Empyreal Environs

It seems rather perverse to cheer for a team that finally reached a non-losing record, but no more silly than Yankee fans giving a standing ovation to Jorge Posada. The veteran catcher is not only dead last in batting average with .165 but has anemic on-base and slugging percentages: .272 and .349 respectively.

Despite the paltry production and the tepid apology the throngs at the toilet came to their feet in the bottom of the eighth when Posada hit in place of Andruw Jones. Given the applause one would think Posada was part of the SEAL team that took out Osama bin Laden.

Instead it was the Red Sox who entered the Bronx under cover of night and swept their divisional nemesis. Jon Lester gave up four runs early but he held the local nine scoreless for four innings. While the Yankees were unable to add to their lead Kevin Youkilis tied the game in the third with his three-run circuit clout to left. David Ortiz shattered his bat as well as the tie with a homer to the short porch. A lucky boy in a Red Sox cap seated in the luxury section not only got to lounge in leather but received Ortiz’s broken bat from the man himself.

Youkilis was aided by his counterpart at the hot corner in the seventh. With runners on first and second and one out Alex Rodriguez listlessly fielded Youkilis’s grounder. As it slipped by his glove Dustin Pedroia scored from second.

Carl Crawford gave the run right back when he timidly pursued Rodriguez’s grounder, which narrowly avoided becoming part of Youkilis’s highlight package and ricocheted off the left field stands. With all he games he has played as a Ray at Yankee Stadium as well as similar caroms off the stands at Fenway one would think that Crawford could better anticipate the ball’s path. Instead Crawford tentatively approached the ball and then as it dawned on him that Curtis Granderson was on the basepaths rushed the play by barehanding it. Granderson’s dash brought his team within a run and forced Terry Francona to go to Daniel Bard with two out in the seventh.

Bard was not quite his shutdown self but the Yankees failed to take advantage of runners on base. Shockingly the reliever allowed Posada to reach on a base on balls to lead off the eighth. The next three batters failed to get on base; the last out was Derek Jeter with a weak ground out to second. If Posada dropping in the order caused a tempest in the toilet, one can only imagine what will happen when Jeter doesn’t bat leadoff.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia clouted his first four-bagger of the season in the eighth, providing his battery mates an insurance run. That must have been what caused Alec Baldwin to punch John Krasinski in the face.

Game 40: May 15, 2011
Boston Red Sox 20-20	7	W: Jon Lester (5-1) H: Alfredo Aceves (3) H: Daniel Bard (8) S: Jonathan Papelbon (7)
		2B: Jacoby Ellsbury (13), David Ortiz (6) HR: Kevin Youkilis (7), Ortiz (7), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1)
New York Yankees 20-18	5	L: Freddy Garcia (2-3)
		2B: Alex Rodriguez (8) HR: Andruw Jones (2), Curtis Granderson (13)