For six innings Thursday night -- and into Friday morning, actually -- the New York Yankees got exactly what they needed from CC Sabathia. Trying to avoid a series sweep by the Red Sox in a game delayed three-and-a-half hours by Bronxian rain, Sabathia was practically untouchable for six innings, giving up just two hits.
Red Sox Vs. Yankees: Seven-Run 7th Gives Boston Another Sweep
Everything fell apart in the seventh inning, well past midnight, as the Red Sox exploded for seven runs on their way to an easy 8-3 victory and, yes, their second three-game sweep of the Yankees in New York this season.
With Josh Beckett starting for Boston, this affair was supposed to be a pitchers' duel. And it was, after a fashion. Derek Jeter led off the bottom of the first inning, and Beckett plunked him. Next up, Curtis Granderson drove a pitch into the right-field stands and the Yankees were up 2-0 just like that.
But then Beckett got locked in for six innings, just like Sabathia. Or rather, seven innings. One more than Sabathia. After Granderson’s home run, Beckett allowed only three more hits in his seven frames of work. And no more runs, either; Beckett finished the game with a 2.06 ERA, giving him the league lead in that category.
The duel turned into something completely different in the top of the seventh inning.
David Ortiz led off and ripped a single past Robinson Cano (the Yankees don't employ a shift against Ortiz). Harmless enough, the way Sabathia was pitching.
But then Jed Lowrie smashed a liner that glanced off Mark Teixeira's glove, then eluded Nick Swisher and rolled into the right-field corner for a "triple" (the official scorer's decision, not mine). The Yankees' lead was halved.
Mike Cameron laced a double into the left-field corner to eliminate the Yankees' lead. Jason Varitek singled, and Jacoby Ellsbury also singled to give the Red Sox the lead. After Marco Scutaro lined out, Adrian Gonzalez singled home another run. It was 4-2, and time for Sabathia to let somebody else try to retire Red Sox.
It was David Robertson's turn. He gave up an RBI single to Kevin Youkilis, which brought up Big Papi, who'd started all of this. He wouldn't end it, though, instead driving a double into the left-center gap that plated two more runs. Seven in the seventh. And eventually one in the ninth, with the hot-hitting Gonzalez doubling home Scutaro. The Yankees did score once in the ninth against Boston's bullpen, but once wasn't nearly enough.
A few more notes about this one ...
- Derek Jeter collected a single in four at-bats, leaving him exactly 10 short of 3,000.
- Before Granderson’s first-inning blast, Beckett had gone 44 straight innings without allowing a home run.
- Officially, the rain delay was three hours and 57 minutes, with the game finally starting at 10:32.
- After all the talk about Ortiz’s bat-flip earlier in the series, Sabathia nailed him with a pitch in the fourth inning. Previously, Beckett had plunked Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Both benches were warned. Ortiz -- who had never been hit by a Yankee pitcher’s pitch in a regular-season game -- waited for his revenge until the seventh.
- Overall, the Red Sox have taken eight of nine games from the Yankees this season, which obviously goes a long way toward explaining the Red Sox’ two-game lead over the Yankees at the top of the American League East.
For more on the Red Sox and Yankees, please visit team blogs Over The Monster and Pinstripe Alley.
See More:
