When these two teams get together, sometimes it is a blowout one way or the other. But a good number of times, it is a closely fought display of great baseball. Last night was a demonstration of the quality of play both the Red Sox and Yankees are capable of.
What more could we have asked from David Pauley in only his 2nd MLB start? He went 6.2 innings for us and kept some of the fiercest and most steroid aided lineups in baseball to only 2 earned runs. But it wasn't enough. The Sox were able to muster only 1 run, despite having 10 baserunners.
The Sox wore down Wang early, forcing him to throw nearly 50 pitches in the first 2 innings, then they allowed him to settle and cruise. Ortiz hit a solo shot in the 3rd and the Red Sox had a little something going when Manny followed it up with a sharp single. Nixon nailed a ball, but he lined it right to the glove of Andy Phillips who then stepped on first for an inning ending double play.
The Sox went down in order in the 4th, in the 5th they had another baserunner erased by the double play, in the 6th Manny was thrown out trying to extend a single into a double, in the 7th the Sox had 2 on and 1 out, but Cora lined out and Crisp grounded out. In the 8th, Manny hit a fly ball that travelled about 400 feet to left center, but Melkey Cabrera snagged it just as it crossed over the outfield wall to keep the Yankees lead at 1. In the 9th, the Sox went down in order to Rivera. Pitiful offensive performance apart from two long fly balls.
Pauley pitched great. He allowed a game tying solo homerun in the 5th, and pitched into the 7th inning. He loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk before being removed for Rudy Seanez. Rudy walked Giambi to force home what would be the winning run. Pauley will get his first MLB loss, but he deserved a better fate.
The Man of the Game is Chieng Meng Wang who escaped danger and allowed only 1 run over 7 innings.
Here is the B*tch-Goat:
Pauley: 0.2 - 6.2 IP, 2 ER
Seanez: 0.1 - 1.1 IP, inherited runner scored
Cora: 0.2 - 0 for 3, 4 LOB
Nixon: 0.2 - 0 for 4, 3 LOB, LIDP
Varitek: 0.1 - 0 for 4
Crisp: 0.1 - 1 for 4, 4 LOB
Loretta: 0.1 - 1 for 4, LOB, GIDP
The Sox fall to 1.5 games behind the Yankees, and need to win both remaining games in order to recapture 1st place. This will be the first time all season that the Red Sox will be out of 1st place longer than 2 days. We're also only a game and a half ahead of Toronto in 3rd. We're slipping. We need to win the last 2 games just to go .500 on the rod trip. The schedule doesn't get any easier with the 1st place Rangers coming to Fenway this weekend for 4, including a doubleheader on Saturday.
Curt Schilling against Jaret Wright tonight. I think we'll win.
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