In an eeirly similar game to last Sunday, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees played another ugly game with 3 errors and a lot of hits. Just like last Sunday, the Red Sox came out on top. Rookie Shea Hillenbrand and the red hot Manny Ramirez keyed a 9 hit Boston attack that pounded Mike Mussina for 6 runs in four innings. The Sox smacked around the Yankees JV bullpen for 2 more runs to put the game out of reach. Frank Castillo (2-1, 3.60 ERA) held the Yankees to 3 runs in 5 innings of work. The Sox bullpen shut down the Yankees the rest of the way and the Sox had beaten them 8-3 at Yankee Stadium.
Mussina dominated the top of the first inning as Trot Nixon took strike three to start. Jose Offerman struck out swinging and Carl Everett looked at strike three to end the inning. The Yankees wasted no time getting to Castillo in the bottom of the first as Chuck Knoblauch singled to center to start. Knoblauch took off for second and Sox catcher Scott Hatteberg threw the ball 75 feet to the left of second for an error to advance Chuck to third. Derek Jeter effortlessly hit a sac fly to score Knoblauch and Paul O'Neill hit a home run to Jupiter as Yankee fans thought the game was in the bag. Bernie Williams grounded out to second but David Justice singled to left. Tino Martinez popped up to first to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Manny Ramirez grounded out to second to start. Troy O'Leary flied out to left and Scott Hatteberg took strike three to end the inning. All of a sudden Craig Grebeck keeled over in the dugout and had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the local ICU. Lou Merloni took over at short for the bottom of the second and Jorge Posada flied out to right to start. Alfonso Soriano singled to right but was forced at second by Scott Brosius. Knoblauch grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Shea Hillenbrand clobbered his second home run of the season to start. Brian Daubach struck out swinging but Lou Merloni singled to left. Merloni stole second but Nixon popped up to short. Offerman doubled to right to score Lou and tie the game but Everett grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third as Jeter singled to left to start. O'Neill walked and Hatteberg was so incompetent he allowed a double steal to Jeter and O'Neill. Williams effortlessly hit a sac fly to score Jeter and O'Neill moved to third on a grounder to first by Justice. Martinez flied out to center to end the inning but the Yankees led 3-2.
The Sox took command in the top of the fourth as Ramirez worked a 12 pitch at bad that ended with a base hit to center. O'Leary also dumped a base hit to center and Hatteberg hit a routine grounder to Jeter...BOOTED FOR AN ERROR! The bases were loaded and Hillenbrand made Mussina pay with a double to right to score both Ramirez and O'Leary. Daubach flied out to the centerfield wall but that scored Hatteberg and moved Shea to third. Merloni hit a sac fly to score Hillenbrand and Nixon popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.
Posada grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth and Soriano grounded out to short. Brosius singled to left but Knoblauch flied out to right to end the inning.
26 year old Adrian Hernandez made his ML debut for the Yankees in the top of the fifth and Offerman flied out to center to start. Everett flied out to left but Ramirez hit a nubber in front of the plate....thrown away by Hernandez. O'Leary grounded out to second to end the inning. Castillo returned for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth and Jeter flied out to right to start. O'Neill flied out to left and Williams flied out to center to end the inning.
Hatteberg walked to start the top of the sixth but Hillenbrand forced him at second. Daubach forced Shea at second and Merloni popped up to short to end the inning. Pete Schourek came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Justice took strike three to start. Martinez flied out to right and Posada grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Nixon flied out to center to start the top of the seventh and Offerman flied out to left. Everett flied out to center to end the inning. Rolando Arrojo came in for the bottom of the seventh and Soriano flied out to left to start. Brosius flied out to right but Knoblauch singled to right and took second on a wild pitch. Jeter walked but O'Neill lined out to short to end the inning.
Ramirez crushed his fourth home run of the season to lead off the top of the eighth and chase Hernandez from the game. Randy Choate came in and O'Leary flied out to right. Hatteberg took strike three but Hillenbrand was plunked. Daubach singled to right and Todd Williams came in to pitch. Merloni struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.
Williams doubled to left to start the bottom of the eighth but Justice flied out to right. Williams moved to third on the Martinez grounder to first but Posada flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the ninth although Nixon grounded out to second to start. Offerman and Everett worked back to back walks but Ramirez could only move the runners over with a ground out to third. O'Leary walked to load the bases and Hatteberg walked home Offerman to wrap up the scoring. Hillenbrand popped up to second to end the inning but it was 8-3 Sox.
Rod Beck came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Soriano flied out to to left to start. Brosius grounded out to third but Knoblauch singled to right. Jeter grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.
The Good:
Manny Ramirez was 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored.
Brian Daubach was 1 for 3 with an rbi.
Lou Merloni was 1 for 3 with a stolen base, rbi and a run scored.
Frank Castillo got the win by going 5 innings and allowing 3 runs.
Pete Schourek tossed a scoreless 6th inning.
Rolando Arrojo tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Rod Beck pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Trot Nixon was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
Carl Everett was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.
Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Scott Hatteberg was 0 for 3 with an error and 2 strikeouts but walked twice, drove in a run and scored a run.
Honorable Mention:
Craig Grebeck played shortstop in the bottom of the first inning.
Final Thoughts:
Its only April but this is the second time in a week that the scrap heap pickup Castillo kept pace with the 88 million dollar Mussina. Obviously Mussina will or should have the better year but right now its something to laugh at for Sox fans. The Sox have now beat the Yankees in 4 out of 6 games and once they get everyone back at full health, they should be able to compete with them for the AL East crown. Hillenbrand has been a much needed shot in the arm after the Wilton Veras struggle of last year and Ramirez has been worth every penny spent on him. The Sox bullpen outside of Derek Lowe has been virtually unhittable this season, matching the vaunted Yankees bullpen. I don't know why Lou Merloni isn't starting at short over Grebeck at this point, especially since Craig got hurt and can't hit the ball out of his hand. Bottom line is the Sox have the Yankees on the run and hopefully they can get to them again tomorrow in the series finale. Tomorrow afternoon Tomo Ohka (2-0) goes up against Ted Lilly of the Yankees at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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