In another epic battle reminiscent of the Battle of Thermopylae, the Yankees beat up on the normally reliable Red Sox bullpen for six runs in the 8th inning on their way to an 8-7 win. The win by the Yankees cut the lead to 4.5 games in the AL East. Neither starter, Andy Pettitte or Daisuke Matsuzaka factored into the decision or were around after the 6th inning.
The game took 4 hours and 43 minutes to play, which is good for second longest in MLB history. The longest also happened between these same two teams and clocked in at 4 hours and 45 minutes on August 18th of last year. To give you a little more perspective, this game started at 7:05 PM. The Mariners and Devil Rays started at 10:05 PM. When this game finished at 11:48 PM. the M’s and D’Rays game had two outs in the top of the 8th.
Dice-K started out the 1st inning and looked very shaky. I think everyone watching was thinking the same thing, “here we go again”. Johnny Demon led off with an infield single and then Derek Jeter flew out. Dice-K then got Bobby Abreu to hit a ground ball to Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia flipped it over to Julio Lugo to turn the double play but Lugo dropped the throw and both runners were safe. Dice-K then plunked AROD on a curveball that obviously wasn’t near the plate. This loaded up the bases for Jorge Posada. Posada hit a ground ball to Youk at first and instead of going to second base to turn the double play, he threw home (almost nailing Dice-K by the way) to get the lead runner. Hideki Matsui ended the inning with a ground out to Lugo.
Boston got things going in the 2nd inning off of Pettitte. Kevin Youkilis led off with a single and then Pettitte made J.D. Drew look silly on a strikeout. The Captain Jason Varitek worked a walk and Bobby Kielty, starting because of his numbers against lefties, hit into a fielder’s choice that saw Varitek retired at second. This brought Jacoby Ellsbury, who was in for an ailing Coco Crisp, to the plate. Ellsbury promptly extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single that brought in Youk for the first run of the game. Pettitte finished the inning by getting Lugo to pop out.
In the 3rd inning, Pedroia grounded out to AROD and Big Papi followed that with a double. Mike Lowell singled to center and Big Papi tried to motor home but was gunned out by Melky Cabrera. Word is the newest Aerosmith song is going to be “Melky’s Got a Gun”. Lowell went to second on the throw home. Pettitte then walked Youk. J.D. Drew cranked a shot down the first base line that Jason Giambi booted allowing Lowell to score from second for a 2-0 Sox lead. The inning came to a close as Pettitte struck out Varitek swinging.
After a relatively easy 2nd and 3rd inning, Dice-K ran into some trouble in the 4th. Posada doubled to deep center to lead off and he came home on a Matsui triple, cutting the deficit to one run. A little unnerved, Dice-K issued a free pass to Giambi. However he settled down as he got Cano to strikeout swinging and Cabrera to ground into an inning ending double play. If Melky had not tried to slide into first base, he probably would have been safe.
The Sox opened up the game in their half of the 4th. Kielty led off with a double and went to third on Ellsbury’s second hit of the night. Pettitte got Lugo to strikeout swinging. With Pedroia at the plate Ellsbury stole second and came around to score along with Kielty on a Mighty Mouse single. Big Papi followed that up with a single. Lowell then drove in Pedroia with an infield single making it 5-1 Sox. Youk flew out to right and Drew struck out again for the 3rd out.
The Yanks chased Dice-K after he loaded up the bases in the 5th inning. Mike Timlin came on and got into a little battle with Demon that Demon eventually won with a chopper over Timlin’s head to drive in Posada. Timlin escaped further damage as he got Jeter to strikeout swinging on a ball in the dirt.
Boston scored two more in the 6th inning, one run each off Jose Veras and Sean Henn.
Fast forwarding to the 8th inning for the Yanks,a lthough I’d rather not, is when the roof caved in for Boston. Hideki Okajima had come on the bottom of the 7th with 2 outs and got out of that inning, getting Matsui to fly out. Back out on the mound for the 8th, Okajima left a fastball up to Giambi, who said see you later to the ball and hit it out for a home run. Cano said anything you can do I can better and did the same thing. Just like that it was a 3-run ball game. Okie then walked Melky and gave up a double, chasing him from the game. Terry Francona decided to bring in his ace from the bullpen, Jonathan Papelbon, to get the final six outs of the game. The first batter Papelbon faced was Jeter who sawed one off for a single that scored Melky and cut the lead to two runs at 7-5. Abreu then brought in both runners with a double and just like that it was a whole new ballgame tied at 7. Abreu ended up at third on an error by Lugo. It didn’t really matter because he came right home on single by AROD, giving the Yanks their first lead of the game at 8-7. Papelbon finally finished off the inning by getting Posada to ground out and with strikeouts of Matsui and Giambi.
The Sox squandered a chance in the 8th inning to tie the game up. After Lowell reached on a passed ball after a strikeout, Youk flew out for the second out of the inning. Lowell had been pinch-run for by Coco. Well with Drew at the plate, Coco was thrown out trying to steal second base.
Mariano Rivera came on for the Yanks in the 9th and allowed just a single to Drew on his way to his 27th save.
A big battle later today as 18-game winners Chien-Ming Wang and Josh Beckett square off. Both are looking to bolster their candidacy for the Cy Young Award. Gametime is 3:55 PM and the game will be seen nationally on FOX.
Notes and Musings:
Dice-K celebrated his 27th birthday on Thursday. Happy belated birthday to Dice-K.
Tonight’s game is being broadcast on three channels where I live. NESN, YES and ESPN. I chose the ESPN feed for a little change. Plus it doesn’t hurt that Erin Andrews is doing reports during the game as well.
Manny Ramirez was not in the lineup and will not play in the series this weekend. Manny should be back early next week now. There’s no rush to get him back as long as the Sox keep winning.
Brendan Donnelly was back in the clubhouse tonight for the first time since his season-ending elbow surgery.
Joba Chamberlain won’t pitch in tonight’s game because he threw 1 2/3 innings on Wednesday night. He will be available tomorrow.
Coco Crisp was in the original lineup for the Sox but was scratched with a sore hip. He was replaced in the lineup by Jacoby Ellsbury.
Matt Clement threw a simulated game before the game. He will be going to instructional league after the season.
The Red Sox have been in first place for the 123 days.
The Yankees minor league system had the most wins of all 30 teams. 4 of their minor league teams made the postseason.
ESPN had Bobby Valentine on in an interview from Osaka, Japan in the 3rd inning. Valentine says that Dice-K needs to go back to being a pitcher and not a thrower. He also said he’s probably mentally fatigued. He said Dice-K has not performed up to the expectations of the fans in Japan. He says he needs to throw his changeup more when he’s down in the count. Valentine also thought that Kei Igawa would struggle in the United States before he came over to the Yankees. Boy was he right. Valentine was instrumental in helping the Red Sox get Dice-K and Hideki Okajima and Okajima was just as good last year in Japan as he has been this season for the Sox. Valentine also said that the pitchers who come over are better than the hitters who come over.
Terry Francona’s daughter, Alyssa, was watching the game with her UNC softball teammates in Chapel Hill tonight.
ESPN’s Rick Sutcliffe says AROD will win the AL MVP. Way to go out on a limb there Rick.
Adrien Grenier from Entourage was sitting up on the Green Monster tonight. He was in town because his band, The Honey Brothers, played at the first annual Beckett Bowl last night.
