Before we get going here, this is something I should have done in yesterday’s post.
The WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon kicked off yesterday and they are accepting donations now. If you have a few dollars laying around, please be sure to donate. They do great things and every dollar counts in the fight to K cancer. You can donate by calling 877-738-1234 or donating through the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.
Now on to the game.
When you leave a small village on the basepaths like the Boston Red Sox did on Tuesday night against the New York Yankees, you can’t expect to win the game. They would end up leaving 16 runners on base in the 5-2 loss.
With the win, the Yankees move to within a ½ game of the Red Sox in the AL East standings. The Yankees lead in the wild card over the Tampa Bay Rays stands at 8.5 games.
CC Sabathia had sucked against the Red Sox this season. In his previous four starts against them, he was 0-4 with a 7.20 ERA. And despite throwing a season-high 128 pitches and second highest of his career, he was still good enough to pick up his 18th win of the season.
He owned Adrian Gonzalez all night. Gonzo went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against CC and finished the night 0-for-5. CC scattered 10 hits over his six innings of work and came up big when needed.
The Red Sox loaded up the bases in the 2nd inning trailing 1-0 only to see Jacoby Ellsbury ground out. In the 4th inning after the Red Sox had cut the lead to 3-2, he finished off that inning by getting a strikeout of Gonzo to leave runners on second and third.
With second and third base occupied in the 5th and just one out for the Red Sox, Robinson Cano made a great catch of a Carl Crawford liner and the tub of lard struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
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Even the Yankees bullpen added to the Red Sox LOB total.
In the 7th, the sacks were full of Red Sox with one out. But Boom Boom Boone Logan struck out Salty and Darnell McDonald to end the inning. In the bottom of the 9th, Mariano Rivera put two runners on but got pinch-hitter Josh Reddick to fly out to end the ballgame.
John Lackey started this one for the Red Sox and didn’t pitch all that badly. He made one mistake to Francisco Cervelli that he hit for a home run. Of course, Cervelli’s celebration at the plate would end up helping the Yankees get a run in the top half of the 7th.
Cervelli led off that inning and Lackey decided to send a message by hitting him square in the back. Tempers flared, benches emptied but there were no punches thrown and order was restored quickly. Lackey said after the game that he wasn’t trying to hit him. He was just trying to knock him down. It would cost Lackey and the Red Sox though when Cervelli scored on a Derek Jeter double play.
But now we move on from last night and look forward to tonight. A win for the Red Sox would be nice as it would keep them in first place. A loss and it’s back to second.
We’ll be back later with tonight’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. But for now, enjoy the overnight links below.
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Survivor: Five years after cancer diagnosis, Jon Lester reflects [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]
Left turn [Boston Globe]
A tough time for Gonzalez [Boston Globe]
No luck this time but no fear, either [Boston Globe]
Wakefield out – for one turn [Boston Globe]
As beatings go, it wasn’t that bad [Boston Globe]
Drew and Youkilis hit it off in the minors [Boston Globe]
Sox fall to CC in opener [Boston Herald]
Salty ignores Cervelli [Boston Herald]
Fire up the rivalry [Boston Herald]
Buchholz OK after throwing [Boston Herald]
Sabathia, Yanks finally get to Sox, 5-2 [CSN New England]
Sox strand runners, silenced by Sabathia [CSN New England]
Lackey’s beanball highlights tense game [CSN New England]
Benches clear, Sox-Yanks hate still not the same [CSN New England]
Rapid reaction: Yankees 5, Red Sox 2 [ESPN Boston]
Salty OK with Cervelli celebration [ESPN Boston]
Video: Recapping Game 1 [ESPN Boston]
Boston Red Sox left frustrated by New York Yankees, CC Sabathia [ESPN Boston]
Video: Cafardo on Yanks-Sox Game 1 [Extra Bases]
Closing Time: Sox left stranded in loss to Yankees [Full Count]
Francisco Cervelli takes his unlikely place in rivalry [Full Count]
Yankees Finally Get What They Needed From Their Ace [Hartford Courant]
Video: J.D. Drew Picks Up Three Hits, Kevin Youkilis Singles During Rehab Assignment With Pawtucket [NESN.com]
Adrian Gonzalez, Joe Girardi Among Those Miffed With Umpires After Yankees Win [NESN.com]
Red Sox Waste Scoring Opportunities in Series Opener, Fall to Yankees 5-2 [NESN.com]
Yankees Catcher Francisco Cervelli Stirs Pot in Series Opener, Draws Reaction From Red Sox [NESN.com]
John Lackey’s Treatment of Francisco Cervelli a Throwback Baseball Moment [NESN.com]
For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSNNE, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.
And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the New York Daily News, New York Post, New York Times and The Journal News websites. You can also check out our Bloguin brother, NYY Stadium Insider.
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
