Red Sox Annihilate Listless & Lethargic Yankees...Boston 11 NYY 3

The Boston Red Sox continued to play great road baseball, a source of problems earlier in the season, and pummeled the lazy, non-caring looking New York Yankees by a lopsided score of 11-3. They broke open the game and put a dagger into the heart of the Yankees' playoff hopes when they scored 7 runs in a magical 8th inning, highlighted by a grand slam by the best second baseman in the league, Dustin "Pedey" Pedroia. Newcomer Jason Bay (more about him later) had this to say about the pint-sized hitting machine...

"He's a beauty. He's kind of, I think, the Energizer Bunny for this team," Bay said. "You know, he's the one that stirs stuff up. Every team has got to have that guy."

Jason, you put it perfectly. And speaking of Bay, he has had a tremendous start with his new club. Since coming over to the Good Guys, he's batting .347 with 4 home runs and an astounding 24 RBIs. Take that, Sir Manny! He's had 6 RBIs in his first 2 games against New York. Great job, Jason. His teammate, Dustin Pedroia, also went 2-4 with 4 RBIs, including that game clinching grand slam in the all important 8th. They were the hitting stars of the game, although every Sox hitter but Alex Cora collected a base hit.

OK, the pitching. Sydney Ponson, a man I do not like, never have and never will (look at his arrest record), gasped and sputtered against a superior team and was only able to go 4 2/3 innings. He gave up 7 hits and 4 earned runs while walking 4 and striking out 3. That's a normal pitching line for a very mediocre pitcher. Sometimes, it seems like the Yankees are stocked with mediocre pitchers, especially their bullpen, which is quickly becoming the laughing stock of the American League. Needless to say, they imploded again yesterday. Ho-hum, what else is new? On the Red Sox side, Paul Byrd baffled and dazzled New York for 6 innings with an array of off speed breaking stuff, pitches that usually found the plate and had the Yankees swinging at air. Pure air. Little Manny Delcarmen and Mike Timlin finished up with 3 goose-egg innings of relief, and the Boston Red Sox were winners yet again in their next to last game ever at Yankee Stadium. Their final Bronx appearance, barring a miracle because the Yankees are out of the wild card race, will be this afternoon, a little more than 7 hours from now. And Jon Lester will face the Yankee's best...Mike Mussina, who is hittable at times for that club from Boston. So we'll see what happens. Lester is coming off a horrid start up in Toronto, and I know he wants to regain his winning form. The Yankees are susceptible to leftys who can put the ball on the inner and outer edges of the plate, something that Lester has done more than once this season when pitching against them (or anyone!).

Thanks for stopping in, have a great Friday and a tremendous holiday weekend (Labor Day already?) and get ready for 1pm EDT baseball from the House That Ruth Built, for the last time. We go for the sweep, and it'll be newcomer Mark Kotsay starting in right...I have a good feeling about this one. Lester will have fire in his heart and no mercy in his eyes. Click on the title of this post for more on last night's thumping, and as always, BE WELL.