Pedroia Beats Out Cano For AL Gold Glove

Everyone knows that Gold Glove Awards don't necessarily reflect the best defensive player at a given position. That being said the top defenders at second base are Boston's Dustin Pedroia and the Yankees' Robinson Cano. Pedrioa topped Cano for his third career piece of fielding hardware. (The Daily News' Anthony McCarron breaks down the numbers.)

Pedroia previously won in 2008 and 2011, while Cano captured the award in 2009 and 2012. The Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals had the most winners with three each, and there were four first time winners.

1B - Eric Hosmer, KC (1)
2B - Dustin Pedroia, BOS (3)
SS - J.J. Hardy, BAL (2)
3B - Manny Machado, BAL (1)
LF - Alex Gordon, KC (3)
CF - Adam Jones, BAL (3)
RF - Shane Victorino, BOS (4)
  C - Salvador Perez, KC (1)
  P - R.A. Dickey, TOR (1)

Hardy, Gordon, and Jones were the only repeat winners with Gordon pulling off a trifecta.

The National League Gold Glover Winners was topped by the St. Louis Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina, who won his 6th straight award. The Colorado Rockies, Cardinals, and Arizona Diamondbacks had two winners each. Carlos Gonzalez was the only repeat winner from last year. The Rockies' Nolan Arenado was the lone rookie to be honored.

1B - Paul Goldschmidt, AZ (1)
2B - Brandon Phillips, CIN (4)
SS - Andrelton Simmons, ATL (1)
3B - Nolan Arenado, COL (1)
LF - Carlos Gonzalez, COL (3)
CF - Carlos Gomez, MIL (1)
RF - Gerardo Parra, AZ (2)
  C - Yadier Molina, STL (6)
  P - Adam Wainwright, STL (2)

Game 3: Anatomy of Obstruction

Though this is not an Abby-like re-creation from NCIS, here's what happened in the 9th inning of World Series Game 3.

Dustin Pedroia's diving stop on Jon Jay

Yadier Molina tagged out at home for 2nd out

Jarrod Saltalamacchia's throw eludes Will Middlebrooks

Middelbrooks flops like a fish

Down goes Frazier Allen Craig; Joyce signals obstruction

Craig heads home; DeMuth signals obstruction

Salty tags out Craig

DeMuth signals safe

John Farrell is confused

There you have it. The best thing of all? The umpires apparently got a call correct without having to huddle up.

Cardinals Prevail; in Walk-Off Trip

I have seen a lot in over 40 years of watching post-season baseball - Jeffrey Maiers interference in the 1996 ALCS. The Bartman interference in the 2003 NLCS. Carlton Fisk's arm-waving extra inning game winning home run in Game 6 of the '75 series. Reggie Jackson sticking his hip out, much to the consternation of Tommy Lasorda in the '78 Classic, and of course Mr. October's 3-home run outburst in Game 6 to clinch the World Series the prior year.

But I don't think any of those memories come close to last night's Game 3 between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals for a one play World Series game decider. The Red Sox had rallied from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits to tie the game 4-4 in the 8th inning.

Yadier Molina reached on a one out single off Brandon Workman to start the 9th, so Sox manger John Farrell went to his closer, Koji Uehara, to face pinch-hitter Allen Craig. The Cardinals' 1st baseman/outfielder has been hobbled by a foot injury that led to manager Mike Matheny's decision to sit him at the start of the game and save him for a situation like the one that arose in the 9th.

Craig came through with a double to put two runners in scoring position and forced Boston to move the infield and outfield in. Center fielder Jon Jay's bouncer back up the middle was stopped by a diving Dustin Pedroia, whose throw home easily beat the slow footed Molina to the plate. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia tagged Molina for the second out of the inning, but that's when the mayhem began.

Craig broke for third as soon as he saw Pedroia throw home. A throw right at the bag would likely have nailed Craig but Salty's throw tailed away from  Will Middlebrooks ricocheted into foul territory. Middlebrooks, who should have caught the ball despite it being off course, did a belly flop and Craig slid into third. As Daniel Nava raced over from left field, Craig popped up from his head first slide and began the race to home plate, but fell over a prone Middlebrooks, who had inadvertently raised up both legs.

