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 This weekend was a such a roller coaster that we're going to do the update in bullet form.
Ready... set... go!
Friday
Red Sox 5, Yankees 4 - F/11
I don't know what was more impressive: Jason Bay's two-run blast in the 9th off of Mariano Rivera... or Kevin Youkili's game winning ding dong in the 11th.
I think I have to give it to Bay, because without his homer, Youk never wouold have had a chance to seal the win. Also, it was Rivera. I know that was his 12th blown save against Boston, but that's 12 over 45 years in the majors! Okay, maybe not 45, but they Mo is staill nasty and Bay sized him up perfectly - not an easy task.
Lost in all the excitement was Jon Lester's solid performance. After fanning nine in his previous start, he tallied seven Ks against the Yanks and allowed just two runs through 6 innings. It wasn't his most dominating start (7 hits, 3 walks), but he kept the Sox in the game.
You gotta give credit to the bullpen for battling through the extras... it wasn't always pretty (5 walks total) but when the other bullpen blows the game, it makes your guys look like heroes.
Saturday
Red Sox 16, Yankees 11
Mike Lowell summed this one up pretty well:
"It was going back-and-forth; it seemed like whoever was up last was going to win," Lowell said.
This was supposed to the pitchers duel of the series with Burnett and Beckett on the mound, but both starters gave up eight earned runs each, allowed two homers each and lasted just five innings each.
It was the long ball that killed both starters... Robinson Cano gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead in the third with a two-run shot, but Jason Varitek put the Sox back on top with a two-out, grand slam in the fouth.
The Sox would chase Burnett from the game in the fifth with three more runs on four hits - Jacoby's first homer and another double from Bay... but Johnny Damon tied it up at 8-8 with a two run shot to right.
That's when things got ugly. The Sox stole a run in the sixth on a sac fly by Ortiz, but Pedroia was called out on the basepaths to end the threat. Then Pedey made a rare error that plated two runs for the Yankees, but Damon was apicked off to end the inning.
From there it was the Mike Lowell show. First, after the Yanks intentially walked the red hot Jason Bay, Lowell smashed a three-run homer to give the Sox a 12-10 lead. Then, just for good measure, Lowell stroked a base-clearing double to left that put the game out of reach.
The bullpen stepped up again in this one, but for the second straight game, it was Okajima that almost cost the Sox the game. He wiggled out of trouble and got the win, but Delcarmen, Ramirez and Papelbon looked solid.
Sunday
Red Sox 4, Yankees 1
After two lengthy and dramatic games, this one was fairly uneventful... save for Ellsbury stealing home!
Justin Masterson went toe-to-toe with veteran lefty Andy Pettitte and kept the score knotched at 1-1 until the fifth inning.
That's when the magic started. With a run already in on a Big Papi double, Ellsbury and his league leading nine SBs had a good read on Pettitte's move to the plate and darted home.
When the dust settled, Ellsbury was safe and the Fenway Faithful were calling him out of the dugout. JD Drew would take advantage of the frazzled Pettitte, slapping a ground rule double to right that scored Ortiz... and the Sox never looked back.
Ellsbury stole the show, but it was a foursome of youing pitchers that won the ganme for the Sox. Masterson was stellar in his second start, allowing one run on six hits while fanning four. Then rookie call-ups Hunter Jones and Michael Bowden made the Yankees look foolish. With two men on base, Jones battle Matsui into a fly ball to right and fanned Cabrera to end the threat in the sixth. Bowden relieved him and promptly retired the next six batter he faced, ending both inning with strikeouts - first Jeter in the 7th, then Cano in the 8th.
Bottom Line: After a rocky start, the Red Sox have won 10 games in a row and their depth both in the field and on the mound has carried them. Ellsbury, Youk, Bay, and Lowell are hot, but Pedroia and Ortiz are still getting into gear.
If those two start getting in on the fun, the Sox could have the scariest lineup in baseball.
ps. The bajillion-dollar Yankees are now 9-9 and have the league's worst ERA at 6.26.
Photo: Yahoo! Sports
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