Yanks sink Sawx in eighth, break out brooms
NEW YORK – In many ways, it seemed fitting that it would end this way.
After three days of delivering misery to the rivals that had tormented them all season, the Yankees delivered what may been the decisive blow in the AL East race.
Their fourth win, even more dramatic than the previous three, was an old school variety. It reminded Yankee fans of how The Rivalry used to be before the 2004 ALCS.
After surrendering a 1-0 lead in the eighth, the Yankees would rally from 2-1 deficit in the bottom half of the inning to score four runs en route to a 5-2 comeback victory to sweep the Red Sox in front of 48,190 at Yankee Stadium.
The win completed another edition of the Boston Massacre and their first sweep of Boston at home since 1985. The last sweep took place in 2006 when the Yankees swept the Red Sox five straight games to send their season into free fall.
It seems as if the 0-8 record was a long time ago now that the Yankees have a 6 1/2 in the division. The game was setting up as another classic reminiscent of Friday night’s 15-inning marathon when it appeared as if neither team would put up a run on the scoreboard.
Starters Andy Pettitte and Jon Lester matched each other zero for zero for the first six innings. Pettitte, who has pitched tremendously since the All Star break, continued to keep Boston off the scoreboard. The Red Sox came into the game having not scored in their last 24 innings and that would be extended with the Yankees veteran left-hander on the mound.
Pettitte was shutting down Boston for the first three innings. In the fourth, it looked as if they would finally end their scoreless streak (which was now at 27). After retiring the first two men to begin the inning, Jason Bay and JD Drew both singled and Mike Lowell drew a walk to load the bases. Jason Varitek came up, on a 1-0 pitch, got a great swing on a pitch, and lined it left field, but right at Johnny Damon, who had to leap up just slightly to make the catch to end the inning.
With his pitch count over 100, Manager Joe Girardi allowed Pettitte go back out to begin the seventh inning. Pitching with relatively low stress, he would answer the bell with an eight-pitch inning to conclude his night.
In seven innings, Pettitte delivered shut out ball, matching both AJ Burnett on Friday and CC Sabathia on Saturday, on five hits, walking two and striking out four.
Lester was just as brilliant. Yankee hitters did not have much chance against the Boston left-hander. Only one man (Mark Teixeira) reached third base through the first six innings. It was becoming one of those games where one mistake was going to win the game for either side.
Lester would be the one that would blink first. In the seventh inning, he would leave a cutter over the middle of the plate that Alex Rodriguez would crush to center field for a home run to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. For the night, the Boston lefty pitched seven innings, giving up only that one run on five hits, walking none and striking out seven.
With Phil Hughes not available due to pitching in the two previous games despite low pitch counts, Girardi chose not to return with Pettitte, and went with Phil Coke instead to pitch the eighth. He would strike out Jacoby Ellsbury to begin the frame and then gave up a single to Dustin Pedroia. After fouling off several sliders, Victor Martinez would connect on a fastball and drove it into the left field seats to give the Red Sox a 2-1.
The home run ended Boston’s 31 scoreless innings drought. After struggling to score runs over the past few days, they were now six outs away from being able to save face and steal the final game. Daniel Bard would come into the game trying to get three outs to get the ball to Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth.
Things were going to plan as Bard got Hideki Matsui to ground out for the first out and Derek Jeter’s “excuse me” swing caused a soft roller to the Boston reliever for the second.
With Damon up, Bard’s 98 MPH fastball met Damon’s bat and he was able to drive it into the Yankees bullpen in right center to tie the score. The crowd was already in a frenzy, but two pitches later Mark Teixeira brought the house down with a home run on a hanging slider that found the second deck down the line in right to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
It was clear the young Red Sox reliever was rattled as he walked Rodriguez and Terry Francona came to mound to remove him and bring in Hideki Okajima. Jorge Posada greeted him with a double to right field put runners on second and third. He would fall behind Nick Swisher 2-0, before coming over the plate with a pitch that would be lined to center for a two-run single to extend the Yankee lead to 5-2.
Mariano Rivera would come into the game in the ninth and after giving up a leadoff single to Drew, was able to get Lowell and Varitek on both a fly out and a strikeout. Rivera would walk David Ortiz, but was able to end the game on a broken bat groundout by Ellsbury to make the sweep official.
For the Yankees, it was their seventh win in a row as they have the best record in baseball at 69-42 (the Dodgers are second at 67-45). The next time they will see the Red Sox is next Friday (August 21) at Fenway Park for a three game series.
By that point, they may have a chance to eliminate Boston’s playoff chances.
