After sitting through a 90 minute rain delay, the New York Yankees got started early scoring runs and continued to do so all night long as they beat the Boston Red Sox 19-8 in front of an announced crowd of 37,301 at Fenway Park.
The loss ended a 3-game winning streak for the local nine and it also ended their hopes for a second straight AL East title. That title will go to the Tampa Bay Rays who despite losing on Friday night win their first AL East title.
Daisuke Matsuzaka was originally scheduled to start for the Red Sox but with the rain delay at the beginning of the game and the ominous forecast, Terry Francona decided to scratch him from the start. David Pauley started in place of Dice-K and was pretty brutal. Actually just about everybody who threw for the Red Sox was pretty awful.
Pauley went 2 2/3 innings giving up 7 runs (6 earned) on 6 hits and a walk while fanning 2. David Aardsma worked 2/3 of an inning, allowing 5 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. Mike Timlin went 1 2/3 innings with 1 run allowed on 3 hits while striking out 3. Chris Smith went 1 2/3 innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks while Devern Hansack finished up the final 2 1/3 innings giving up 3 runs on 5 hits.
Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a 4-for-5 showing with an RBI. He also stole his 50th base of the season. Jonathan Van Every went 1-for-3 with 3 RBI while Kevin Youkilis knocked in 2 runs on his 29th home run of the season. The game also saw the first MLB hits for George Kottaras and Gil Velazquez.
Pauley got the first two outs of the 1st inning and then Sean Casey booted a ball by Bobby Abreu who ended up at second base. Alex Rodriguez brought him in with a single to make it 1-0 Yanks.
Believe it or not, the Red Sox actually held a 3-1 lead in this game as they touched up Yankees starter Alfredo Aceves for 3 runs in the 1st.
Kevin Youkilis rounds the bases after his 2-run home run.
Ellsbury got things started for the local nine as he led off with a solo home run around Pesky’s Pole. Aceves walked Jed Lowrie and then got Mike Lowell to fly out. Lowell ended up reinjuring himself on the swing before he flew out and could be lost for the playoffs. Youk made it 3-1 with a 2-run home run into the Green Monster seats.
The Yankees got 3 runs back in the 2nd and just continued to pour it on the rest of the game as the only inning they were held scoreless was the 6th inning.
Just an ugly game on an ugly night for baseball.
Dice-K will try to make the start again tomorrow weather permitting. Sidney Ponson gets the ball for the Yankees.
Notes and musings:
Yankees @ Red Sox 9.26.08 boxscore
Johnny Pesky’s number retirement ceremony will now take place on Sunday afternoon at 1:15 PM.
The last time Yanks finished with less than 90 wins was in 2000. The last time they weren’t in the postseason was 1994. The last time the Red Sox were in the postseason and the Yankees weren’t was in 1990. The last time the Yankees finished in 3rd place in the AL East was 1994.
With Jon Lester (16-6) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-2), this marks just the 8th season that the Red Sox have had more than one pitcher finish at least 10 games above .500.
Coming into tonight, Red Sox relievers have worked 15.0 scoreless innings over the last 5 games and have issued 1 earned run in 19.0 innings in the last 7 contests.
Sox on streaks:
Jacoby Ellsbury has a 17-game hitting streak
Dustin Pedroia has a 6-game hitting streak
David Ortiz has a 5-game hitting streak
Mark Kotsay has a 3-game hitting streak
Mike Lowell saw his 3-game hitting streak end
