Game 109 - WOW!

ARod ended a marathon 15-inning scoreless duel against the hated Red Sox with a 2-run, walkoff HR, ending an improbable night and a long homerless draught. AJ Burnett and Josh Beckett kicked off a classic pitcher's duel, both matching zeroes and both working out of a 2-on, no out jam. By the time both starters left the game, there was still a long, long, way to go before this game would see its conclusion. Burnett held the Beantowners to 1 hit in 7.2 innings, a leadoff bloop single by Jacob Ellsbury in the first. Beckett went 7 innings and limited the Bombers to 4 hits - two by Hideki Matsui.

As brilliant as the starters were, Boston and NY's bullpen were just as impressive. The Yanks marched out Phil Hughes, Mariano Rivera, Alfredo Aceves, Brian Bruney and winning pitcher Phil Coke, combining to toss 7.1 scoreless innings (1 out less than AJ), and limiting the Bosox to 3 hits. Boston threw everybody and the kitchen sink from their bullpen for 7.2 innings (2 outs more than Beckett): Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard, Ramon Ramirez, Jonathan Papelbum, Manny Delcarmen, Takashi Saito, and the losing pitcher in his major league debut, Junichi Tazawa.

Except for ARod's HR, there isn't anything to discuss about either team's hitting. Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira combined to go 1-20. The bottom of the Bosox order went 0-19. Both teams walked 7 times, with AJ issuing 6 all by himself. This game was so strange, it even included a catcher's interference by the incompetent Jorge Posada. JD Drew made 2 beautiful running catches in RF in the 5th and 14th innings with a runner on 2nd. Even more incredulous, both teams thought they were getting a little squeezed by the home plate ump. Can you imagine if he was calling more strikes? This game might have gone 3o scoreless innings!

Some stats from the game:

* RISP: S0x 0-8 Yanks 0-11 Jeter was 0-3

* LOB: Sox 10 Yanks 12

* Batting: Sox 4-44 Yanks 9-51

* The side was retired 13 times, with the Sox sending 3 up and 3 down seven times and the Yanks six.

* The Sox struck out 13 times, the Yanks 14. Both catchers, Jason Varitek and Posada, led their team with 3 each.

ARod's HR was his 20th of the season and tied him with Harmon Killebrew for 9th place on the all time list with 573. It ended his longest season homerless draught at 73 ABs. The game lasted 5 hrs and 33 minutes and was the longest a game went scoreless ever between the Yanks and Boston (14 innings). It marked the 1st time the Red Sox went scoreless through 14 innings since 1916. That's was a period when Babe Ruth use to PITCH for them.

With the win, the Yanks now lead the division by 4.5 games.

Yankees Record: 67-42