Red Sox Complete Mini-Sweep Of Yankees...Boston 7 NY 3

This is more like it. Good pitching and good hitting early led the Boston Red Sox to their fifth straight victory over the New York Yankees. They have yet to lose to their hated rivals this year. In their five games so far, the Red Sox team ERA is 4.02 and the Yankees is 6.35. The bullpen numbers are even more lopsided in Boston's favor...2.36 for the Sox and 6.89 for the Yanks. To me, it's simple...the NY Yankees will not win anything this year until they shore up their bullpen. The pinstriped Bronx fools (PBFs) have no chance right now of finishing higher than third or fourth in the AL East, AROD or no AROD, not without a viable bullpen.

Tuesday night, Josh Beckett went six innings and except for a three run tater by Johnny Damon in the third, he was OK. The Boston bullpen took over in the seventh with Okie going two scoreless innings and Saito completing the game. Joba Chamberlain had a laboriouly tough first inning but he finally found his rythym and was virtually untouchable for the next five, striking out twelve. But the first inning damage had been done and the Yankees were again doomed. Here's what Red Sox starter Josh Beckett had to say after his servicable outing...

“Some laboring at times, but I made pitches when I had to and we scored a bunch of runs,” Beckett said. “It’s nice, especially the way Chamberlain pitched after that first inning. It would have been tough, he was throwing all his pitches for strikes after that first inning, making it tough on our guys. We got some runs then and played good defense.”

Unfortunately, Kevin Youkilis was pulled from the game with tightness in his right side and Jacoby Elsbury left last night's game with a right hamstring injury, the severity not known. Youk says he'll be ready by Thursday but caution remains the rule this early in the season. Jacoby will be reevaluated sometime today before game one of the Cleveland Indians series, which will be played at beautiful Fenway Park. The weather will be fine and dandy and the probable pitching matchups go like this...

Carl Pavano (1-3 7.46) vs. Justin Masterson (2-1 4.37) tonight
Aaron Laffey (2-0 4.09) vs. Timmy Wakefield (2-1 4.37) Thursday

That's a wrap for this Wednesday morning, Hump Day all over the world. Enjoy the game tonight and simply click on this post's title for more on the Boston Red Sox, the best team in the American league. YES! As always, BE WELL. See ya soon. Your comments are always welcome and always answered. GO SOX.