Posted on 08/18/2006 8:27:35 AM PDT by Airborne1986
It's now or never for the New York Yankees.
The Yankees open a five-game series at Fenway Park on Friday with their alter egos in the American League East, the Boston Red Sox. Just 1 1/2 games will separate the two teams when that series begins.
Since the All-Star break, the Sox have slipped considerably, going 16-17 with problems surfacing with their starting pitching, relief corps and hitting (with the exception of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez). The Yankees, meanwhile, seem to have righted themselves after a long year of struggles with injuries and under-producing pitchers such as Randy Johnson. New York has gone 20-12 since the break to move past Boston into first place, a five-game reversal in 31 games.
Yet even with the additions of Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle and the improved pitching of Johnson, the Yankees won't separate themselves from the Red Sox if they don't make a move during this series, because Boston may be the most resilient team in the American League, if not in all of baseball. ...
For all the Red Sox difficulties of late, especially with their pitching, they could be tied for the division lead by Saturday morning if everything goes right and if they continue to play at home the way they have thus far.
That would give the Red Sox the advantage in the series and for the rest of the season. They would have their top three pitchers — Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and David Wells — going in the final three games against the Yankees, with a chance to turn the tables on them just when much of the world felt New York was ready to assert itself and pull away.
....
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I don't have any problems
Welcome to the Red Sox Kid! First double.
Let the Eric Hinske era begin!
I second that!
- M. Lowell grounded out to second
- E. Hinske doubled to deep center
- J. Lopez flied out to deep center
2 outs
Trot Nixon is done in Boston. The Sox are going to want to develop Pena and having Hinske there as a lefty bat helps that. Trot's last 3 years in Boston have been full of injuries and declining power.
Abreu got a gift ball 4
Juice Boy struck out to end the inning...
Hey jerky boy, what's the deal with the Juice Boy stash?
Nice guitar
Got me
BOO for the walk.
- C. Crisp grounded out to second
- M. Loretta doubled to left
- D. Ortiz lined out to first
- M. Ramirez intentionally walked
2 outs
Youk walks---bases loaded.
Boston sqaundered their chance. 3 outs. Top of 4th
He had a good rookie year (2002 rookie of the year) and has been terrible since then. Minor rebound this year. From what I can tell the Blue Jays got rid of him to free up some money.
Nice play by Loretta
Got that right.
Par for the course these days. Their bats have a strange habit of going to sleep in crunch time . . .
Redsox score the bulk of their runs from 4th inning on.
The Kid can hit.
And he comes home!
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