Sadistic Beard-Pulling
As Red Sox players lined up to yank on Mike Napoli’s beard after he scored the first run of the game Tim McCarver commented that the ritual “looks sadistic to me.” Napoli would get another pull in the fifth when Daniel Nava’s sacrifice fly was fielded by Curtis Granderson, and three other players got their facial hair fete.
The gang reached down to jerk on Dustin Pedroia’s copious growth in the third when he was doubled in by David Ortiz. Ortiz’s well-kept beard would be difficult to grasp but they would have to commit themselves to the task when Jonny Gomes singled him in.
David Ross’s two-tone topiary was tugged in the fourth when Shane Victorino lined a single to Vernon Wells. I’m glad Victorino didn’t score; he’s so beat up from getting hit by pitches, running into walls, and diving to make catches that a vigorous celebration could be his undoing.
Jon Lester looked primed for the playoffs. His line was a sparkling 8 innings pitched, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Unlike John Lackey, Punch and Judy hitter Brendan Ryan didn’t homer off Lester, thus saving the Fox audience from Matt Vasgersian and McCarver heaping praise on the replacement infielder.
McCarver did retell Ryan’s story about how he was traded to the Yankees. Mariners manager Eric Wedge called him into the his office and Ryan thought Wedge was going to yell at him about fantasy football. It’s like every boss’s job is the same no matter what the industry.
| Game 150: September 14, 2013 | ||
| New York Yankees 79-70 |
1 | L: CC Sabathia (13-13) |
| 2B: Curtis Granderson (11) 3B: Granderson (2) | ||
 Boston Red Sox91-59 |
5 | W: Jon Lester (14-8) |
| 2B: David Ortiz (36), Jonny Gomes (17), Shane Victorino (26) | ||
