On a night when both teams have their aces on the mound, one would expect the game to be close. Well unfortunately for the Red Sox this game was really over after the first inning. The Yankees got to Curt Schilling for 3 runs in the first and never looked back as they smacked 16 hits off Red Sox pitchers to win 8-3 in front of 55,000 at Yankee Stadium.
Andy Pettitte was masterful on the mound for the Yankees. He didn’t allow a baserunner to get past second base until the sixth inning.
The Yankees got on the board in the first inning. Johnny Demon led off with a double and scored when Derek Jeter hit a single that went off a diving Dustin Pedroia’s glove. Hideki Matsui made Schilling pay for a fastball over the middle of the plate by putting it into the seats at Yankee Stadium. Just like that it was 3-0 Yanks.
This was the third night in a row that a first inning homer set the tone. AROD on Monday, Manny on Tuesday, and Godzilla on Wednesday.
The Sox threatened in the second inning. Manny flew out to Damon in center to lead off the inning. The red-hot Kevin Youkilis laced a double off of Pettitte putting himself in scoring position. But Pettitte got out of trouble by retiring Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek.
The Yanks got to Schilling for another run in the second inning. Robinson Cano started it off with a single after a Giambino strikeout. Schilling got Doug Mientkiewicz to strikeout then Damon reached on an infield single that Julio Lugo threw into the outfield allowing Cano to advance to third. Jeter’s infield single, his second hit in as many at-bats, brought in Cano with the 4th run of the night for the Yanks.
The third inning brought another run for the Yanks. AROD led off with a double and came home on a Hip Hip Jorge Posada single.
Another run came across the plate in the 4th inning for the Yankees. Mientkiewicz, who was 0 for 6 against Schilling, took a fastball and put it off the facade of the third deck in right field. This put the Evil Empire up 5-0.
The Sox finally got on the board in the 6th inning. Big Papi led off and grounded out. Manny followed him with a double. Pettitte then got Youk to strikeout. This brought up Lowell, who’s been pretty hot lately at the plate. He laced a double that brought in Manny and made the score 6-1 Yanks.
Schilling gave up two hits in the sixth but they didn’t come around to score. Schill wouldn’t come back out for the 7th inning as his pitch count was around 95 and he was absolutely stinking up the joint. He had no command on any of his pitches and it looked like his velocity wasn’t as high as normal. He went 6 innings, gave up 12 hits (8 were for extra bases), gave up 6 runs (5 earned). He didn’t walk anybody and struck out 3.
Brendan Donnelly came in for Schilling in the 7th and was greeted by a Derek Jeter triple. Jeter came around to score on a Matsui single making it 7-1 Yanks.
The Sox managed to get a run back in the 8th inning off of Kyle Farnsworth, who had come in for Pettitte. Coco welcomed Farnsworth to the game by hitting one into the right field seats. The homer was Coco’s first of the season and first in 180 at-bats. This got the Sox back within 5 runs at 7-2. Farnsworth than gave up a walk to Big Papi and with Manny at the plate, Farny balked Papi over to second base. Manny ended up flying out to Bobby Abreu in right. Youk would bring home Papi though on a single making it 7-3. Farnsworth would settle down as he got Lowell and Varitek out to end another threat.
Joel Piñero came on for Donnelly and retired the first two batters (Giambi and Cano). Mietkiewicz then hit a double and came around on a Damon single, providing the final margin of 8-3.
Mariano Rivera came on in the 9th for the Yanks in a non-save situation. Wily Mo Peña hit a cue ball double down the first base line but Rivera would recover. He struck out Pedroia, Lugo and Coco to end the game and give the Yanks a much needed victory.
The Sox are off til Friday as they traveled to Texas after the game for a 3 game set against the Rangers. Dice-K will be on the mound and look to get the Sox back on track.
