Ker-Plop

"Good Thames, Bad Thames, you know I've had my share" - Peter Botte via Twitter

I hadn't seen such similiar back to back games played since games 4 and 5 of the 2001 World Series, Unlike those two unbelievable World Series finishes, the Yankees only came out on top in half of this duo with the Red Sox. Oh, and these games were a lot uglier.

Previously on Yankees baseball - you remember Monday night...Marcus Thames becomes an instant hero with a 2-run walk-off home run off of enemy closer Jon Papelbon. Flash forward to Tuesday (perhaps I should call it Lost instead of Flash Forward...either way neither will be on the air for ABC next year). The goodwill towards Marcus Thames disappears in an instant as he drops a 9th inning fly ball. The error led to a pair of Red Sox runs and the Yankees lost 7-6 after building a 5-0 lead against Josh Beckett.

The problems started for the Yankees though an inning earlier. The Red Sox torched Joba Chamberlain for four runs, three of them earned. The inning started with a close play at first that could have altered the outcome of the game. Alex Rodriguez made a nice stop of a Marco Scutaro hard grounder, but threw wide of first base. Mark Teixeira stretched to make the grab, but 1st base umpire Jeff Nelson ruled that Teixeira's foot was off the bag. Replays were inconclusive. Though many Yankees fans felt it was an out, there was no way you could tell from the replays available.

Consecutive hits by Dustin Pedroia, J.D. Drew, and Kevin Youkilis cut the lead to 5-4 before Chamberlain finally retired Victor Martinez. But David Ortiz's one out single tied the game and set up the 9th inning craziness.

An umpire again had an influence as Darnell McDonald appeared to be out on strikes for the second out of the 9th inning. But Mariano Rivera's pitch which hit the inside corner was ruled a ball by home plate ump Angel Campos and McDonald took advantage with a one out single.

Scutaro's bat caused another error as Thames dropped the shortstop's pop up to put two men aboard. Pedroia grounded out, but Jeremy Hermida, who had replaced Drew earlier, lofted a deep fly to left. For some reason, the Yankees had Randy Winn playing shallow as if he were facing the number 9 hitter in a little league lineup. The ball fell in easily for a go ahead 2-run double.

The Yankees rallied once again against closer Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th, but this came up short. Scutaro partially returned the favor by whiffing on Rodriguez's grounder to start the inning for an error. A Robinson Cano double cut the deficit to one, but with two men aboard, Juan Miranda grounded out and Winn struck out to end the game.