Every.
The Red Sox wasted no time getting on the new scoreboard at the new Yankee Stadium in the 1st inning. Ellsbury led off with a single and stole second with Pedroia at the plate. Pedroia ended up with a single as Ellsbury had to stop at third. Ortiz brought him home with a single.
Chamberlain then left a fastball out over the plate that Bay put into the left field seats to put the Red Sox up 4-0 without making an out. Lowell made it 5 straight hits for the Red Sox before Chamberlain got J.D. Drew to fly out to right. Chamberlain escaped the inning when Bailey grounded into an inning-ending 1-4-3 double play.
Beckett’s bad inning tonight came in the 3rd inning.
Jose Molina singled to start it off and went to second on a Derek Jeter single. Beckett then left one out over the plate that Damon crushed into the upper deck in right field to cut the Red Sox lead to 4-3.
In a pouring rain in the 6th inning, Beckett retired Robinson Cano for the first out and then walked Nick Swisher. Melky Cabrera followed with a ground rule double to runners on second and third with one out. After a visit from John Farrell and the grounds crew to apply some Turface, Beckett struck out Ramiro Peña and got Molina to ground out to Green at short.
Jonathan Albaladejo took over for Phil Coke in the 8th inning and got a ground ball by Bay that Peña booted. Bay then stole second and went to third on a Lowell ground out. The Yankees decided to intentionally walk Drew and that move failed as Albaladejo hit Bailey to load up the bases. A Varitek sacrifice fly made it 5-3 and Green followed with an RBI single to make it 6-3.
Mark Melancon came out in the 9th and walked the first three batters he faced in Pedroia, Ortiz and Bay. With a 2-0 count on Lowell, he was replaced by David Robertson who came in and struck out Lowell. He got the second out on a Drew fly out but walked Bailey to force in the 7th and final run for the Red Sox.
The difference between the Red Sox and the Yankees this season is the bullpen. In all 5 games when the Red Sox have been able to get to the Yanks ‘pen, things seem to turn in the Red Sox favor. Tonight was no different after Chamberlain exited. And when you have no bullpen like the Yankees right now, you’re not going to win ballgames, especially against your hated rivals.
After 9 games on the road, the Red Sox head back the friendly confines of Fenway Park to take on the Cleveland Indians in a brief two-game set. Justin Masterson will get the start tomorrow night and he’ll be opposed by Southington, CT native Carl Pavano. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM and the game will be broadcast on NESN Plus.
