No Lack of Attack
John Lackey was forthright about his thoughts on the Alex Rodriguez/Biogenesis situation:
I’ve got a problem with it. You bet I do. How is he still playing? He obviously did something and he’s playing. I’m not sure that’s right…. It’s pretty evident he’s been doing stuff for a lot of years I’ve been facing him. He took me deep the first time I faced him as a rookie, and he admitted to doing stuff back then. There are a lot of things I want back from him.
Lackey didn’t exact repayment in the form of a fastball in the ribs but instead delivered 6⅔ innings of quality pitching. He stifled the Yankees lineup, allowing just 6 hits and a single earned run. Lackey walked three but only struck out one batter. The batter he struck out? None other than Rodriguez.
The Red Sox got to Hiroki Kuroda in the fourth inning after three innings of getting a runner on the basepaths but failing to convert. To start the bottom of the frame David Ortiz clouted what should have been his third triple of the season to right field. Instead of pinballing about the curved corner it bounced into the stands. Mike Carp advanced the designated hitter to third base with a seeing-eye single to right.
Daniel Nava struck out on five pitches but Stephen Drew sent a slow roller to Lyle Overbay, who threw off-target to second instead of trying to get Ortiz at home. Carp was safe at second and Ortiz scored, getting the home team on the board first.
John Farrell called for a double steal with Jarrod Saltalamacchia batting. Carp was tagged by Rodriguez on the leg before he slid into third but was called safe. The extra out allowed singles by Will Middlebrooks and Jacoby Ellsbury to drive in two more runs.
Nava had his best luck when he arced fly balls to left field. Alfonso Soriano became too accustomed to ivy and brick with the Cubs; the Monster proved a green barrier with which he couldn’t negotiate. Nava led off the sixth with a double over Soriano’s glove and scored on a single off Saltalamacchia’s bat. Ellsbury added to his RBI tally with a double to the base of the visitors’ bullpen and advanced to third on Robinson Cano’s throw to home.
Ortiz provided a flourish to successful day in the seventh. He blasted the ball to the batter’s eye, the ball providing the point to the exclamation, “This is our f***ing city!”
| Game 125: August 17, 2013 | ||
| New York Yankees 63-59 |
1 | L: Hiroki Kuroda (11-8) |
| 2B: Chris Stewart (5), Lyle Overbay (23) | ||
 Boston Red Sox73-52 |
6 | W: John Lackey (8-10) |
| 2B: Daniel Nava – 2 (20), David Ortiz (27), Jacoby Ellsbury (27), Mike Carp (15) HR: Ortiz (24) | ||
