The first series of the year between baseball's biggest rivals, The Red Sox and the Yankees is now history. The Sox swept the series, winning each game in unique come from behind fashion.
The first two games of the series were of epic proportions. Game one saw Mariano Rivera, baseball's greatest closer, blow a two run lead with two out in the ninth when Jason Bay took him to one of the deepest and highest parts of Fenway. Rivera's body English was not enough to prevent Bay's shot from clearing the 37 foot high green monster in dead center field. Kevin Youkilis' walk off home run in the eleventh secured the victory.
Game two's pitching match up, Beckett versus Burnett, had all the makings of a low scoring pitcher's duel. Apparently no one told neither the pitchers nor the hitters of either team. Both pitchers gave up eight runs. Burnett, the Yanks $88 million dollar off season FA pick up squandered a 6-0 lead. It was the largest deficit the Sox overcame against the Yanks since 1968. The game see- sawed back and forth with the Yank bull-pen fully imploding and the Sox ultimately tagging the Yankee's beleaguered bullpen ( the third worst in baseball ) for an additional 10 runs,leading to a 16-11 final.
With the Yanks desperately needing to salvage a win, Andy Pettitte was sent to the mound against Red Sox youngster Justin Masterston.The Sox versatile slingshot submariner out-dueled Pettitte while Jacoby Ellsbury stole home in a straight out steal. An inexcusable mistake for the Yankees inasmuch as catcher Jorge Posada specifically warned Pettitte to keep an eye on the Sox Speedster. Couple that with the fact that JD Drew, a lefthanded batter, allowed Posada a clear view of the runner, made the theft of home even more unlikely. Ellsbury is by far the fastest Red Sox this writer has ever seen and is yet another product of the Sox fertile farm system which continues to produce quality MLB players.
This series exposed the Yankees biggest weakneess and The Sox biggest strength: their respective bullpens. The Sox pen leads the majors with a 2.57 ERA. In the last 37.1 innings
Red Sox relievers have allowed a measly 5 earned runs leading the team to its current 10 game win streak . The Yanks on the other hand have the third worst bullpen in MLB.
These are not our father's Red Sox my friends. Pitching, Defense, and Speed are now key components in Boston's philosophical approach to the game.
The first two games of the series were of epic proportions. Game one saw Mariano Rivera, baseball's greatest closer, blow a two run lead with two out in the ninth when Jason Bay took him to one of the deepest and highest parts of Fenway. Rivera's body English was not enough to prevent Bay's shot from clearing the 37 foot high green monster in dead center field. Kevin Youkilis' walk off home run in the eleventh secured the victory.
Game two's pitching match up, Beckett versus Burnett, had all the makings of a low scoring pitcher's duel. Apparently no one told neither the pitchers nor the hitters of either team. Both pitchers gave up eight runs. Burnett, the Yanks $88 million dollar off season FA pick up squandered a 6-0 lead. It was the largest deficit the Sox overcame against the Yanks since 1968. The game see- sawed back and forth with the Yank bull-pen fully imploding and the Sox ultimately tagging the Yankee's beleaguered bullpen ( the third worst in baseball ) for an additional 10 runs,leading to a 16-11 final.
With the Yanks desperately needing to salvage a win, Andy Pettitte was sent to the mound against Red Sox youngster Justin Masterston.The Sox versatile slingshot submariner out-dueled Pettitte while Jacoby Ellsbury stole home in a straight out steal. An inexcusable mistake for the Yankees inasmuch as catcher Jorge Posada specifically warned Pettitte to keep an eye on the Sox Speedster. Couple that with the fact that JD Drew, a lefthanded batter, allowed Posada a clear view of the runner, made the theft of home even more unlikely. Ellsbury is by far the fastest Red Sox this writer has ever seen and is yet another product of the Sox fertile farm system which continues to produce quality MLB players.
This series exposed the Yankees biggest weakneess and The Sox biggest strength: their respective bullpens. The Sox pen leads the majors with a 2.57 ERA. In the last 37.1 innings
Red Sox relievers have allowed a measly 5 earned runs leading the team to its current 10 game win streak . The Yanks on the other hand have the third worst bullpen in MLB.
These are not our father's Red Sox my friends. Pitching, Defense, and Speed are now key components in Boston's philosophical approach to the game.
Manny who?
Yes, we still have a long way to go in the season, and Sox fans are realistic about the formidable foes in the division, but things certainly have changed since their 2-6 start.
- Steve
Yes, we still have a long way to go in the season, and Sox fans are realistic about the formidable foes in the division, but things certainly have changed since their 2-6 start.
- Steve
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