Third base umpire Jim Joyce immediately signaled obstruction, but the only one who saw the call was home plate umpire Dana DeMuth. Which is why everyone in the ball park was confused when DeMuth signaled safe after Salty grabbed Nava's throw home and applied the tag on Craig for an apparent third out. While the Cardinals and their fans celebrated, a confused Farrell, Pedroia, Uehara and all the other Red Sox argued and wandered in bewilderment until DeMuth and Joyce explained the call.

They might have to change the term walk-off to stumble-off for this one.

Umpires Meet the Press

Umpires John Hirschbeck, Jim Joyce, and Dana DeMuth, and league executive VP Joe Torre met with the media afterwards. Below is the transcript courtesy of mlb.com. You can view the video of the press conference by clicking here.

JOHN HIRSCHBECK:  I know you have a lot of questions, and we'll answer everything you have. But just to go over the rule quickly, obstruction is the act of a fielder obstructing a runner when not in the act of fielding a ball. It does not have to be intent. There does not have to be intent, okay? Once he has the opportunity to field the ball, he can no longer in any way obstruct the runner. That's basically the rule. So you want to go ahead and ask questions? 

Q. If you can just take us through how you saw the play develop and if there was, in fact, any incidental contact and whether or not Middlebrooks raised his legs, if you would just take us through how you saw the play develop, please.

JIM JOYCE:  Well, when the play developed after Saltalamacchia threw the ball at third base, after the ball had gone straight through, and Allen had slid into third and stood up to attempt to go to home plate, everything was off right there. And when he tried to advance to home plate, the feet were up in the air, and he tripped over Middlebrooks right there, and immediately and instinctually I called obstruction.

Q. I understand what John said, that there doesn't have to be intent, but the fact that his feet were up, did that play into it at all? And is there any wiggle room, like where else could he be after he dives for the ball, what else could he be doing but laying on the floor, if you do think there's intent?

JIM JOYCE:  No, as a matter of fact, the feet didn't play too much into that because he was still in the area where the baserunner needs to go to advance to home plate. And the baserunner has every right to go unobstructed to home plate, and unfortunately for Middlebrooks he was right there. And there was contact, so he could not advance to home plate naturally.

JOE TORRE:  And let me read, it gives the example on Rule 2, "An infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes him, and he continues to lie on the ground and delays the progress of the runner, he very likely has obstructed the runner."

Q. So does "very likely" mean there's interpretation?

JOE TORRE: Intentional or not intentional. He just has to clear the path. I know sometimes it's unfair because he's laying on the ground, but that's the way the rule is.

Q. Is there anything he could have done to avoid violating this rule in that position? Once he's down, what could he have done at that point?

JOHN HIRSCHBECK:  Just to get out of the way quickly and not obstruct the runner. It's really as simple as that.

JIM JOYCE:  Really, that doesn't play into that play. With the defensive player on the ground, without intent or intent, it's still obstruction. You'd probably have to ask Middlebrooks that one, if he could have done anything. But that's not in our determination.

Q. He said there wasn't anything else he could have done, that's why I asked the question.

JIM JOYCE:  But the rule is is that the runner has every right to go to home plate at that particular play unobstructed without any liability ‑‑ he doesn't have to get out of the way, he just has the baseline, and unfortunately the defensive player was there.

JOE TORRE:  And the fact that he impeded the runner, again. Didn't mean to, but it still doesn't matter, according to the rule.

Q. I know you guys obviously got the call right the other night when you all convened together on the second base play. Did you all even chat about it or have a quick conversation about it? Jim, did you ask the other umpires their viewpoint? It seems like you called it immediately and you were set with it. I was curious if I could get the other umpires' thoughts on if you thought it was the right call, done, and there was nothing else to discuss?

JOHN HIRSCHBECK:  I was on the leftfield line. Immediately after we got off the field into our locker room we congratulated Jim and said "great call." I could see it all in front of me as it happened. That was our first reaction when we got in the locker room. Mark Wegner made the comment he could see it developing from right field.

We're trained to look for these things. It's out of the ordinary, but when it happens, and it's the World Series, you expect to get it right.

Q. I'm just curious, is there any responsibility of the runner to make sure he's in the baseline? Did you guys check for that? Often a runner comes around third and circles around the third base coach's box. It seems like Craig was clearly on the inside part of third more toward shortstop. Is it the responsibility of the runner to make sure he's inside the baseline?

JIM JOYCE:  He was right on the baseline. He was right on the chalk. And so that never played into any decision, at all, because he was ‑‑ he had slid, stood up, and he was literally right on the chalk.

JOHN HIRSCHBECK:  Don't forget, the runner establishes his own baseline. If he's on second on a base hit and rounds third wide, that baseline is from where he is, way outside the line, back to third and to home plate, it's almost a triangle. So the runner establishes his own baseline.

Q. Just curious if any of you guys remember a game ending in this way, ending on this particular call in any of your experiences?

JOHN HIRSCHBECK:  Never.

JIM JOYCE:  Never.

JOHN HIRSCHBECK:  And again, Peter (Woodfork) pointed out to me to mention this, normally this play happens at second base on a steal play or something, where the ball goes into centerfield and the shortstop or second baseman obstructs the runner or stays there too long trying to hold the tag down or making believe he fell down or whatever. Not at third base.

Q. Once you make the call, he gets home and that's the end of it, right? Because there was still a play at the plate that developed. Obviously the players were playing out the play.

JIM JOYCE:  Our determination is whether or not he could have scored or not. And Dana immediately came up with, he saw me make the call. And as soon as Craig slid into home plate, Dana immediately pointed down at me knowing that we had obstruction and it impeded Allen to score the run, essentially. Dana did a great job on installing that right away. Dana did a great job signaling that right away.  

JOHN HIRSCHBECK:  And that's the last, most important part of this rule, is that the umpire has to determine ‑‑ if what you saw tonight happened and he's out by 20 feet, then the umpire determines that if the obstruction had not occurred, he would have been out, okay? But since it was right there, bang, bang play, obviously that's obstruction, definitely had something to do with the play.

Q. That's Dana's call right away?

DANA DeMUTH:  I'm going with Jim on it, so I determine when it ends at the end, about the obstruction, you know. It's Jim's call originally, but looking up there. I have to see the call, also, and agree with him. I have to know that it's obstruction.

JOE TORRE:  You remember a few years ago I think Tejada ran into a fielder and then stopped running, and even though he was pointing back, he's obstructed, but he stopped running, so he was out.

Red Sox Will Clean Their Beards With Champagne

The last decade has been full of ups and downs for the Boston Red Sox. There was the blown ALCS to the New York Yankees in 2003, followed a year later by their first World Series championship in 86 years. It would not have been accomplished had they not redeemed themselves by coming back from a 3-0 deficit to the Yankees in the ALCS to advance.

They grabbed another title in 2007, but a playoff bound team collapsed in 2011 and respected manager Terry Francona lost control of the clubhouse (Especially the eating and drinking habits of his pitchers.)

There were the horrible contracts given to Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford that helped to force out boy wonder GM Theo Epstein.  There was the childish behavior of Manny Ramirez and the ornery, expletive filled behavior displayed by one time ace Josh Beckett.  That was topped though by the one and done hire of Bobby Valentine, who alienated himself from most of the team with his behavior and remarks before the regular season was even a week old. Valentine’s squad managed just 69 wins in 2012, but the team was re-born, with some help from the LA Dodgers, when they jettisoned Gonzalez and Crawford and brought in guys like Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino. The result was a worst to first turnaround in the AL East and 97 wins under new manager John Farrell.

The current roster is led, of course, by veteran holdovers Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz, who brought their usual consistency to the plate. It's a team that can rely on just about anyone in the lineup to come through with a big hit at a big time.

You still don’t without pitching, but with Beckett gone, so were the distractions to Lester and Buchholz, who got back to being two of the best young pitchers in baseball.  Veteran Jake Peavy was picked up from Chicago to solidify the rotation at the deadline, Ryan Dempster was free agent signee, and John Lackey bounced back from surgery to have a solid season.

All of it – the talent, some luck, and a never- give-up-attitude are what will lead the Red Sox to their third World Series championship since 2004.

Make no mistake though, it won't be easy. Their opponents, the St. Louis Cardinals, are nothing like the pushovers the Red Sox beat back in 2004. With veteran ace Adam Wainwright and red hot rookie Michael Wacha, the Cardinals have the starting pitching to hang with anyone. A strong bullpen anchored by closer Trevor Rosenthal should do a much better job of closing out games than the Detroit Tigers did in the ALCS.

I do believe in teams of destiny, however, and this Red Sox team is one of them. Whether you watch this series or listen to it on the radio, you will hear about the way the Red Sox grind out at-bats - they led the Major Leagues in pitches seen per at-bat this season. You will hear it so often that it may be prefaced by "I don't want to beat a dead horse, but..."  Most of the championship teams in the last 20 years did the same thing (see Yankees dynasty from 1996-2000.)

