04/13: Beckett Outduels Mussina...Barely
Posted by: Seamus
I think if I heard John Sterling say in his exact words, "Beckett has been REALLY overpowering today," one more time I would have thrown my friend's radio in the lake. I distinctly heard the exact phrase 3 times in the top of the 5th inning alone. Ugh...well Beckett WAS for the most part overpowering and the Red Sox beat the Yankees 4-3 to split the first two games of this weekend series.
Josh Beckett was a bit overpowering, as he shut out the Yankees on only one hit through the first five innings. He started to crumble a bit in the 6th when the Yankees took the lead on a sac fly by Melky Cabrera on a ball that was just barely chased down by Jacoby Ellsbury and a wild pitch that scored Alberto Gonzalez.
Mike Mussina was also impressive, settling down after a rough first inning, but the Yankees decided for him to pitch to Manny Ramirez in the sixth with first base open and it backfired, as he hit a two-run double to put the Red Sox back ahead 3-2. Mussina finished with a line of 4 runs off 8 hits and 1 strikeout in 5 2/3 innings, but his performance was better than the numbers would indicate. Boston tacked on an insurance run later in the 6th when Kevin Youkilis brought in Manny with a base hit off of Brian Bruney.
The Yankees would get to within one after an RBI double by Robinson Cano in the 7th, but that would be as close as the Yankees got. After a 2-hour rain delay, Jonathan Papelbon came in and struckout Alex Rodriguez to end the top of the 8th with the tying run in scoring position. Papelbon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and 4-3 stood as the final score.
Rubber game should be a good one tonight as the Yankees will send Phil Hughes to the mound to face Daisuke Matsuzaka. Game starts at 8:05 E.T. and is on ESPN for all of you out-of-town folks who don't get YES.
Josh Beckett was a bit overpowering, as he shut out the Yankees on only one hit through the first five innings. He started to crumble a bit in the 6th when the Yankees took the lead on a sac fly by Melky Cabrera on a ball that was just barely chased down by Jacoby Ellsbury and a wild pitch that scored Alberto Gonzalez.
Mike Mussina was also impressive, settling down after a rough first inning, but the Yankees decided for him to pitch to Manny Ramirez in the sixth with first base open and it backfired, as he hit a two-run double to put the Red Sox back ahead 3-2. Mussina finished with a line of 4 runs off 8 hits and 1 strikeout in 5 2/3 innings, but his performance was better than the numbers would indicate. Boston tacked on an insurance run later in the 6th when Kevin Youkilis brought in Manny with a base hit off of Brian Bruney.
The Yankees would get to within one after an RBI double by Robinson Cano in the 7th, but that would be as close as the Yankees got. After a 2-hour rain delay, Jonathan Papelbon came in and struckout Alex Rodriguez to end the top of the 8th with the tying run in scoring position. Papelbon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and 4-3 stood as the final score.
Rubber game should be a good one tonight as the Yankees will send Phil Hughes to the mound to face Daisuke Matsuzaka. Game starts at 8:05 E.T. and is on ESPN for all of you out-of-town folks who don't get YES.
