Two Hits Just Won't Do The Job For The Red Sox Against The Yankees

It was a drizzly, dank and dismal Friday night at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts, and the home team was mesmerized by an outstanding pitching performance by the New York Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang. He allowed only two base hits over nine innings-one of them was a ninth inning bunt by Coco Crisp and the other was a nearly caught home run off the hot bat of JD Drew. The New York Yankees prevailed by a score of 4-1 in what was game one of the season series between the bitter American League East rivals. Clay Buchholz also had a memorably great night, going six strong innings and allowing only one run, but he was outpitched by Wang. With the score tied at one, Mike Timlin made his first appearance of the season for Boston, and it was one he will not forget. HE STUNK. This is what he had to say after HIS season opener...

“It was terrible, absolutely terrible,” he said. “I came back, pitched terrible. It’s not how I was looking forward to opening up 2008.”

Peter here, and Mike is exactly right. Okie, Lopez and Aardsma followed Timlin to the hill, but there was no way to dent Wang's mastery. The Yankees were without their captain, Derek Jeter, and their left (?) fielder Johnny Damon, but they still managed to bludgeon ten base hits and score four runs, winning easily. The loss put the Red Sox one game under the .500 mark yet again, but the good start by Clay Buchholz brought tinges of hope to a young pitcher still in the infancy of his career. He was simply marvelous, but no match for Wang. And that's OK. The season is in its beginning stages and there is plenty of time for Boston to take command. They'll have to start hitting a little (a LOT) more consistantly for that to happen, though. Big Papi David Ortiz remains mired in a terrible slump and the only truly hot hitter is the rightfielder Drew. But things always have a way to round into shape, and I have undiminished hope that things will work out in what will prove to be a dogfight in the AL East.

I want to wish every one of you a happy and restfully fun weekend. The Sox and the Yankees play once again this Saturday afternoon on the nationally televised Fox game of the week. It will be Josh "Baseball" Beckett facing Mike Mussina. Josh is still in his spring training mode, and he'll be taking the mound for only the second time of the year. Boston usually handles the Moose offerings. Wait...I guess I could have put that a little differently, but...but......NAH! The Yankees have not been hitting up to their potential, and the same goes for Boston. So my afternoon plan is to just grab a seat and relax and "sit back and let it all be," as Bruce wrote and sang in his 1975 song JUNGLELAND.

I have to wrap up this post quickly because there is a line of strong thunderstorms approaching my town. When you see purple on the radar screen, you take cover, head for the hills and turn off your computer, not necessarily in that order. So please have a great weekend and click on the title of this post for the Boston Herald's full and intensive wrap of last night's game. And as always, BE WELL. We'll get 'em next time. Oh yes, WE WILL.