Backing up the rotation of Lester, a revived Lackey, Buchholz, Dempster and Peavy has been a solid, clutch bullpen. It was a bullpen that got even better when the pitching of veteran Koji Uehara said “this role is mine!”

The Red Sox dealt for closer Jack Hanrahan prior to the season, but he was felled by surgery and never pitched a regular season game. Often injured Andrew Bailey failed at the role that earned him the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2009 and then was injured and out for the season as well. Uehara stepped in and stepped up. He is not your typical closer. He doesn't have an upper 90s fastball or a cutter that no one can hit. But he does throw a nasty splitter that has allowed him to strike out 10.4 batters per 9 innings for his career. (He had struck out a career high 12.2 this season).

A very pleasant surprise for Farrell has been the pitching of Journeyman left-hander Craig Breslow.  The eight year veteran was picked up at the 2012 trade deadline for Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik. Not exactly a head turning move. But Breslow, who was on the Sox in 2006, has done a great job on…right-handed hitters. That's no typo; Breslow has held righties to a .581 OPS and has faced more hitters in the right batter's box than he has from the left side. He’s mixed 90-mph two- and four-seam fastballs with a 75-mph cutter and an occasional changeup and slider to keep hitters honest.

There’s also 25-year old rookie right-hander Brandon Workman, who has struck out 10.2 batters per 9 innings in his first year in the bigs. Though he still has some control issues, Farrell does not hesitate to throw Workman into the mix in setting up the bridge to Uehara.

For all of the reasons stated up, that good old word, intangibles, and destiny, the Sox should be popping a cork or two after six games. Then maybe someone can hose them down and shave those beards off.

Boston Honors Mo...Kind Of

Perhaps it was for ruining their 100th anniversary celebration last year (Yankees won 6-2), or for being beaten to a pulp for so many years, or the 2004 idiots were in charge. No matter the reason, the Red Sox utilized a bit of tongue in cheek when they honored Mariano Rivera prior to the game.

It started with what Boston MC Dave O'Brien described as "...less of a toast and more of a roast." The video board then showed Bill Mueller, Dave Roberts, and Kevin Millar, who really still is an idiot, discussing Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. Mueller and Roberts were pretty much factual, while Millar played up his clown act.

At the end the three congratulated Mariano on his fabulous career. So it wasn't so bad, but then they showed the 2005 Boston home opener when the Fenway faithful gave Mariano a standing ovation for blowing leads in the playoffs.

Mariano, ever full of class, smile, laughed and tipped his cap. I can't find anything to corroborate it, but I recall Mariano being annoyed by it a short time later. Basically, he said, okay, you had your fun; that's enough. Something to that affect.

The Red Sox then presented several gifts, including a portrait of Mariano from that 2005 opener. Really? You couldn't do better than that? There were nice gifts as well.

A signed (by the Red Sox) number 42 placard that  is put on the scoreboard whenever Mariano came on to pitch. A pitching rubber and a nice donation to Mariano's foundation were presented as well.

The Sox also brought in cellists to perform a class version of "Enter Sandman" and then went out and spanked the Yankees for the third straight night (as of the 7th inning).

Let's Get This Party Started - Red Sox vs. Yankees

Enough whining about pay cuts, and age, and injuries. Opening Day and its clean slate is here.

CC Sabathia faces off against Jon Lester. Two left-handers who had their problems last season. Sabathia with a bothersome left elbow that needed surgery and Lester, who was ineffective for the majority of the season.  But that was then, this is now.

Two teams that are getting crapped on by all bunch of baseball experts. But none of that matters or how many games a  team should or shouldn't win. That's why they play 162.

The lineup should go something like this:

CF Brett Gardner
RF Ichiro Suzuki
2B Robinson Cano
1B Kevin Youkilis
DH Ben Francisco
LF Vernon Wells
SS Eduardo Nunez
3B Jayson Nix
  C Chris Stewart
  P CC Sabathia

The Red Sox lineup will reportedly be:

CF Jacoby Ellsbury
RF Shane Victorino
2B Dustin Pedroia
1B Mike Napoli
3B Will Middlebrooks
DH Jonny Gomes
  C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
LF Jackie Bradley Jr.
SS Jose Iglesias
  P Jon Lester

PLAY BALL

Yankees Can't Find Pulse in Boston

You've gotta have heart
All you really need is heart

The two lines above are the opening lines to "You Gotta Have Heart", one of the best known songs from the musical/movie, "Damn Yankees". It's the story of the hapless Washington Senators who are always falling well short of beating the big, bad Yankees.

