Game 17 - Pitcher's Duel at Fenway

The Yankees suffered another humiliating defeat at the hands of the hated Red Sox. In a matchup that looked to be an old fashioned pitcher's duel on paper, turned into a slow pitch softball game. The Yanks quickly jumped all over Josh Beckett, building a 6-0 lead by the 4th inning. AJ Burnett was cruising, pitching one-hit ball for the first three innings. In the bottom of the 4th, the wheels fell off yet another bus for the Yanks. AJ turned into Absolute Joke, and turned a 6-0 lead into a slim 6-5 margin after 4 innings when he allowed a run scoring single and a grand slam to the highly suspect and suddenly looking buff again, Jason Varitek.

By the end of the 5th, the Yanks lead evaporated as Absolute Joke allowed banjo hitting Jacob Ellsbury to tie the score with a HR and newly anointed Yankee killer, Jason Bay, hit a 2-run double giving the Sox an 8-6 lead. Gone are the days of Manny and a much younger, perhaps enhanced Big Sloppy, but these Red Sox can still hit. How come no one is talking about what a joke hitting in Fenway Park is? I've been telling my buddy Craig even I could have hit about .260 in this ballpark.

The Yanks' hitters did their best by crawling back in this game. They tied the score at 8 on a Damon 2-run shot, only to have the Beantowners bounce back and go up 9-8. The Yanks then reclaimed the lead 10-9 when the midget Pedroia, a fraudulent Gold Glove winner last year, let a ball go through his wickets, leading to the go ahead runs. Never fear, Red Sox fans, the Yankees God-awful bullpen just kept coughing it up, serving up a 3-run blast to the gimp Mike Lowell. The Yanks staged one last gasp, as Cano hit his second HR of the day, bringing the Yanks within 12-11.

The Yankees bullpen however, would do everything they could to make sure the Sox wouldn't blow this game, allowing 4 more runs in the 8th, the fifth straight inning Boston scored.

Yankee Bomber Doghouse: Everyone who impersonated an MLB pitcher on the Yankee staff today. They should all forfeit a day's salary to charity. Absolute Joke was handed a huge 6-0 lead and flushed it down the toilet. 9 Red Sox runs came with 2 out. Unacceptable. For the Yankee hitters, there's not much to complain about, but Jeter failed getting a run in with less than 2 outs, striking out with men on second and third in the 7th. And Melky is up to his old tricks that he pulled last year, where he was horrendous and an utter failure with runners on third with less than 2 out. Finding himself in this position yet again, he weakly grounded back to the pitcher in the 8th, getting Posada caught in a rundown. If I were GM, he would be banished to AAA.

The Yanks have been besieged by injuries as Bruney, Wang and Ransom officially went on the DL today, but that's the least of their worries. I don't think GM Brian Cashman envisioned his bullpen being this horrific. I personally thought the Yanks should have signed reliever Juan Cruz from the D-backs this offseason. He signed with KC for cheap after striking out 71 batters in 51+ innings with a 2.61 E.R.A. Certainly he would have been a huge upgrade over Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras. Plus, has anyone seen Damaso Marte this year? Why pay so much money on a team and not upgrade the latter part of the game with good relief?

Red Sox are probably feeling giddy these last 2 days. I have not been impressed with either Lester or Beckett and their bullpen is suspect, despite the reports I heard they're bullpen was much improved. They gave up 11 runs today to a Yankee lineup that has been struggling. I don't think they'll be putting up 16 runs everyday to bail out their overhyped pitching staff (although no more overhyped than the Yanks much abused staff). That being said, I feel a sweep coming.

Yanks Record: 9-8

Does today's loss count as a Blown Win?