The Yankees beat the Red Sox by a 5-3 score last night at Yankee Stadium. The win gave New York an early edge in the opener of a three game series. Boston’s lead in the division now stands at seven games. The Yankees are a longshot to win a tenth straight division title, but the team at least kept its faint hopes alive with this victory.
Andy Pettitte once against stepped up in a big way with his team’s back against the wall. The lefty gave up 3 runs in 7 innings, holding the Sox down for most of the night. Pettitte did hand an early 2-0 lead back Boston and gave up a 7th inning homer to Jason Varitek, allowing the Sox to tie the game at 3. However, this outing was exactly what the Yanks needed. Pettitte delivered big pitch after big pitch when he had to, never leaving the mound with his team trailing. Starting pitching has become an issue for this club, but Pettitte has been the exception. He is doing everything he can to keep this team in the pennant race. Lately he has been taking the mound a lot with the team in a losing streak. He seems to thrive on the pressure that comes with being a stopper. Everybody knows how A-Rod, Jeter, and Posada kept the Yanks afloat through their first half struggles. Pettitte has delivered an August no less heroic. The lefty has won 6 games this month. He keeps getting better as the games get bigger.
Johnny Damon was the game’s biggest offensive star for the Yanks. His 2 run homer off Daisuke Matsuzaka provided the winning margin. He also make a pair of nice running catches in leftfield. Everybody knows Jason Giambi’s track record. He is one of the most dangerous hitters in the game. However, this shows why he was relegated to part-time status. Yes, Jason should still get a decent number of at bats, but Damon brings too much to the table to sit on the bench and do nothing else. Johnny is a catalyst at the top of the order. He grinds at bats by fouling off and taking pitches. He bugs pitchers into making mistakes and has decent enough pop to take advantage of the short porch in right. He covers far more ground than Hideki Matsui in the outfield, improving the team’s defense, and since most throws are shorter from leftfield than from center, his weak arm is not as much of an issue as it once was. Johnny is finally healthy, and it is showing. His big game experience makes him a valuable part of this club down the stretch.
Derek Jeter hit a homer in the 5th and later drew a walk. Overall his at bats were much better in this game than they have been recently. He looked more selective at the plate. Derek is finally showing signs of busting out of the slump in which he has been.
Joba Chamberlain received his baptism by fire to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. The righty pitched a shutout inning. It was clear that he had nerves at the start as he did in his Major League debut in Toronto as he walked the first hitter he faced. From that point, he dominated. Chamberlain got through the 8th only further allowing a single to Mike Lowell on what was a great piece of hitting by Boston’s third baseman, not a mistake by Joba. Lowell knew that Chamberlain is too tough to drive the ball on so he shortened his swing and softy lined a single to center. That might be the best contact that anybody has made on Chamberlain so far. Joba struck out a pair in the frame. With that first outing against Boston out of the way, the prized prospect now can relax and realize he has the stuff to dominate the Sox as easily as he has dominated everybody else.
The Yankees look to win their second in a row tonight as a pair of Texas fireballers square off. Roger Clemens will make his first start against the Red Sox since Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. He will be up against Cy Young contender, Josh Beckett. On paper Boston appears to have the edge. Still, Roger is not apt to have consecutive bad outings, and the Yanks have hit Beckett hard this year. This will be anybody’s game.
