08/10: Sweep! Yanks Go Up 6.5 Games on BoSox
Posted by: Seamus
Oh, how things can change in baseball in the span of two months or so. In early June, the Yankees hit what might have been the low point of their season thus far after they were swept by the Red Sox in Fenway Park. The series turned a one-game division lead for the Yankees into a two-game defecit and put their record at an atrocious 0–8 against the rival Sox. But that was then, and this is now. The Yankees have gone 35–16 since then (June 11) and after a convincing four-game sweep by the Yankees over the Sox at Yankee Stadium, and they now have a commanding 6.5 game lead in the A.L. East.
The Yankees came into tonight's game having shut out the Red Sox for 24 consecutive innings, and tonight it was Andy Pettitte's turn to keep the line moving. Pettitte did endure a few hard-hit balls and threw 112 pitches, but he still went on to post 7 shutout innings, allowing only 5 hits as he put the Sox' scoreless streak at an almost unimaginable 31 innings.
Pettitte was matched for 6 innings by his counterpart Jon Lester until Alex Rodriguez homered to left center field to give the Yankees a 1–0 lead. A-Rod at that point had driven in 3 more runs than the entire Red Sox team over that span of 31 innings.
The BoSox did finally get on the board, however, when Victor Martinez took a two-strike pitch over the left field wall for a go-ahead two-run homer off of Phil Coke in the 8th.
The Bombers would not be outdone. With two outs in the 8th and the Yankees facing hard-throwing Daniel Bard, Johnny Damon took the ball deep into the Yankee bullpen to tie the game at 2. Two pitches later, Mark Teixeira went deep to put the Yankees ahead 3–2. The Yanks added two more in the inning after Nick Swisher lined a soft line drive into center field for a two-run single.
Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless 9th to record his major-league leading 32nd save. Rivera has not allowed an earned run in any of his last 20 appearances. The last time he allowed a run was on June 12 against the Mets.
The Yankees will try to become the first team to reach 70 wins this season and they'll be facing the Blue Jays and Marc Rzepczynski. The Yankees will send Sergio Mitre to the mound. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
Recap records: Seamus: 33–19, Patrick: 28–14, Andrew: 8–9
The Yankees came into tonight's game having shut out the Red Sox for 24 consecutive innings, and tonight it was Andy Pettitte's turn to keep the line moving. Pettitte did endure a few hard-hit balls and threw 112 pitches, but he still went on to post 7 shutout innings, allowing only 5 hits as he put the Sox' scoreless streak at an almost unimaginable 31 innings.
Pettitte was matched for 6 innings by his counterpart Jon Lester until Alex Rodriguez homered to left center field to give the Yankees a 1–0 lead. A-Rod at that point had driven in 3 more runs than the entire Red Sox team over that span of 31 innings.
The BoSox did finally get on the board, however, when Victor Martinez took a two-strike pitch over the left field wall for a go-ahead two-run homer off of Phil Coke in the 8th.
The Bombers would not be outdone. With two outs in the 8th and the Yankees facing hard-throwing Daniel Bard, Johnny Damon took the ball deep into the Yankee bullpen to tie the game at 2. Two pitches later, Mark Teixeira went deep to put the Yankees ahead 3–2. The Yanks added two more in the inning after Nick Swisher lined a soft line drive into center field for a two-run single.
Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless 9th to record his major-league leading 32nd save. Rivera has not allowed an earned run in any of his last 20 appearances. The last time he allowed a run was on June 12 against the Mets.
The Yankees will try to become the first team to reach 70 wins this season and they'll be facing the Blue Jays and Marc Rzepczynski. The Yankees will send Sergio Mitre to the mound. Game starts at 7:05 ET.
Recap records: Seamus: 33–19, Patrick: 28–14, Andrew: 8–9
Patrick wrote: