New York Yankees Take Red Sox Best Punch, KO Boston in Series Sweep
August 10, 2009 · Doug Rush · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
When the Yankees-Red Sox series started on Thursday, it looked like an epic match of the two heavyweights in the American League.
At the series end, the Yankees were the one answering the bell while the Red Sox were the ones stumbling out of the ropes.
Sunday’s series finale pitted another good pitching matchup; Andy Pettitte and Jon Lester.
Lester was very good for the Red Sox, keeping the Yankees scoreless for six innings.
Then in the top of the seventh, Alex Rodriguez stepped up to the plate and sent a Lester pitch to dead center field over the wall for a home run. Lester was able to get through the seventh, but the damage was done and the Yankees got to Lester.
For the second time in the week, Pettitte out-pitched a top pitcher in the division. Pettitte went seven scoreless innings, allowing only five hits, walked two and struck out four. Pettitte was in line to pick up his 10th win of the season.
But not so fast. Joe Girardi brought in Phil Coke to come in the eighth, a very head-scratching call since Phil Hughes was well rested after only pitching 2/3 innings in the series and looked well-rested.
Coke got Jacoby Ellbury out, but after a single by Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez came up and smashed a two-run home run to left field and all of a sudden, Boston had scored after being held for 31 scoreless innings.
Boston brought in rookie Daniel Bard, and it ended up backfiring. Johnny Damon blasted a home run to right field to tie the game 2-2. Coke was officially off the hook for the loss. The Yankees were right back in the game.
Next batter is Mark Teixeira and he may have hit the biggest home run in his short time in pinstripes, sending a Bard pitch into the second deck of right field to take a 3-2 Yankee lead.
Terry Francona brought in Hideki Okajima and he surrendered a two-run single to Nick Swisher to add to a 5-2 Yankee lead. The Red Sox went from possibly winning the game to getting a hard 1-2 combination punch followed by a hard overhand right to send Boston out.
Mariano Rivera came in the ninth inning and closed the door for another save and to preserve the Yankees 5-2 win over Boston.
The Yankees sweep the Red Sox for the first time since August 2007 and now have a 6 1/2 game lead in the A.L. East.
Once again, the Yankees get a great outing from another starting pitcher in Pettitte. If Coke doesn’t surrender the Martinez home run, Pettitte wins the game.
Once again, the Yankees showed they were able to come from behind and win a critical game, this time against their bitter rivals who have tortured them all season.
The Yankees look like they are rolling towards a return to the postseason. They are getting quality pitching to go along with clutch hitting.
The Red Sox on the other hand, look like a mess. They were scoreless for 31 innings, they did not hit in the clutch and their bullpen imploded when they were needed most. At the end of the series, the Red Sox looked mentally and physically beaten up and beaten down.
The Yankees will look to continue to add onto their division lead while now, the Red Sox will look to just stay in the playoff hunt as they are now tied for the Wild Card with the Rangers, and the Rays are not too far behind.
Red Sox Nation looked to be no match this weekend for the stronger force of Yankee Universe.
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