Only these days it's the Yankees fans saying "Damn Yankees" at a team that seems to be playing with a lack of heart. You could hear and read a variety of cursing last night when the newest Yankee-killer, Pedro Ciriaco, slid across home plate with the winning run in Boston's 4-3 victory in the first of a three game series at Fenway Park.

David Robertson (1-7) had struck out the side in the 8th before Ciriaco pulled a one-out pitch, that was well of the strike zone, into left field for a base hit in the 9th. Mike Aviles then reached on an infield single that Derek Jeter tracked down in the hole between short and third, but had no play.

Jacoby Ellsbury delivered the only well hit ball of the inning, a base hit to right field, that scored the speedy Ciriaco just ahead of a strong throw from Ichiro Suzuki. The loss combined with a Baltimore win over Tampa Bay, put the Yankees back into a first place tie with the team that calls Camden Yards home.

As has been the case for weeks now, the game never should have been close. The Yankees had countless opportunities against Boston starter Jon Lester, who walked seven batters, but wasn't sent to the showers until Jeter's bloop ground-rule double to right gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the 6th inning.

Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda put in a decent performance, but immediately gave up the lead when he surrendered Dustin Pedroia's 15th home run of the season in the bottom of the 6th.

The Yankees immediately threatened when Jeter started the game with a walk and Nick Swisher snapped out of his Oh-for-September with a double. But Alex Rodriguez's grounder to Ciriaco at third didn't advance the runners and when the Yankees did score it came as the result of another out- a Robinson Cano ground out.

Lester put himself in more trouble by walking Steve Pearce and Russell Martin to load the bases, but Curtis Granderson, who drove in five runs on Sunday, fouled out to end the threat.

Jayson Nix reached safely with a one out double in the 2nd inning, but was stranded. A-Rod and Cano started the 3rd with walks, but were stranded. Another lead off walk to Andruw Jones in the 4th inning produced nothing and Martin's two-out double an inning later added to the left-on-base total.

The Red Sox had taken a 2-1 lead in the 4th when Ciriaco led off with a double and scored two batters later on one of Ellsbury's four hits. After a stolen base, Pedroia delivered one of his three hits to put Boston ahead.

The Red Sox bullpen only allowed two base runners over the final three-plus innings, and one of those was erased when pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez was thrown out in the 9th on a stolen base attempt.

Notes

Joba Chamberlain had one of his best performances when he entered the 7th inning with the bases loaded and one out. He got pinch-hitter to bounce out into a force at home and retired Pedroia on a pop up to Jeter.

Boston closer Andrew Bailey, who missed most of the season, threw a scoreless 9th inning to record his first win of the year.

Ciriaco, who also made a couple of outstanding defensive plays, is now 17-35 (.486) against the Yankees with  an 1.157 OPS. The slim six-footer is hitting .265 (40-151) against the rest of baseball.

Red Sox Get Martinized

The prospects for the Yankees winning 2 of 3 in Boston were not good, considering that A.J. Burnett, he of the 13.86 ERA in his last three starts, was going up against Red Sox stud Jon Lester in the series finale Thursday night. But John Sterling is occassionally right, especially when he says you can't predict baseball. Burnett kept the Yankees in the game through his 5.1 innings and Russell Martin delivered a clutch 2-run double in the 7th inning to give the Yankees a 4-2 victory and their first series win against Boston this season.

The biggest story lines coming into the game was how would Burnett fare (or as most people figured, how badly he would fare) and the Major League debut of Jesus Montero. Burnett was going along swimmingly until he threw a high fastball to high fastball hitter Dustin Pedroia, who launched it into the center field seats to the Red Sox a 2-1 lead in the 4th. But unlike most of his prior starts, Burnett didn't melt down. Instead he beared down and tossed a scoreless 5th inning before leaving with two men aboard and one out in the 6th. Boone Logan and Cory Wade stranded the base runners and the Yankees finally broke through against the Boston bullpen in the 7th.

Jon Lester had given the Yankees a number of opportunities to score, but they couldn't get the big hit off of him. What they did do though was work the count and forced Lester out of the game after five innings and 114 pitches. Andruw Jones worked his third walk of the night against former Yankee Al Aceves to start the rally. That brought up Montero, who had already stranded six base runners on the night. He didn't deliver a key hit, but got hit when an Aceves pitch clipped his jersey.