NEW YORK – In many ways, it seemed fitting that it would end this way.
After three days of delivering misery to the rivals that had tormented them all season, the Yankees delivered what may been the decisive blow in the AL East race.
Their fourth win, even more dramatic than the previous three, was an old school variety. It reminded Yankee fans of how The Rivalry used to be before the 2004 ALCS.
After surrendering a 1-0 lead in the eighth, the Yankees would rally from 2-1 deficit in the bottom half of the inning to score four runs en route to a 5-2 comeback victory to sweep the Red Sox in front of 48,190 at Yankee Stadium.
The win completed another edition of the Boston Massacre and their first sweep of Boston at home since 1985. The last sweep took place in 2006 when the Yankees swept the Red Sox five straight games to send their season into free fall.
It seems as if the 0-8 record was a long time ago now that the Yankees have a 6 1/2 in the division. The game was setting up as another classic reminiscent of Friday night’s 15-inning marathon when it appeared as if neither team would put up a run on the scoreboard.
Starters Andy Pettitte and Jon Lester matched each other zero for zero for the first six innings. Pettitte, who has pitched tremendously since the All Star break, continued to keep Boston off the scoreboard. The Red Sox came into the game having not scored in their last 24 innings and that would be extended with the Yankees veteran left-hander on the mound.
Pettitte was shutting down Boston for the first three innings. In the fourth, it looked as if they would finally end their scoreless streak (which was now at 27). After retiring the first two men to begin the inning, Jason Bay and JD Drew both singled and Mike Lowell drew a walk to load the bases. Jason Varitek came up, on a 1-0 pitch, got a great swing on a pitch, and lined it left field, but right at Johnny Damon, who had to leap up just slightly to make the catch to end the inning.
With his pitch count over 100, Manager Joe Girardi allowed Pettitte go back out to begin the seventh inning. Pitching with relatively low stress, he would answer the bell with an eight-pitch inning to conclude his night.
In seven innings, Pettitte delivered shut out ball, matching both AJ Burnett on Friday and CC Sabathia on Saturday, on five hits, walking two and striking out four.
Lester was just as brilliant. Yankee hitters did not have much chance against the Boston left-hander. Only one man (Mark Teixeira) reached third base through the first six innings. It was becoming one of those games where one mistake was going to win the game for either side.
Lester would be the one that would blink first. In the seventh inning, he would leave a cutter over the middle of the plate that Alex Rodriguez would crush to center field for a home run to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. For the night, the Boston lefty pitched seven innings, giving up only that one run on five hits, walking none and striking out seven.
With Phil Hughes not available due to pitching in the two previous games despite low pitch counts, Girardi chose not to return with Pettitte, and went with Phil Coke instead to pitch the eighth. He would strike out Jacoby Ellsbury to begin the frame and then gave up a single to Dustin Pedroia. After fouling off several sliders, Victor Martinez would connect on a fastball and drove it into the left field seats to give the Red Sox a 2-1.
The home run ended Boston’s 31 scoreless innings drought. After struggling to score runs over the past few days, they were now six outs away from being able to save face and steal the final game. Daniel Bard would come into the game trying to get three outs to get the ball to Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth.
Things were going to plan as Bard got Hideki Matsui to ground out for the first out and Derek Jeter’s “excuse me” swing caused a soft roller to the Boston reliever for the second.
With Damon up, Bard’s 98 MPH fastball met Damon’s bat and he was able to drive it into the Yankees bullpen in right center to tie the score. The crowd was already in a frenzy, but two pitches later Mark Teixeira brought the house down with a home run on a hanging slider that found the second deck down the line in right to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
It was clear the young Red Sox reliever was rattled as he walked Rodriguez and Terry Francona came to mound to remove him and bring in Hideki Okajima. Jorge Posada greeted him with a double to right field put runners on second and third. He would fall behind Nick Swisher 2-0, before coming over the plate with a pitch that would be lined to center for a two-run single to extend the Yankee lead to 5-2.
Mariano Rivera would come into the game in the ninth and after giving up a leadoff single to Drew, was able to get Lowell and Varitek on both a fly out and a strikeout. Rivera would walk David Ortiz, but was able to end the game on a broken bat groundout by Ellsbury to make the sweep official.
For the Yankees, it was their seventh win in a row as they have the best record in baseball at 69-42 (the Dodgers are second at 67-45). The next time they will see the Red Sox is next Friday (August 21) at Fenway Park for a three game series.
By that point, they may have a chance to eliminate Boston’s playoff chances.
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