“IV Yawkey Way”

Aces Low: NYY Starters are 0-6 with a 7.04 ERA vs Boston in '09

Ok. Sooo…The last line of my most recent post (the one right before this Yanks/Red Sox series at Fenway) was “Don’t break out the brooms this time, I doubt it”

Well, I’ve been fooled by my old, pre-2004 Red Sox fan pessimism yet again! The Red Sox did the improbable yet again, and have swept the New York Yankees, again! Twice at Yankee Stadium in May, six times at Fenway (April 24, 25, 26; June 9, 10, 11) and nine times dating back to the final meeting between the clubs in ‘08, the Red Sox have bested their arch-rivals.

It is now the greatest such stretch in the history of the rivalry. It was always a tightly matched contest over the years, both clubs near 50/50 in win percentage vs. the other (including the playoffs). In this decade the two teams are 7-7 in the ALCS, and each has stolen a pennant from the other. It used to be that the Yankees were always Lucy and the Red Sox always Charlie Brown. Old Charlie seemed sure to get to kick the football and Lucy would surely not pull it out under his feet at the last second. But, the story was always the same. The hope was guardedly there, but ultimately, ended in heartache.

2004 changed all that, and 2007 legitimized the shift. This great start vs the Yankees continues to re-write the story of these teams, with the Red Sox in an unfamiliar role of steady dominance. It was a series that began with a 1-game Yankee lead, and ended with a 2-game Boston lead in the division. So the Red Sox are 2 games better than the Yankees, overall, but are 8-0 vs NY this season (9-0, dating to last year.) It is important: inasmuch as one team winning over another often seems to give the oft-winning team an intangible edge, an x factor. “Swagger.”

There is a distinct possibility that the two teams meeting in the ALCS again with be these very two. All else being equal, (although one team will have an edge over the other in various categories) I’ll take the team that had the edge over the other during the regular season.

A history of winning can lead to a belief in a future of winning. (Boston beat NYY 11 games to 8 during the regular season in ‘04 as well). Unlike football, head-to-head winning does not get taken into account in home-field scenarios, etc. for the playoffs. If the Red Sox go 15 wins, 3 losses (unlikely) to the Yankees, but overall if the Yankees win the division, they would have home field if the Red Sox faced them in the playoffs as the wild-card team in the A.L.

The first game of the series was not at all close even though the pitching match up had a 3-2, or 1-0 game written all over it. Josh Beckett for Boston and AJ Burnett for NY went from marquee duel to one-sided “laugher” very fast. Burnett went 2 and 2/3 innings, giving up 5 runs. He is now 0-1 with an e.r.a. over 13. Not what (Yankee G.M.) Brian Cashman and the Tampa brain trust had in mind. As a Blue Jay, A.J. owned the Sox. No so in pinstripes.

Meanwhile, Josh Beckett, beleaguered by questions about his future in Boston or his effectiveness as a pitcher when he struggles with his command of his fastball, pitched 6 scoreless innings of 1-hit ball. He recorded 9 consecutive outs in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings to end his night. Meanwhile a resurgent “Papi” Ortiz hit a home run in support of the Boston cause. Boston won walking away, 7-0.

On Wednesday, the ageless Tim Wakefield, knuckle-balled his way to another win for the Red Sox. He gave up a single run in the 2nd and another in the 4th (3 overall) to the Yankees, but it was another quality start for my favorite player. Chien Ming Wang (”WONG”) started for the Yankees, and was not the total train wreck that he had been earlier in the season, but still really shaky. Boston held on, 6-5. This game made it 7 straight victories over the Yankees, the longest such streak since April through July of 1912.

Last night was the coup-de-gras vs the Yankees, however, as it seems the Red Sox get the late inning “Mojo” in the 21st century version of this rivalry. Papi hit another homer in the bottom of the 2nd inning and the 1-0 Boston lead stood until the top of the 7th inning, when the Yankees got 3 runs and led it 3-1. I thought “well, all good things must come to an end”, but they didn’t have to end this night!