Terry Francona brought on fireballer Daniel Bard to face Martin, but as he has done often thi season, the Yankees catcher came through in the clutch, drilling a pitch up the alley in right-center. Jones scored easily to tie the game and Montero slid across home plate with the go ahead run well ahead of the relay throw home. Eric Chavez then gave the Yankees some insurance with a pinch-hit RBI single to right for a 4-2 Yankees lead.

But you know nothing is easy in a Yankees-Red Sox series and that was exemplified in all three games of the series. Mariano Rivera came in to close things out in the 9th and walked the lead off hitter Jed Lowrie. Rivera got his cutter in enough on the hands to Josh Reddick who couldn't get the "good wood" on it as Kenny Singleton likes to say, and flied to right. Rivera blew away Jarrod Saltalamacchia with a a pair of fastballs for the second out and things seemed to be easy going. But Mariano and company had to sweat this one out. He walked Jacoby Ellsbury to put the tying runs on basis and then gave up a single to his nemesis Marco Scutaro to load the bases. That brought up the AL's batting leader Adrian Gonzalez, who also entered the game with 103 RBI.

Rivera busted one cutter after another in on Gonzalez's hand and body- in fact Gonzalez fouled a pitch into himself that looked like it might have hit him had he taken it. The final pitch of the night was a result of all those inside pitches as Rivera fired a cutter at the outside corner that Gonzalez could only watch. Home plate ump Alfonso Marquez rung him up and the game was over some four hours after it began.

NOTES

Mark Teixeira took a hard breaking pitch from Al Aceves off the back of his right knee and went down in tremendous pain. He's listed as day-to-day, but it would not be surprising to see him miss at least a couple of games. Michael Kay pointed out on the broadcast that the White Sox Paul Konerko had a similar injury and missed four games. In fact he returned in a series against the Yankees and was still having trouble running.

In addition to Montero, the Yankees brought up old friend Scott Proctor, left-hander Raul Valdes, righty Lance Pendleton, outfielder Chris Dickerson, and third baseman Brandon Laird, Infielder Ramiro Pena will likely join the team as well once he finished his minor league rehab assignment.

David Ortiz extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

The Yankees return home Friday night to begin a three game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Ivan Nova faces Brandon Morrow in the opener.

J.P. Morgan Gongs Phil Hughes

The Gong Show was classic 1970's television. Made on the cheap (it would be perfect for today's watered down television). It featured 'B' list celebrities like Jaye P. Morgan and Jamie Farr who would judge talented, semi-talented, or more likely, really bad acts. When the judges couldn't take it any more they would grab the big gong stick ('cause I don't know what you actually call the drumstick with the big marshmallow looking thing on the end) and slam the gong, crushing the hopes of the performer. (My wife and I still refer to anyone named Gene/Jean as "Gene, Gene, The Dancing Machine") Last night the gong would have been heard loud and clear when Phil Hughes put the Yankees in a 4-1 hole and then couldn't hold a 5-4 lead. The only missing was the over sized cane to yank him off the mound. The Red Sox went on to a 9-5 win to even the three game series with A.J. Burnett facing Jon Lester in the rubber game tonight.

Hughes had a chance to step up and grab the #5 spot in the rotation, but after getting slammed by Oakland last week, he wasn't much better in Fenway Park. The California native started the game with mid-90's velocity, but his speed began to peter out as his location faltered. Derek Jeter had given the Yankees 1-0 lead in the 3rd with an RBI single off Red Sox starter and winner Josh Beckett, but Boston took the lead in their half of the inning. Dustin Pedroia followed a single by Marco Scutaro and a double by Jacoby Ellsbury with an RBI ground out to tie the game. Hughes retired Adrian Gonzalez, but Joe Girardi's decision to intentionally walk David Ortiz backfired when Jed Lowrie singled in the go ahead run.

The Red Sox extended their lead to 4-1 in the 5th when David Ortiz crushed a pitch to the deepest part of the park in center field with a man aboard. One wonders what Francisco Cervelli was thinking as he watched Ortiz stand at home plate for 10 minutes, then raise both arms to the sky as he stood on home plate after circling the bases. With Beckett on the mound the Yankees could have been, but they got off the mat and actually took a short lived lead.

