Sawx pound AJ and rout Yanks 14-1
BOSTON – While the Yankees are enjoying a sizable cushion in the AL East over the Red Sox, a very disturbing trend has occurred that has potential to be deadly if these two teams meet in October.
Can AJ Burnett beat the Red Sox in Fenway Park?
His past history with Toronto would suggest that he can and that was one of the primary reasons for the Yankees signing him to an $82. 5 million contract in the winter.
However, this season his success has not translated as a Yankee, with three performances, three times being beaten down, each of them worse than the other. This time it was a nine run shelling as the Red Sox finally snapped their five game losing streak to their rivals in a 14-1 whipping in front of 37,277 at Fenway Park.
Back in April, he was stoked to a 6-0 lead before melting down in the middle innings in an eventual 16-11 loss. In June, the excuse was given that he had too much rest, as he was unable to get through three innings.
Here, he was in trouble right from the start was never able to get a grip on the game in which they had the decisive pitching advantage.
Burnett gave up successive singles to Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez with one out in the first inning. He was able to get Kevin Youkilis to pop out for the second out, but would then hang a 2-1 curveball to David Ortiz and he would line it into the left field corner for a double to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. It became 3-0 when Jason Bay singled to left.
It appeared he had righted himself in the second inning getting the first two outs. Then, trouble would strike when shortstop Alex Gonzalez hit a 1-2 fastball over the Green Monster for a homerun to make it 4-0.
Burnett was now facing a crisis moment, and was never able to settle himself. Clearly still rattled after giving up the home run despite getting Jacoby Ellsbury to line out, he walked Pedroia and Martinez on eight straight pitches. Youkilis would deliver the big blow by crushing a 2-2 pitch over the Monster to make it 7-0 and sent the crowd into a frenzy and turning hostile toward the Yankees right-hander by serenading him with chants of “AJ”.
With a worn out bullpen after last night’s 20-11 slugfest, Manager Joe Girardi needed some way to get innings out of his starter no matter the cost. Normal circumstances would have seen Burnett out of there after two innings, but he was going to have to stay in there and take one for the team.
In the fifth inning, up in the count 1-2 to Ortiz, he would leave a fastball out over the plate and allow the slugger to extend his arms and hit it over the Monster for a homerun to make it 8-0.
On the field, you could clearly see Burnett screaming aloud as Ortiz rounded the bases, “Why? Why would you throw that?”
Another hit, this time by Bay was followed up by a ground-rule double by JD Drew to make it 9-0 and end his night.
In five innings, the enigmatic right-hander gave up nine runs, nine hits, walking two and striking out six while allowing three homeruns. This raised his season ERA to 4.06.
All of this made it difficult for the Yankees to come back against Red Sox starter Junichi Tazawa. Tazawa, making his third career start, was able to duck and dodge the Yankee assault that pounded Boston for 20 runs and 23 hits the night before. They had their moments to strike and put runs on the board, but unlike Friday, were never able to get the big hit with men in scoring position.
In both the first and second innings, the Yankees got two men to reach base, but a great relay play by Bay was able to nab Robinson Cano trying to stretch a single into a double.
In the fourth, they would threaten again, but Tazawa was able to avoid trouble again. With runners on first and third, Erik Hinske struck out and Melky Cabrera grounded back to the Boston pitcher.
12 men reached base in the first six innings, yet none of them scored. The sixth inning typified the day for the Yanks as with runners on first and third with one out, Cabrera would end the inning by grounding into a 4-6-3 double play.
Tazawa “rope-a-dope” performance lasted six shut out innings, giving up eight hits and two walks, striking out two.
Finally, the Yankees got on the board in the seventh when Nick Swisher homered over the Monster against Daniel Bard.
Boston had added two more runs in the previous inning off Alfredo Aceves when Martinez brought Pedroia with an RBI single and Youkilis homered for the second time in the game. They would get two more runs in the eighth inning off David Robertson when both Youkilis and Casey Kotchman doubled home runs.
The 14-1 victory allowed the Red Sox to move back to within 6 1/2 games of New York, with the rubber match place in another nationally televised game Sunday night. CC Sabathia will take on Josh Beckett in a battle of aces.