CC Sabathia (the Yankee starter) pitched very well through 7 innings, but departed in the 8th inning with runners at 1st and 2nd base. They both came around to score, plus the go-ahead run, to make the final score 4-3, Boston. The Yankees will have nearly 2 full months to ponder their ineptitude versus the Red Sox, until Boston visits the Bronx on August 6th.

After losing the first 2 games to the struggling Blue Jays in Toronto, the Sox got back into the win column on Sunday, with a convincing 8-2 win over Toronto (whom the Sox swept last week at Fenway.) The losses over the weekend dropped Boston into the number 2 spot, behind the emboldened Yankees. But last night in Detroit, Diasuke Matsuzake led the Sox to another win. It helped Boston keep pace with New York, who also won over the Texas Rangers.

They are still 1 full game back, with roughly one-third of the regular season now played. Next week brings with it another showdown versus New York at Fenway (June 9, 10, 11.) Boston has won the first 5 meetings with 13 left to play. It was Boston’s best start vs. NYY since 1985.

Dice-K was not great, but good enough to get over on the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit last night. He pitched 5 innings of 1-run, 6-hit ball, walking 3 and threw 96 pitches. Jonathan Papelbon, the Boston closer, came on to face the Tigers in the 9th inning. He walked the bases loaded with no one out and then struck out the side. There are CCU patients at Mass General who don’t need that kind of workout, Jon. It was a John Wettland special, for those of you who remember the mid-90’s Yankees.

Last but not least, the Red Sox manager, Terry Francona, won his 500th game in a Boston uniform, the 3rd to do so (Joe Cronin, 1,071; Mike Higgins, 560) So hearty congrats to the man who brought Boston fans 2 World Championships in this decade after 8 decades of none.

For less than 24 hours, the Yankees and Red Sox were tied atop the A.L. East division, a position that the 2 teams may find themselves in several times as their 2009 campaigns move forward. The Yankees have been surging since the the return of beleaguered slugger Alex Rodriguez on May 8th. Boston has been flagging since then, too. It all equalled an identical record last night.

The most recent series, at the Metrodome in the Twin Cities, Boston split the series with a win this afternoon, 3-1. The 4 games that the Sox and Twins played were crisp affairs, all decided by 3 points or less: 6-5, Boston on Mon; 5-2, Minnesota on Tues; 4-2, Minnesota last night; and 3-1, Boston this afternoon. Sox captain (and catcher) Jason Varitek homered twice today in the win, which put Boston back up by a half-game in the East.

Official WS Ball

After dropping the 1st 2 games to the recently struggling NY Mets, Boston broke out the bats, 12-5, in a slug-fest at Fenway. The Mets’ won on Friday (5-3) when Santana out dueled Matsuzaka, and Saturday (3-2) when Papelbon coughed up a 2-1 lead by allowing a 1-out, 2-run homer in the 9th inning (I believe by Gary Sheffield). These were the 1st Mets wins at Fenway Park since games 3 and 4 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets came to Fenway to play interleague ball in June 2006 and were swept by the Red Sox.

The ‘86 World Series will always be seen as a famous (and infamous) chapter of both New York and New England sports lore. Boston and New York sent teams to face each other in the World Series for the 1st time since 1912. Both teams fought hard through a bitter LCS to get to the Series. Boston took games 1 and 2 at Shea. Eyebrows are raised, people begin to mutter. Then then the Mets took games 3 and 4 at Fenway. Boston won game 5 at home and went to Queens to play game 6, up 3 games to 2.

You know the rest (it wasn’t pretty) but this weekend’s revisit is a reminder of those intense October nights, 23 years ago.

Blue Jays Drop By, Get Swept!

The Toronto Blue Jays came into Fenway with a 3.5 game lead in the division and now lead Boston by just a half-game, and the surging Yankees by 1 game. The Jays were a surprise to even baseball insiders, holding a lead in the division (except for a few days, I believe) since the 1st week of the season. A win by Boston or NY and a loss by the Jays tomorrow ends all that. But to me, the most important thing is that the Sox are back to winning baseball and keeping pace with NY.