Beckett hit Mark Teixeira to start the 6th and then threw a wild pitch to move him into scoring position. Robinson Cano delivered an RBI double to halve the Red Sox lead and Nick Swisher worked a good at-bat to draw a walk. Eric Chavez ripped a fastball into the right field corner that skipped past Josh Reddick and tied the game. It was ruled a 2-run double with an error added in to allow Chavez to reach third. Eduardo Nunez's fly to center brought home Chavez and just like that the Yankees had their first lead of the night.

But after retiring Carl Crawford to start the bottom of the 6th Hughes walked Josh Reddick. Girardi should have pulled his starter right there, but Jaosn Varitek made him pay when he reached out and cued a ball down the third base line. Instead of hopping into the stands or ricocheting off the side wall, the ball took a weird hop off the wall and got by Brett Gardner for a game tying double. Hughes stayed in to get Scutaro for the second out before Girardi went to LOOGY Boone Logan to face Ellsbury. Logan had struck out two batters with the bases loaded to help win Tuesday's game, but this time out he grooved one to the Red Sox centerfielder who turned on it for his 24th home run of the season and a 7-5 Red Sox lead. Jason Varitek then put the game away in the 8th when he smacked a 2-run home run off of Luis Ayala.

NOTES

Derek Jeter had two more hits last night and finished August with a .387/.435/.472 split and 13 RBI in 25 games. He also had a league high 41 hits for the month.

No matter how A.J. Burnett does this evening, he probably has the #5 spot in the rotation locked up. Hughes has shown he can be good in short spurts and that would be better for his dipping velocity as the game goes on. Burnett, meanwhile, may be nothing more than an innings eater, but he's not suited to the pen. Neither pitcher figures to even be part of the post-season plans, though Hughes could be in the pen.

Robinson Cano finished August with a 1.014 OPS, 7 HR, and 29 RBI. His month also included a 16 game hitting streak.

CC's Boston Beatdown

Putting everything else aside (his prior starts against Boston) and his red hot streak, I expected CC Sabathia to limit Boston's offense yesterday. Nothing was further from the truth. Sabathia, who is is 16-2, 2.11 vs. other AL opponents, was thumped by the Red Sox for seven runs in six innings. The Red Sox won 10-4 to move back into a first place tie in the AL East with the series finale pitting Freddy Garcia against Josh Beckett tonight. The win also snapped the Yankees' eight game winning streak.

Sabathia's record against Boston is now 0-4, 7.20. It's that record that will likely keep him from winning the AL Cy Young Award no matter how he finishes the season. But individual awards are the last thing on the mind of Sabathia, Joe Girardi, or the Yankees fans. They know that to get to the World Series they will, in all likelihood, have to beat Boston in the ALCS. (assuming both teams win win their division series.)

Opponents are hitting .238 vs. Sabathia this season, but the Red Sox are hitting well over .300 with four Boston batters in particular having done major damage to the lefty this season.

Carl Crawford (5-13) .385, .846 OPS
Jacoby Ellsbury (4-8) .500, 1.545 OPS, 1 HR 7 RBI (six of which came on Saturday)
Adrian Gonzalez (4-13) .308 1 HR 4 RBI
Dustin Pedroia (6-10) .600, 1.336 OPS

To make matters worse, Sabathia has walked 10 Red Sox in 25 innings, by far his worst walks per nine innings of any team. The Red Sox have enough good/great hitters without a pitcher giving them free passes. Needless to say he's going to have to change his approach against them in the future.

Yesterday's game was so typical of a Yankees - Red Sox game at Fenway on a Saturday. Boston pitcher throws mediocre to decent outing (John Lackey 6 IP 3 ER), Yankees starter gets clobbered and Boston scores in double figures. The only missing was a rain delay.

One guy who loves facing Boston pitching is Francisco Cervelli. The Cisco Kid was 3-4 on Saturday and is now 18-42 (.429) lifetime against the Red Sox with 12 RBI in 13 games.

Curtis Granderson scored his league leading 100th run as part of a two run fourth inning that briefly tied the game at two apiece.

Ellsbury's career high six RBI included a back breaking 3-run HR in the 4th inning.

No Joshing Around For Beckett

0-6 and 2-7 are no way to start a baseball season, but that's the way the (AL East) heavily favored Boston Red Sox kicked off the 2011 campaign. You bet there was panic in Boston, but things may be a little better now for the hometown team after they took two of three from the Yankees this past weekend.

