BOSTON – In many ways, it was as if the Yankees never had a chance before the game started.
The pitching matchup on paper favored the Bombers, but the games are not played that way.
It was difficult to tell if it was Justin Masterson just pitching well, or if the Yankees had simply mailed it in for the night and had already planned their continued road trip to Detroit.
Perhaps they could have trotted out old arms like John Burkett or Pete Schourek. It likely would not have mattered on this night.
Whatever it was, the pride and bravado the team had brought to Boston this weekend was weakened by the loss on Friday. On Saturday, it was essentially destroyed. The performance Sunday night reeked of lifelessness as the Red Sox swept the Yanks (9-9) right out of Fenway Park in a 4-1 defeat that actually did not last four hours. It was 3:09 instead.
Rather, they showed up facing the young hurler and simply hit themselves into the ground. Literally.
It was a night where youth was served and a weekend that highlighted major differences that the Red Sox currently possess over their blood rivals seen in front of a national audience and 38.154 cheering the Old Towne Team.
Taking advantage of a severely stiff wind that was blowing in compared to the last two days, Masterson was able to deal 5 and 1/3 strong innings, yielding only one run and six hits with his powerful sinker and received a great standing ovation when Red Sox manager Terry Francona came to the mound. He would be removed from the game after 99 pitches and runners on first and second.
Because of the heavy workload on the bullpen on both Friday and Saturday, Francona elected to sit down all of his best relievers in this sweep clinching game. Masterson gave way to recent call up Hunter Jones, a left-hander who was able to get Hideki Matsui to fly out to left and then strike out Melky Cabrera to end the sixth inning threat.
In the seventh, Boston brought on highly touted prospect Michael Bowden (called up before the game and will be sent back to Triple-A on Monday), who slammed the door on the Yankees for the next two innings, striking out two in his first appearance of the season. He was overpowering that several Bomber hitters stepped to the plate left looking as if they did not have much of a chance.
This was the Red Sox “B” team and pitching staff that was being forced to carry through this game and the offense was never able to mount a consistent threat or a get a big hit. After going 7 for 36 in the first two games, the Yankees managed another 0 for 6 stinker to finish hitting .166 for the series.
However, the most egregious play of the night came where the game momentum in the fifth inning turned in favor of the Red Sox.
Boston had already scored a run to take a 2-1 lead when Pettitte gave up a run scoring double to David Ortiz aided by walks to Jason Varitek and Jacoby Ellsbury. They would elect to intentionally load the bases by walking Kevin Youkilis and bring up J.D Drew. Ellsbury was leading off third base and not held on by Angel Berroa who was playing in an exaggerated shift. Without the threat of a pick off, Ellsbury took a lead near halfway between third and home.
Pettitte, apparently not paying attention to this fact began his bases loaded offering to Mike Lowell from the stretch as Ellsbury raced for the plate. His pitch did not reach the glove of Jorge Posada in time as he stole home to give Boston a 3-1 lead.
Clearly flustered, Pettitte gave up a ground-rule double to J.D Drew to increase the lead to 4-1 as Red Sox Nation roared their approval.
At that point, you could effectively say the game was over.
Pettitte stayed out as long as he could to help the bullpen throwing 117 pitches in six innings, giving up six hits, four runs (three earned), while walking four and striking out six.
The Yankees lone run came on a sacrifice fly by Brett Gardner in the third inning, scoring Hideki Matsui from third base. It was the third consecutive game in which they had opened up the game with a lead only to see it wiped away by a Boston comeback. Mark Teixeira hit a deep drive to right that would be held up by the wind at the warning track to end the inning.
The fifth inning was Pettitte's (2-1) only real hiccup giving up those three runs. He had given up his other run in the third when two errors by substitute third baseman Angel Berroa allowed Nick Green to reach and later advance to third on his throwing error allowing then Ellsbury to reach third base after he had reached on a fielder’s choice to get on. David Ortiz drove home Ellsbury from third to tie the game.
The game saw the major league debut of new Yankee Mark Melancon, called up from Scranton on Saturday. His two innings and 22 pitches were impressive, striking out one and working out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the bottom of the eighth.
Takashi Saito subbed as the Red Sox closer and only yielded a single to Melky Cabrera with two out before getting Johnny Damon (who did not start) to fly out to end the game.
Boston has won 10 games in a row after starting out 2-6. The Yankees are now back to .500 as they fly to Detroit for a three game series against the Tigers.
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