Logan's No Run

The Yankees trailed the Red Sox 2-0 in the 5th inning tonight, and Boston had the bases loaded with two outs. With Jon Lester throwing zeroes it appeared the game was one pitch from being over. Adrian Gonzalez, the Major's leader in RBI, was at the plate, so Joe Girardi recognized it was now or never and sent for lefty Boone Logan. In affect it was over, because Logan struck out Gonzalez on three pitches and the Yankees rallied for a 3-2 win, their eighth straight.

Starter Bartolo Colon breezed through the first two innings and looked like he was on his way to a big night. But Jacoby Ellsbury touched him for an RBI double in the 3rd and David Ortiz smacked his 21st home run an inning later. In the 5th the Red Sox had a man on with two outs when Colon walked Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia reached on an infield single.

Having watched Colon's pitch count rise to 94 and his location suffer, Joe Girardi made the quick hook. It was the best move of the night. Logan picked up the win after his big K in the 5th and two outs in the 6th. Corey Wade finished out the inning, stranding Carl Crawford at second base, and then Rafael Soriano, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera put up goose eggs in the final three innings. Crawford reached on a one out single in the 9th, but Rivera struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Josh Reddick looking to nail down his 29th save.

Lester limited the Yankees to two hits through the first five innings, but issued a lead off walk to Eduardo Nunez to start the 6th. Consecutive singles by Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson put the Yankees on the board and Lester gave another free pass (Mark Teixeira) to load the bases. A nine pitch battle ensued with Robinson Cano with Lester inducing a 4-6-3 double play. The tying run scored, but it could have been a rally ending DP. Nick Swisher though saved the day when he ripped a ball past third baseman Kevin Youkilis for a go ahead RBI ground-rule double.

It would be the last hit the Yankees had on the night as the Red Sox pen pitched three scoreless innings. A fine effort, but not as big a night as the Yankees pen turned in.