The Red Sox won the series because Josh Beckett looked like a younger version of himself. Fastballs popped, breaking pitches snapped, and batters swung and missed. Beckett struck out 10 and limited the Yankees to two hits over eight innings in a 4-0 victory.

CC Sabathia allowed just one earned run, but struggled all night, couldn't make it out of the 6th inning, and lost his first game (and first decision) of the year. Both teams had a chance to score early, but couldn't get the clutch hit. David Ortiz grounded out with two on and two out in the 1st for Boston. Carl Crawford lofted an inning ending fly out to Brett Gardner in left a frame later. The Yankees put two aboard with one out in the 3rd, but Dustin Pedroia deftly fielded a Gardner grounder up the middle and turned a double play.

Boston finally broke through in their half of the third, but as is usually the case in a series between these two, it wasn't without some drama and an unusual play. The Red Sox loaded the bases with no one out for Ortiz, but Sabathia got him to hit into a run scoring 4-6-3 DP. But not so fast...2nd base ump Mark Wegner called interference on Kevin Youkilis for going out of his way (which on replay he clearly did) to try to break up the double play. Wegner returned Pedroia to 3rd and Adrian Gonzalez to 2nd (infuriating Terry Francona in the process), and the Yankees had a tremendous break. At least for a moment. Mike Cameron merely dribbled a grounder to the left side that Eric Chavez could not make a play on and Pedroia scored afterall. Chavez was in at 3rd to replace Alex Rodriguez who sat out with flu-like symptoms.

The Red Sox added two more runs off of Joba Chamberlain and another off Freddy Garcia, who was making his season and Yankees' debut. But those runs didn't matter; not with vintage Josh Beckett on the mound. The Yankees only other serious chance to score came in the 4th when Mark Teixeira drew a one out walk and Robinson Cano followed with a single. But Beckett struck out Curtis Granderson and got Nick Swisher to ground out to end the threat.

Notes

Derek Jeter's woes continued with an 0-4 night that included three ground outs and a strikeout. His average dropped to .206 and has prompted many Yankees fans and some of the media to call for him to bat in the bottom of the order. While I understand the concern, I can't see making that move after just a handful of games. In case anyone hasn't noticed, Brett Gardner, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Jorge Posada, and Nick Swisher are all hitting near or below .200. A lineup shake up isn't necessarily the answer.

A.J. Burnett is suddenly the Yankees stopper. He'll look to put the Yankees back on track when the Pinstripes open a series with Baltimore at the Stadium tomorrow.

So much for talk of Mark Teixeira's hot start- he's back to his April woes. After hitting 3 HR with 10 RBI in the team's first three games, Tex has gone 2-21 with 10 strikeouts.

Canadian Clubs Red Sox

A lot of people were disappointed when the Yankees announced they had signed veteran catcher Russell Martin this past off-season. They looked at it as a roadblock for Jesus Montero's progression to the Major Leagues. But not too many people are complaining about Martin right now.

The former Dodger continued his fast start by clubbing a pair of home runs this afternoon as the Yankees outscored the Boston Red Sox 9-4 at Fenway Park. In addition to Martin's pair of blasts, Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano went deep to give birthday boy (26) David Robertson his first win of the season.

Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and pitched out of several jams, but couldn't make it out of the 5th inning. A Cano mishandled double play ball could have ended the 5th and continued Nova's day, but instead it led to a Dustin Pedroia 2-run double that cut the Yankees lead to 5-4. The Yankees pen was solid though, especially Robertson and Joba Chamberlain, who got the Yankees through the 7th. (Luis Ayala mopped up the final two frames).

The Yankees got off to a fast start against Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz with a pair of runs in the 2nd inning and Martin helped send him to an early shower in the 4th. After Granderson walked, Eric Chavez stroked one of his three hits, a double off the Monster, and Martin followed with his first home run of the day. Singles by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez (sandwiched around an out) ended Buchholz's day, his shortest non-injury outing since last July 21.

With Nick Swisher aboard, Granderson slugged his second home run of the season, off Felix Doubrant, in the 5th to give the Yankees some much needed breathing room. Cano's solo home run an inning later came off ex-teammate Al Aceves, as did Martin's second shot in the 7th.

Notes

Derek Jeter was 1-4 and now needs 67 hits to reach 3,000.

Robinson Cano was 3-5 and is a .367 career hitter at Fenway Park.

Russell Martin is hitting .321 with 3 HR, 9 RBI, and 2 SBs in 8 games.