Yankees Still Zero For '09 Against Red Sox...Boston 7 NYY 0

The Boston Red Sox ran their 2009 record against the New York Yankees to 6-0 with a resounding 7-0 victory Tuesday night at misty but happy Fenway Park. Josh Beckett, 5-0 with an outstanding 1.70 ERA over his last seven starts, simply overmatched every Yankee slugger. He was able to go six strong, giving up only one hit while striking out eight. OUR ACE IS BACK. LONG LIVE OUR ACE. He said this after the game...

“It’s a work in progress,” is how Beckett described his turnaround after the game. “We’re taking care of the stuff we need to take care of. Fastball location is good, which you definitely need to have against the Yankees. I’m executing pitches better."

And how about Big Papi and his two-run tater that was launched, and I do mean launched, into the centerfield stands in the second inning? Red Sox manager Terry Francona had this to say about that...

“There’s no getting around how important this is - I think everybody’s acknowledged that, myself included,” Francona said of Ortiz igniting the team with his third home run of the season. “When he does something like that, he’s an important guy to our lineup. For what we’re trying to get done, when he swings the bat like that, I think we feel better about ourselves.”

That was all Beckett and the bullpen needed to hand the hated pinstripers their sixth straight loss to the good guys. The teams are tied for first place in the AL East, but yesterday Josh Beckett proved that when he's going good, and he's been going good, there is no one better. He used his 95 plus MPH fastball, a knee buckling curve and a devastating sinker that swerved down and in to lefties and down and away to righties to dazzle the pinstripers.. Quite simply, he was fun to watch. The Boston 'pen, in the form of Manny Delcarmen, Ramon Ramirez and Daniel Bard, blanked NY the rest of the way. Bard's fastball twice reached 100 MPH. What a bullpen Boston has! Jonathon Papelbon even had time to take a little nap in the 'pen during the game. NESN captured a shot of him.

Tonight it'll be Wang and Wakefield. I hope Timmy's knuckie will be fluttering IN the strike zone...if it is, the Yanks will again be in trouble. But that remains to be seen. The fun is getting there. Enjoy, click on this post's title for a TREMENDOUS article from the Hartford Courant's Jeff Jacobs all about Josh Beckett and as always, BE WELL. Your comments are always welcome and always answered. Thanks again. GO SOX!