(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
| NYY | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 3 | |
| BOS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
WP: Alfredo Aceves (1-0)
LP: Hideki Okajima (1-1)
SV: Mariano Rivera (1)
Two nights ago the Yankees bullpen was simply awful. Chan Ho Park and co. allowed 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks in just 2.2 innings, blew a two-run lead and the game. This awful performance even inspired some to question whether the Yankees made a mistake with the way the pen was put together. Tonight, the combination of Alfredo Aceves, Damaso Marte, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera shut down the Red Sox and led the Yankees to victory. Things sure change quickly in this game, don't they?
Aceves, who picked up right where he left off last season, threw two perfect innings on his way to the win. Marte retired the only batter he needed to, David Ortiz. Joba threw the ball better than he has in a long time. And Mo was Mo. (I'm not forgetting about David Robertson, but he faced one batter and allowed a hit, so he gets no credit.)
Joba was the biggest story tonight for the Yanks, especially after that shaky performance on Sunday. For this one night, he look a lot like the Joba of old. Maybe he wasn't throwing as hard, but he was just as dominating. With the tying run on second base and one out in a noisy Fenway Park, Joba came in to strike out Adrian Beltre and J.D. Drew on nine pitches. It was a Joba we haven't seen in a while. His fastball sat from 94 to 96 mph, and a his slider left hitters looking foolish, especially J.D. Drew. Behind 2-1 in the count, Joba got him to swing and miss on back-to-back sliders to end the inning. He even threw in one of his vintage fist pumps, which are always enjoyable. It's just one game, so I'm not suggesting Joba is back. If he can pitch like this for then ext few weeks or even months, that's another story. But this is how the Yankees need Chamberlain to pitch, so let's hope this is the start of something.
The reason the bullpen needed to work so hard tonight was because A.J. Burnett lasted just five innings. He made two major mistakes in the game, both to Victor Martinez. The first coming with the score tied in the 3rd when V-Mart launched a two-run homer. Then, with the score now tied at three in the 5th, Martinez struck again with an RBI double. In five innings Burnett allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits and a walk, and struck out 5. His start was OK, but nothing special. Too many pitches (94 /58 strikes), nine base runners, not one 1-2-3 inning, but at least he kept them in the game.... And if you're wondering about the Burnett-Posada situation, AJ did nothing but praise his catcher after the game.
Jon Lester was no better for Boston, although early on it looked like he would be. In 5 innings he allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Like Burnett, he also threw 94 pitches, with 53 hitting the zone.
Nick Swisher got the Yankees on the board with an RBI double. He's now 3-for-7 on the young season and has looked very good against two great starting pitchers.
Lester would hold the Yankees off the board for the next two innings, but the Yankees made him work for it, and by the 5th they were finally able to break through. Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter started the inning with back-to-back singles. Lester then loaded the bases for Mark Teixeira by hitting Nick Johnson with a pitch. Tex didn't do much damage, but he hustled his way out of a DP and drove in the Yankees second run. Alex Rodriguez, whose clutch hitting seems to have carried over from last October, tied the game win a line drive RBI double into the left field corner. Robinson Cano then gave the Yankees the lead with a sac fly, exactly the sort of thing the Yankees want to see more of from their new no. 5 hitter. Cano continued his hot start with a solo homer in the ninth to give the Yankees a very important insurance run.
When Johnson reached in the fifth it was one of three times he would be on base tonight, making it 5 times in 10 plate appearances so far this season, all without a hit. The patience he's showed in these first two games really paid off tonight with the two-out, bases loaded walk in the eighth to give the Yanks the lead for good. If he can stay healthy it's going to be a lot of fun watching him and the other Nick wear pitchers down all year.
One thing that bothered me tonight, even in a winning effort, was the wasted opportunities. Going 3-for-14 with RISP and leaving 10 men on base is not the mark of an efficient offense, but since it's so early I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. Hopefully it's not something that becomes an issue as the season goes on.
Tonight's game was basically the reverse of Sunday. Instead of the Yankees blowing the early lead, tonight it was the Sox. On Sunday, the Yankees relievers struggled, tonight it was Boston's pen. None of this should come as a surprise, this is how things go between these two rivals. Tomorrow should be another battle with Andy Pettitte facing former Angel, John Lackey as he makes his Boston debut. Game time is 7:10 p.m. and you can catch the game on YES and ESPN2, or on the radio on WCBS880.
| AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeter, SS | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .300 |
| Johnson, N, DH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Teixeira, 1B | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .000 |
| Rodriguez, A, 3B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .200 |
| Cano, 2B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .500 |
| Posada, C | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .500 |
| Swisher, RF | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .429 |
| Winn, RF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Thames, LF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .000 |
| a-Gardner, PH-LF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 |
| Granderson, CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .250 |
| Totals | 35 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 23 | .292 |
2B: Swisher 2 (2, Lester, Delcarmen), Rodriguez, A (2, Lester), Posada (1, Okajima).
HR: Cano (1, 9th inning off Atchison, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Jeter; Rodriguez, A 2; Cano 5; Posada 2; Swisher 4; Gardner; Granderson.
RBI: Swisher (1), Teixeira (1), Rodriguez, A (1), Cano 2 (3), Johnson, N (1).
2-out RBI: Johnson, N.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Jeter 3; Posada; Teixeira 2.
SF: Cano.
GIDP: Posada.
Team RISP: 3-for-14.
Team LOB: 10.
FIELDING
E: Posada (1, throw), Jeter (1, throw), Marte, D (1, pickoff).
DP: (Jeter-Cano-Teixeira).
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnett, A | 5.0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5.40 |
| Aceves, A(W, 1-0) | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Robertson, D | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Marte, D(H, 1) | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Chamberlain(H, 1) | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4.50 |
| Rivera, Ma(S, 1) | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 5.82 |
Pitches-strikes: Burnett, A 94-58, Aceves, A 23-16, Robertson, D 4-2, Marte, D 4-2, Chamberlain 9-6, Rivera, Ma 14-12
- Player of the Game: Robinson Cano
- Honorable Mention: Alfredo Aceves & Joba Chamberlain
