(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |  | R | H | E | |
NY Yankees | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 1 | |
Boston | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | X | 9 | 12 | 0 |
LP: Chan Ho Park (0-1)
SV: J. Papelbon (1)
Well, that's not really how you wanted to see the Yankees start their season, but at least they have 161 games to make up for it.
Tonight was just your typical 3 hour, 46 minute, Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway. Bad pitching, lots of hits, lots of walks, lots of runs, and leads vanishing in the blink of an eye, well, for the Yankees anyway.
Things started off well for the Bombers against Josh Beckett and the Sox. They opened the scoring for the 2010 season with back-to-back second inning homers by Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson. For Granderson, there's was no better way he could have celebrated his first at-bat as a Yankee..... By the way, if you were wondering, Sterling's call for Granderson's homer was "Oh Curtis, you're something sort of Grandish."
After Boston cut the Yanks lead to one on an Andrian Beltre sac fly in the bottom of the second, the Yanks had another big inning, this time scoring three in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 5-1. With Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano on the corners and two out, Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter came through with back-to-back RBI singles putting runners on the corners again, this time for Nick Johnson. With the count 0-2 on Johnson, Joe Girardi decided to reach into his bag of tricks and pulled out the double steal, which worked to perfection. Jeter broke for second, Victor Martinez made a terrible throw, and Gardner scampered home with the Yankees fifth run. It was a great call by Girardi and I hope it's a sign of things to come.
At this point if you're a Yankees fan you had to be feeling pretty good about the game, I know I was. CC was settling in, the Yankees had a four-run lead, and Beckett was on the ropes. But this is Yankees-Red Sox, and more importantly, it's Yankees-Red Sox in Fenway Park.
Like these April battles with the Red Sox tend to go, the Sox would eventually work their way back into the game. They scored a single run in the fifth, but the real story of that inning, as Kenny Singleton correctly pointed out during the broadcast, was how they made CC work. By the time he reached the mound in the sixth he was gassed. A lead off walk to Dustin Pedroia, a double by V-Mart, and a two-run triple by Kevin Youkilis, and the Sox were down by just a run. Sabathia would then retire David Ortiz before being replaced by David Robertson.
Here's what the big fella had to say about his outing:
Robertson did allow the tying run to score from third on an RBI single by Beltre, but would eventually get out of the inning without allowing any more damage.
Like all of last year, when an opposing team put up a crooked number, the Yankees came right back with one of their own. Mark Teixeira starting things off with the dreaded lead off walk. A-Rod then hit a ball that would have been a two-run homer in any other ballpark, but since Fenway has that stupid wall he wound up having to settle for a double. But it wouldn't matter because both runs would eventually score. Cano drove in the first with a ground out to second, and then Posada made it 7-5 with an RBI single.
Once again the Yankees couldn't hold the lead, this time thanks to the efforts of Chan Ho Park. With one on and one out, Pedroia tied the game with a fly out that turned into a two-run, Green Monster homer. Thanks again, Fenway. Youkilis then doubled to knock Park out of the game.
Now, with Damaso Marte now on the mound and Ortiz at the plate, Youkilis moved to third on a wild pitched, and would then score a passed ball to give the Sox the lead. I think Posada was at fault for both of them, but even if you give him a pass on the first there's no way he shouldn't have caught the second.
At that point the Red Sox bullpen took over. Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon each threw a scoreless inning to put the Yanks away.
Things might have been easier for the Yankees in the ninth had Joba Chamberlain not allowed a very important insurance run in the eighth. In an inning and a third, Joba allowed that run on two hits and a walk. He did not strike out a batter and threw 22 of 33 pitches for strikes. He wasn't terrible, but he threw too many pitches and didn't get the big out when he needed it.
Tonight was just your typical 3 hour, 46 minute, Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway. Bad pitching, lots of hits, lots of walks, lots of runs, and leads vanishing in the blink of an eye, well, for the Yankees anyway.
Things started off well for the Bombers against Josh Beckett and the Sox. They opened the scoring for the 2010 season with back-to-back second inning homers by Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson. For Granderson, there's was no better way he could have celebrated his first at-bat as a Yankee..... By the way, if you were wondering, Sterling's call for Granderson's homer was "Oh Curtis, you're something sort of Grandish."
After Boston cut the Yanks lead to one on an Andrian Beltre sac fly in the bottom of the second, the Yanks had another big inning, this time scoring three in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 5-1. With Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano on the corners and two out, Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter came through with back-to-back RBI singles putting runners on the corners again, this time for Nick Johnson. With the count 0-2 on Johnson, Joe Girardi decided to reach into his bag of tricks and pulled out the double steal, which worked to perfection. Jeter broke for second, Victor Martinez made a terrible throw, and Gardner scampered home with the Yankees fifth run. It was a great call by Girardi and I hope it's a sign of things to come.
At this point if you're a Yankees fan you had to be feeling pretty good about the game, I know I was. CC was settling in, the Yankees had a four-run lead, and Beckett was on the ropes. But this is Yankees-Red Sox, and more importantly, it's Yankees-Red Sox in Fenway Park.
