Can You Hit Rock Bottom After 2 Games?

Tonight's second game of the Yankees-Red Sox series was about as dismal as the first. Ah, but with even colder temperatures.

So, can you hit rock bottom after just two games are played? Because it sure feels like it right now. Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, hurry up!

Hiroki Kuroda did himself no favors tonight. How many times, I don't care about instinct, does a pitcher have to stick his pitching hand up on a ball hit through the middle? Kuroda did just that and was out of the game quicker than the fans exited Monday's opener.

Having given up a run on three singles in the 1st inning, Kuroda's digit was victimized by Shane Victorino to start the 2nd. Two hit batters, one to force in a run, and a walk later, Kuroda accompanied trainer Steve Donahue and manager Joe Girardi back to the dugout.

The Red Sox then smacked around Cody Eppley and Adam Warren, which is not a surprise, especially in the case of Warren. I've said it before and it bears repeating, Warren is not a Major League pitcher. Yes, he's still young, but in the short time he's pitched in the Majors and in Spring Training he has looked completely overmatched.

The highlights tonight...yes, there were a couple. Travis Hafner hit his first home run as Yankee. Vernon Wells made a 7-1 game a bit of a contest again with a three-run home run off old buddy Al Aceves in the 8th inning. It was also Wells' first dinger as a Bronx Bomber and one of his three hits on the night.

But after a lead off single in the 9th by Eduardo Nunez, Joel Hanrahan picked up his first save for the Red Sox. (Every time I hear Hanrahan's name I think of Paul Newman taunting the opposing goalie named Hanrahan in Slap Shot. You can find the clip on Youtube.)

Nunez was 2-3 in the game with a stolen base, but also committed his first error. Kevin Youkilis had a pair of hits, while Robinson Cano went 0-4.

Gene Monahan was in the dugout during the game.

With a new rule instituted this year, an interpreter accompanied Girardi and Donahue to the mound to check on Kuroda.

Stephen Drew has been out with a concussion, but he better hurry back at the rate Jose Iglesias is hitting. Known for his defense and not his bat, Iglesias has gone 5-9 (.556) in the first two games.

Andy Pettitte will try to salvage the final game of the series Thursday night against Ryan Dempster, who will be making his Red Sox debut.

Oh, can't forget this..reported by several fans who heard the game on the radio. John Sterling referred to Travis Hafner as the "Pronk Bomber". Yeah, it really is that bad.