Bombed
You would think 11 runs would be more than enough for the Red Sox to win at Fenway.But instead, the home team fell two grand slams and a couple of solo homers short of victory last night as the Yankees pounded the Red Sox for 20 runs on 23 hits in a game that seemed like it would never end.
Brad Penny, who by now should have been traded or released, was awful from the first pitch. Michael Bowden, the most recent call-up from Pawtucket, needed more than 40 pitches to get out of his first inning of relief. It would have been a good night for one of those drinking games where you have to take swig of beer every time a run scores. Of course, you'd have needed to head back to the liquor store for another case of brew by the third inning.
Today could be another disaster as Junichi Tazawa faces off against A.J. Burnett. Who decided on these lopsided pitching matchups? It's like Terry Francona lost a high-stakes poker game and had to pay up by sending the back end of his rotation to face a very confident Yankee lineup. By the time Josh Beckett squares off against CC Sabathia tomorrow night, any hopes of a Red Sox division crown will be a distant memory.
Unless, of course, Burnett has one of his poor outings.
And Junichi Tazawa tosses a gem.
And the Yankees bats cool down.
And the Red Sox score another 11 runs.
It could happen just as you listed it, Steve. (I hope it doesn't, but it could!) I agree that 11 runs should have been more than enough to win at Fenway last night, and I was prepared for the Sox to make a comeback like they always do. Penny didn't have it and the Yankees took advantage. But it was a sloppy game and lasted nearly four hours. I wonder how long today's game will take. The whole day? Or will it be a pitcher's duel that zips by in two hours? Hmm, I'll pick door #1.
- http://janeheller.mlblogs.com
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At least we know that Penny won't be making his next start - Wakefield will.
Julia
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"It's like Terry Francona lost a high-stakes poker game and had to pay up by sending the back end of his rotation to face a very confident Yankee lineup."
I may be grateful for this but I don't understand it. Did Francona have no flexibility with his starting rotation? I mean, the Yankees made sure to have the 1-2 punch starting in Fenway this weekend...
I predict a 3-1 type game on Saturday...
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I think at this point with the rotation a mess minus Dice-K and Wakefield, Francona only had so much flexibility. The argument could also be made that the Sox have resigned themselves to battling it out for the wild card and this series is less important to management than it is to the fans.
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*sigh of relief* It seems that Burnett IS having a poor outing, Tazawa IS pitching well, the Yankee bats are cooling off, and the Sox offense did better than 11 runs, 12, and we're in the 6th inning (:
Today, it looks like we'll keep our division hopes alive for one more day.
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Steve, many have echoed your sentiments regarding Boston having "resigned themselves to battling it out for the wild card and [how] this series is less important to management than it is to the fans". The problem with that is, with the Rangers and Rays breathing down the Sox's neck, you've got to win games regardless of whom your facing, be it the Yankees or the A's, for instance.
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I agree, and you could use the same argument to justify pitching Jon Lester against Toronto this past Thursday rather than saving him for that disaster on Friday.
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