The Sox had one of their only chances in the top of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a fly out but Shane Victorino singled. Dustin Pedroia flied out but Mike Napoli singled in the hole at short. A wild pitch moved both runners but Victorino was foolishly thrown out trying to score with Jonny Gomes standing at the plate.
Ryan Dempster was the hard luck starter for the Sox in the bottom of the first. Brett Gardner led off with a walk but was gunned down trying to steal by the alert David Ross. Robinson Cano grounded out and old friend Kevin Youkilis grounded out to end the inning.
Pettite cruised in the top of the second inning. Gomes popped up but Will Middlebrooks singled...only to be erased on the Jackie Bradley Jr double play. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the second. Travis Hafner singled but Dempster recovered to strike out both Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki. Eduardo Nunez hit a ground rule double and both runners scored on the Lyle Overbay single to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. Fransisco Cervelli struck out to end the inning but the damage was done.
The Sox failed to answer in the top of the third. Ross singled but Jose Iglesias banged into a double play. Ellsbury grounded back to Pettite to end the inning. The Yankees struck again in the bottom of the third. Gardner belted a solo home run to make it 3-0 New York. Cano walked but both Youkilis and Hafner struck out. Wells flied out to end the inning.
Pettite continued to dominate in the top of the fourth. Victorino lined out to Nunez at short, but Pedroia walked. Napoli whiffed and Gomes grounded out to end the inning. Dempter finally got a scoreless inning in the bottom of the fourth. Ichiro walked but was out at second on the force by Nunez. Overbay struck out but Cervelli walked. Gardner struck out to end the inning. That's 7 strikeouts for Dempster in 4 innings.
Pettite got a little help from Nunez to cruise in the top of the fifth. Nunez made back to back great plays to rob Middlebrooks and JBJ of hits. Ross struck out to end the inning. Dempster returned for the bottom of the fifth and got Cano to ground out. Youkilis hit a double but Hafner struck out. Wells grounded out on a dribbler to end the inning. Dempster had given up 3 runs but struck out 8 through 5, not the worst, just didn't have run support.
He wouldn't get any in the top of the sixth either. Iglesias caught the Yankees asleep with a bunt single but Ellsbury and Victorino flied out. Pedroia grounded into a force to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa was the first out of the pen in the bottom of the sixth. Ichiro popped up but Nunez singled. The alert Ross then threw out Nunez trying to steal. Overbay grounded out to end the inning.
The Sox finally showed some life in the top of the seventh. Napoli flied out and Gomes struck out but Middlebrooks singled and scored on the JBJ double to cut the lead 3-1. Representing the tying run, Ross flied out to end the inning. Clayton "Vigo" Mortensen was brought in to pitch the bottom of the seventh but he poured gas on the fire by giving up a solo shot to Cervelli to give the Yankees a 3 run lead back. Gardner singled but was foolishly thrown out trying to stretch to second. Cano grounded out and Youkilis struck out to end the inning.
Pettite returned for the top of the eighth. Iglesias singled but was erased on the Ellsbury double play. That's how you know its not your night when both of those speedsters are doubled off. Victorino grounded out to end the inning. Pettite had tossed 8 innings of 1 run ball, gotta tip your hat to that. Mortensen returned for the bottom of the eighth. Hafner flied out, Wells lined out and Ichiro grounded out to end the inning.
The Sox now had to rally against the legendary, returning Mariano Rivera. Pedroia walked but Napoli flied out. Gomes doubled to somehow put the tying run at the plate, but Middlebrooks grounded out, only scoring Pedroia to cut the lead 4-2. Unfortunately there were 2 outs and JBJ looked at strike 3 to end it. The Yankees had won 4-2.
Jackass of the night is a tough one. Unfortunately I have to go with Ryan Dempster. He pitched well but gave up 3 runs in just 5 innings and forced the bullpen to toss the remaining 4 innings.
The Good:
Will Middlebrooks was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an rbi. David Ross made his season debut by going 1 for 3. Jose Iglesias was 2 for 3. Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 6th inning.
The Bad:
Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 4.
The Ugly:
Shane Victorino was just 1 for 4. Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 2 but walked twice and scored a run. Mike Napoli and Jonny Gomes were both just 1 for 4 with a strikeout. Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with an rbi. Clayton Mortensen allowed 1 run in 2 innings of relief.
Final Thoughts:
Andy Pettite made a career of coming up big for the Yankees and this was one of those times. He pitched a hell of a game and it kept the Yankees from being swept at home. The Sox had their chances here and there but the game belonged to Pettite. It was a good sign to see the Sox could hang with New York's mercenaries even without David Ortiz for another few weeks. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto. Felix Doubront makes his season debut opposite Josh Johnson at 3:30 PM.
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