Like these April battles with the Red Sox tend to go, the Sox would eventually work their way back into the game. They scored a single run in the fifth, but the real story of that inning, as Kenny Singleton correctly pointed out during the broadcast, was how they made CC work. By the time he reached the mound in the sixth he was gassed. A lead off walk to Dustin Pedroia, a double by V-Mart, and a two-run triple by Kevin Youkilis, and the Sox were down by just a run. Sabathia would then retire David Ortiz before being replaced by David Robertson.
Here's what the big fella had to say about his outing:
“I think I had good stuff, I just nibbled too much,” Sabathia said. “Early in the game I was still strike one, right there. Later in the game I’m trying to throw down and away and I’m missing down. I just think I nibbled a little too much and got behind and got in hitters counts. It’s a tough lineup to try to pitch to when you’re in hitters counts.”It wasn't a good night for the big lefty, but if you look at the way he pitched before he ran out of steam, you can't feel too bad about the outing. It's still better than the stinker he had in Baltimore last Opening Day.
“It’s a fine line and today I definitely screwed it up,” Sabathia said. “Just trying to make pitches and try to trick the guys instead of just coming right after them with a four run lead.” (source: Chad Jennings)
Robertson did allow the tying run to score from third on an RBI single by Beltre, but would eventually get out of the inning without allowing any more damage.
Like all of last year, when an opposing team put up a crooked number, the Yankees came right back with one of their own. Mark Teixeira starting things off with the dreaded lead off walk. A-Rod then hit a ball that would have been a two-run homer in any other ballpark, but since Fenway has that stupid wall he wound up having to settle for a double. But it wouldn't matter because both runs would eventually score. Cano drove in the first with a ground out to second, and then Posada made it 7-5 with an RBI single.
Once again the Yankees couldn't hold the lead, this time thanks to the efforts of Chan Ho Park. With one on and one out, Pedroia tied the game with a fly out that turned into a two-run, Green Monster homer. Thanks again, Fenway. Youkilis then doubled to knock Park out of the game.
Now, with Damaso Marte now on the mound and Ortiz at the plate, Youkilis moved to third on a wild pitched, and would then score a passed ball to give the Sox the lead. I think Posada was at fault for both of them, but even if you give him a pass on the first there's no way he shouldn't have caught the second.
At that point the Red Sox bullpen took over. Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon each threw a scoreless inning to put the Yanks away.
Things might have been easier for the Yankees in the ninth had Joba Chamberlain not allowed a very important insurance run in the eighth. In an inning and a third, Joba allowed that run on two hits and a walk. He did not strike out a batter and threw 22 of 33 pitches for strikes. He wasn't terrible, but he threw too many pitches and didn't get the big out when he needed it.
Thing also might have been easier if the Yankees hadn't left nine men on base.
Oh well, what can you do? While the loss sucked, it's really no big deal. It's the first game in a very long season, so I hope there won't be too much panicking during the off-day. Although I suspect the headlines in the this morning's papers will be somewhat hilarious.
| AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG | |
| Jeter, SS | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .400 |
| Johnson, N, DH | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .000 |
| 1-Winn, PR-DH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Teixeira, 1B | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Rodriguez, A, 3B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 |
| Cano, 2B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .400 |
| Posada, C | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .750 |
| Granderson, CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | .250 |
| Swisher, RF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .333 |
| Gardner, LF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Totals | 37 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 15 | |
1-Ran for Johnson, N in the 8th. | ||||||||
BATTING 2B: Cano (1, Beckett), Rodriguez, A (1, Ramirez, Ramon S.). HR: Posada (1, 2nd inning off Beckett, 0 on, 2 out), Granderson (1, 2nd inning off Beckett, 0 on, 2 out). TB: Jeter 2; Rodriguez, A 2; Cano 3; Posada 6; Granderson 4; Swisher; Gardner 2. RBI: Posada 2 (2), Granderson (1), Gardner (1), Jeter (1), Cano (1). 2-out RBI: Posada; Granderson; Gardner; Jeter. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Jeter; Johnson, N; Granderson 2. GIDP: Rodriguez, A; Swisher. Team RISP: 3-for-10. Team LOB: 9. BASERUNNING SB: Jeter (1, 2nd base off Beckett/Martinez, V), Gardner (1, home off Beckett/Martinez, V). FIELDING E: Gardner (1, throw). PB: Posada (1). DP: (Rodriguez, A-Teixeira). | ||||||||
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Pitches-strikes: Sabathia 104-58, Robertson, D 6-6, Park 22-14, Marte, D 5-1, Chamberlain 33-22.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kevin Youkilis (3-for-4, 2 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 3 R).
HONORABLE MENTION: Dustin Pedroia (2-for-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R).
GOAT OF THE GAME: Chan Ho Park (0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, L).
Tomorrow's Game
The Yankees are off tomorrow. Game two of this three game set will be Tuesday at 7:10 PM. A.J. Burnett will make his season debut against Boston lefty Jon Lester. The game will televised on YES and ESPN, and if you're not by a TV you can tune in to WCBS880.
