It was a bad omen right from the start when it was learned that Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis were coming off the DL and Jacoby Ellsbury would need to be scratched one day after setting the Red Sox record for most steals in one game. For a man with an already bad reputation for being fragile, this certainly doesn't help at all.
"Too...much...running...must...take...day....off"
Turns out it didn't matter who was playing because nobody was going to hit Sabathia anyway in the top of the first inning. Daniel Nava led the game off by taking strike three and Jonny Gomes followed by doing the same. Dustin Pedroia showed no fear with a ground rule double but David Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning. At first, Lester stayed tough in the bottom of the first inning. Brett Gardner walked but was erased on a perfect strike em out throw em out off the bat of old friend Kevin Youkilis by Lester/David Ross. Robinson Cano grounded out to third to end the inning.
Mike Napoli swung and missed for strike three to open the top of the second before Stephen "PU" Drew flied out to left. Ross smacked a double but Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed to end the inning. The Yanks broke through in the bottom of the second as Mark Teixeira worked a lead off walk. Vernon Wells doubled him over to third before Jason Nix singled home Texeira to give the Yankees the lead. Lester struck out David Adams but Ichiro Suzuki singled home the second run. Chris Stewart hit into a double play ended the inning as the Yankees led 2-0.
2-0 may as well be 8-0 because Sabbathia didn't give an inch the rest of his outing. Jose Iglesias singled to lead off the top of the third but a Nava double-play ended that. Gomes flied out to center to end the inning. Lester rebounded in the bottom of the third as Gardner flied out to center to start. Youkilis grounded out to short and Cano took strike three to end the inning.
Sabathia cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Pedroia grounded back to the mound to start. Ortiz grounded out to first and Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth as Teixeira grounded out to short to start. Wells also grounded out to short and Nix grounded out to third to end the inning.
Sabathia put the exclamation point on his outing by turning up the heat in the top of the fifth inning. PU Drew whiffed, Ross struck out swinging and JBJ took strike three to end the inning. The Yankees gained ground in the bottom of the 5th but lost their manager in the process. Adams was hit by a pitch to lead the inning off then Ichiro hit a ball back to Lester who's throw was a bit wide to second that nearly pulled PU Drew off the bag. He wasn't but manager Joe Girardi didn't know that so he argued and argued until....HE GOT THE HEAVEEEEE HO! Stewart walked but Lester struck out Gardner. Youkilis made his old team pay by singling home Ichiro but Stewart was out trying to advance to third to end the inning with the Yankees leading 3-0.
Yerrrrr out!
The Sox tried to rally in the top of the sixth when Iglesias singled to start, but Nava struck out swinging. Gomes banged into a double play to end the inning. Lester tried to keep pace in the bottom of the sixth although Cano walked to start. Teixeira whiffed and Wells lined out to center. Nix flied out to left to end the inning.
The Sox finally broke through in the top of the seventh as Pedroia doubled to right to begin. Ortiz advanced Pedroia to third with a grounder and Napoli singled Dustin home to cut the lead. With the tying run at the plate PU Drew struck out swinging and Ross grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox got their only run of the night and still trailed 3-1.
Just as soon as the Sox cut the lead, the Yankees extended it in the bottom of the seventh. Adams grounded out to short but Ichiro stroked a single. Stewart beat out a ground ball to third and that was it for Lester. Lester didn't have it tonight as he allowed 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Andrew Miller was brought in to pitch to Gardner...who singled home Ichiro. Miller came back to strike out Cano and Youk but the damage was done with the Yankees up 4-1.
Sabathia returned for one batter in the top of the eighth, getting JBJ to ground out to first to start. David Robertson came in to get Iglesias to fly out to right and Nava to watch strike three go by to end the inning.Clayton"Vigo" Mortensen came in for the bottom of the eighth and Teixeira went down swinging to start. Wells flied out to right and Nix grounded out to short to end the inning.
In came Marino Rivera with a 3 run lead to close out the top of the ninth. Gomes flied out to left but Pedroia somehow singled to center. Ortiz singled to right to bring the tying run to the plate in Napoli......who struck out swinging. Pedro Ciriaco pinch ran for Ortiz but went nowhere as PU Drew grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Yankees had taken the opener of this series 4-1.
Jackass of the Night is Jon Lester. Not that the Sox offense did themselves any favors, but he was outpitched by CC Sabathia and got hit around by the aging Yankees offense, allowing 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with a run scored.
David Ross was 1 for 3.
Jose Iglesias was 2 for 3.
Clayton Mortensen pitched a scoreless 8th inning
The Bad:
Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Jonny Gomes was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Stephen Drew was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.
Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in the only run.
Andrew Miller allowed an inherited runner to score in 2/3 of an inning.
Honorable Mention:
Pedro Ciriaco ran for David Ortiz in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Terrible, just terrible. This Yankees team is older than dirt but they just put the hurt on the Red Sox big time. Trouble with left handed pitching has been killing them all year and it happened tonight. Sabathia finished with 10 strikeouts, just pathetic offense. If the Sox offense doesn't get cooking, they're going to be swept in a hurry. The rumor is Ellsbury is going to miss the next game too which is a bad blow to the Sox who had trouble scoring tonight. If he can't stay healthy, especially with Jackie Bradley Jr and Bryce Brentz waiting in the wings, there's a chance he could be traded in July. The loss drops the Sox to 33-23 just 1 game in front of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Felix Doubront (3-2) goes up against Phil Hughes at 7:10 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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