Apex
| Game 60: June 11, 2009 | |||
| Yankees | 3 | L: C.C. Sabathia (5-4) BS: Alfredo Aceves (1) | 34-26, 3 game losing streak |
 Red Sox | 4 | BS: Manny Delcarmen (1) W: Takashi Saito (1-0) S: Jonathan Papelbon (16) | 36-24, 3 game winning streak |
| Highlights: When I looked at the match-ups for this Red Sox/Yankees series this was the game that I marked down as a loss. Brady Penny’s trade value hopefully skyrocketed with his 6 innings of shutout ball. He must like pitching here, even though Delcarmen blew what would have been his 100th win. To be a good teammate Penny plunked Alex Rodriguez in the back in the first inning with two out and the count 1-1. That makes the hit by pitch contest 9-3 in the Yankees’ favor. | |||
Alex Rodriguez didn’t take his base immediately. He made his way to the mound but must have noticed out of the corner of his eye that no one came out of the dugout to defend him. So, he made as if he were a good Samaritan and was recovering the ball that nailed in the back. After calling a meeting, the umpiring crew determined that Brad Penny beaned Rodriguez intentionally and both dugouts were warned.
David Ortiz crushed the first pitch he saw over the left field wall. Papi homering off a Cy Young-caliber southpaw was an encouraging sign and worthy of a curtain call.
I can only imagine the flack Johnny Damon took for dropping Ortiz’s can of corn in the fourth. When Damon made a catch of Kevin Youkilis’s fly ball in the sixth a sarcastic cheer rang in his ears.
Just as Terry Francona may have stuck with Manny Delcarmen a bit past his expiration date in the seventh Joe Girardi let C.C. Sabathia linger too long on the mound in the eighth.
Girardi’s first sign should have been Nick Green’s single. We all remember that this is the Nick Green that wasn’t good enough to be rostered in the Yankees organization. Girardi apparently forgot about that.
The next warning was Dustin Pedroia’s epic 10-pitch at bat. To his credit, the battle prompted a mound visit by the former catcher. You’d think a backstop of all people would know when a pitcher is gassed, but Girardi felt confident that Sabathia could get J.D. Drew out and he was backed by conventional wisdom.
Drew bucked the book with an RBI single up the gut. Sabathia was pulled in favor of Alfredo Aceves, who gave up the singles and sac fly that led to the tying and go-ahead runs. Perhaps Aceves should be back at the level of his initials — AA.
Rocco Baldelli filled in at center admirably in Jacoby Ellsbury’s absence. In the eighth he laid out for a slicing line drive off the bat of Melky Cabrera. Had Baldelli not made the diving catch his Yankee counterpart would have a double at least and the visitors another run.
With Damon now on the Yankees our teams are strangely entwined. The Athletics drafted Nick Swisher with the compensation pick they garnered with Damon’s departure and a few years later the Red Sox acquired Daniel Bard with their compensation pick.
One place we are no longer entangled with the Yankees: in the AL East standings. The Red Sox now hold first place alone, just in time for what will be a tough trip to Philadelphia to face the defending World Champions.