For today though, one of the Yankees aces was flushed.
BOSTON – While the Yankees are enjoying a sizable cushion in the AL East over the Red Sox, a very disturbing trend has occurred that has potential to be deadly if these two teams meet in October.
Can AJ Burnett beat the Red Sox in Fenway Park?
His past history with Toronto would suggest that he can and that was one of the primary reasons for the Yankees signing him to an $82. 5 million contract in the winter.
However, this season his success has not translated as a Yankee, with three performances, three times being beaten down, each of them worse than the other. This time it was a nine run shelling as the Red Sox finally snapped their five game losing streak to their rivals in a 14-1 whipping in front of 37,277 at Fenway Park.
Back in April, he was stoked to a 6-0 lead before melting down in the middle innings in an eventual 16-11 loss. In June, the excuse was given that he had too much rest, as he was unable to get through three innings.
Here, he was in trouble right from the start was never able to get a grip on the game in which they had the decisive pitching advantage.
Burnett gave up successive singles to Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez with one out in the first inning. He was able to get Kevin Youkilis to pop out for the second out, but would then hang a 2-1 curveball to David Ortiz and he would line it into the left field corner for a double to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. It became 3-0 when Jason Bay singled to left.
It appeared he had righted himself in the second inning getting the first two outs. Then, trouble would strike when shortstop Alex Gonzalez hit a 1-2 fastball over the Green Monster for a homerun to make it 4-0.
Burnett was now facing a crisis moment, and was never able to settle himself. Clearly still rattled after giving up the home run despite getting Jacoby Ellsbury to line out, he walked Pedroia and Martinez on eight straight pitches. Youkilis would deliver the big blow by crushing a 2-2 pitch over the Monster to make it 7-0 and sent the crowd into a frenzy and turning hostile toward the Yankees right-hander by serenading him with chants of “AJ”.
With a worn out bullpen after last night’s 20-11 slugfest, Manager Joe Girardi needed some way to get innings out of his starter no matter the cost. Normal circumstances would have seen Burnett out of there after two innings, but he was going to have to stay in there and take one for the team.
In the fifth inning, up in the count 1-2 to Ortiz, he would leave a fastball out over the plate and allow the slugger to extend his arms and hit it over the Monster for a homerun to make it 8-0.
On the field, you could clearly see Burnett screaming aloud as Ortiz rounded the bases, “Why? Why would you throw that?”
Another hit, this time by Bay was followed up by a ground-rule double by JD Drew to make it 9-0 and end his night.
In five innings, the enigmatic right-hander gave up nine runs, nine hits, walking two and striking out six while allowing three homeruns. This raised his season ERA to 4.06.
All of this made it difficult for the Yankees to come back against Red Sox starter Junichi Tazawa. Tazawa, making his third career start, was able to duck and dodge the Yankee assault that pounded Boston for 20 runs and 23 hits the night before. They had their moments to strike and put runs on the board, but unlike Friday, were never able to get the big hit with men in scoring position.
In both the first and second innings, the Yankees got two men to reach base, but a great relay play by Bay was able to nab Robinson Cano trying to stretch a single into a double.
In the fourth, they would threaten again, but Tazawa was able to avoid trouble again. With runners on first and third, Erik Hinske struck out and Melky Cabrera grounded back to the Boston pitcher.
12 men reached base in the first six innings, yet none of them scored. The sixth inning typified the day for the Yanks as with runners on first and third with one out, Cabrera would end the inning by grounding into a 4-6-3 double play.
Tazawa “rope-a-dope” performance lasted six shut out innings, giving up eight hits and two walks, striking out two.
Finally, the Yankees got on the board in the seventh when Nick Swisher homered over the Monster against Daniel Bard.
Boston had added two more runs in the previous inning off Alfredo Aceves when Martinez brought Pedroia with an RBI single and Youkilis homered for the second time in the game. They would get two more runs in the eighth inning off David Robertson when both Youkilis and Casey Kotchman doubled home runs.
The 14-1 victory allowed the Red Sox to move back to within 6 1/2 games of New York, with the rubber match place in another nationally televised game Sunday night. CC Sabathia will take on Josh Beckett in a battle of aces.
For today though, one of the Yankees aces was flushed.
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