Tuesday: Red Sox 2, Toronto 1,

The Red Sox showed resilience and grit in this close win. Wakefield (5-2, 3.59 E.R.A.) has the lead in wins and ERA for Boston and again gutted it out for a 2-1 win over the division rivals. ‘04 Sox alum and fan favorite, Kevin Millar (”Mill-AHH”) hit the game’s lone homer.

Wednesday: Red Sox 8, Toronto 3,

Already leading 2-0, going to the bottom of the 5th, the Sox made it easier for starter Brad Penny, by putting up a 6 spot that inning and coasting to their 1st consecutive wins since before their road trip. (Coming home is wonderful, but Boston must find a way to win consistently on the road!) Brad Penny (4-1, 6.07 ERA) had his best start as a Red Sox pitcher, I feel.

Thursday: Red Sox 5, Toronto 1,

Jon Lester (3-4, 5.91) bounced back very nicely from back-to-back losses to help complete the sweep of division-leading Toronto. Jason Bay hit a 2-run homer in the contest. His last 11 have come with at least one man aboard, a team record. This was a big game because a loss would have dropped the Sox into 3rd place in the East, behind the Yankees (who have won 9 in a row). But they are poised to reclaim the lead in the division, against whom the Sox have an impressive 16-6 record.

My Sandwich was way better than the Red Sox tonight

So I was done with a long day at work and I suited up for a late night jog. It was 11:15 Eastern and I saw that the Sox had built a 4-0 lead going to the bottom half of the 4th. Jog over, sandwich finished and some dvr’d Daily Show watched, I checked again at about 1am and the game was over. The score: 5-4, Mariners.

So my high-flying mood a bit deflated, I see that Boston’s starter, Jon Lester, glided through the first 4 innings and then gave up 1 in the 5th and 4 in the 6th. The Sox could not tie it up or go ahead. An increasingly frustrating (and frustrated) David “Big Papi” Ortiz sat out the game after an 0 for 7 gasser the day before in Anaheim. Meanwhile the Yankees keep winning and are now 2.5 games behind Boston (4.5 behind division-leading Toronto).

What can I say, not great baseball by the Red Sox right now.

Site of the Only World Series Game I've Ever Attended

The last two nights have not been terribly exemplary of what the Red Sox are capable of, albeit the two games were played in Anaheim and against a very good Angels team. The best pitcher for the Red Sox (and the most consistently good) wasn’t on Wednesday night in an 8-4 loss to the Angels. Bay hit yet another home run to make it 2-0 Red Sox but that was where the fun ended for Sox fans. Brad Penny started for Boston in a Thursday matinee in SoCal and the Sox went on to lose that “rubber game” 5-4 in 12 innings.

That is the worst way to lose. The deciding game of a series. You’ve lost already the night before. You’re away on the West Coast and probably just getting over jet lag. The good news is that the Sox are done with Angels’ Stadium for the season. This is also their last West Coast Swing. There is a 3-game set in Seattle against an improved Mariners Team. (I still believe that Boston is more talented, even in Seattle.) The inter-league games will be played against the N.L. East teams so the farthest west they’ll have to go the remainder of the regular season will be K.C. or Arlington, TX.

Taking 2 of 3 in Seattle will even up the trip at 3-3, so let’s hope for that. Its highly doable I think.

Ellsbury is out in 6th inning, But Boston Wins, 4-3. (Courtesy: L.A. Times)

Justin Masterson pitched his way to a no decision Tuesday night in Anaheim, but I feel he did well enough to win on another night. 2 runs over 6 innings kept Boston in the game as the Angels’ starter, Jared Weaver, shut down the Sox’ bats to the tune of 1 run over 7 innings. Then, LA’s bullpen leaked in the 8th as Ortiz drove in a run by way of being hit by a pitch and Jason Bay got an RBI ground-out. Those runs tied the game at 3, and in the 9th, (Jason) Varitek hit an RBI double to ultimately win the game, 4-3.

It was Boston’s 2nd 1-run victory by that score in as many games, and it excites me because it’s illustrative of both very good pitching and clutch hitting, late. Both are going to be needed if the Sox will go deep into the playoffs this October. These wins build confidence and character in a developing season.