Red Sox Snare Peavy in 3 Team Deal

Peavy going from the outhouse to the penthouse

Several reports late tonight have Chicago White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy going to the Boston Red Sox in a three team deal that involves the Detroit Tigers as well.

Peavy is guaranteed $14.5MM next season and has a $15MM option for 2015 if he meets certain goals over the 2013-14 seasons.  The Red Sox sent shortstop Jose Iglesias, who has played third base in a number of games for Boston, to Detroit.  With Jhonny Peralta's name mentioned in the Biogenesis scandal, Iglesias may soon be the Tigers starting shortstop. Iglesias has a great glove, no hit reputation, but batted .330 with an OPS near .800 for Boston.

The Tigers sent highly touted outfielder Avisail Garcia to Chicago. So far Garcia's minor league success has not translated to the Major Leagues in the 53 games he has played.

Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reported that 2-3 lower level prospects will also be heading to Chicago. No word so far if they will all come from Boston.

The move could also mean that Will Middlebrooks will be recalled to play third base for Boston.

A Long Time Partnership Rights the Yankees Ship

Appreciating the time left as teammates

Some things go perfectly together. Hamburgers and hot dogs, Laurel and Hardy, spaghetti and meatballs. When it comes to the Yankees though it's Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera.

Needing innings from his starter, Joe Girardi let Pettitte go a full eight innings before Rivera came on in the 9th for the first time in his final season. The result was a 4-2 Yankees win over the Red Sox to salvage the finale of the three games series. (It was the 69th all-time win that Rivera preserved for Pettitte.)

Pettitte was extremely efficient and finished with a 94 pitch count. He scattered eight hits, allowd a run, walked one, and struck out three. I thought for sure Girardi would take him out after a bit of a shaky 7th inning and again when Pettitte gave up a lead off single to Jose Iglesias in the 8th. Pettitte made the non move pay off with one of his patented double play grounders, Jacoby Ellsbury the victim of a 3-6-3 DP between Lyle Overbay and Eduardo Nunez.

Rivera got squeezed by home plate ump Mike DiMuro and issued a walk to Dustin Pedroia to start the top of the 9th. One out later Jonny Gomes doubled to bring the tying run to the plate. Youngsters Will Middlebrooks and Jackie Bradley Jr. got schooled though by the all time saves leader.

Middlebrooks grounded out to Overbay to allow a run to score, but it was the second out of the inning. Then it was welcome to the Majors Mr. Bradley, as he watched a called third strike end the game.

The Yankees had their first lead of the season when Overbay singled in a pair of runs off Ryan Dempster in the 2nd inning. It was Dempster's debut with his new team. The right-hander was normally a quick worker in the National League, but Thursday night he channeled slow poke Josh Beckett on the mound. He walked four batters and threw 101 pitches in just five innings of work.

Brett Gardner hit a solo shot off of Dempster in the 3rd inning and Francisco Cervelli added a big insurance run in the 7th when he hit a 400-footer off Clayton Mortensen. (How did the Red Sox find two pitchers named Clayton, Buchholz being the other.)

Notes:

The supposedly popless Yankees now have four home runs in three games.

Brett Gardner got a gift single off the first base bag, but was gunned down by right fielder Shane Victorino when he tried to stretch it into a double.

Nunez had a nice night in the field and at the plate, with two hits and a run scored. Both he and Gardner were thrown out attempting to steal second base by backup catcher David Ross.

Ichiro Suzuki is off to a slow start - 1-9 (.111)

The Yankees released relievers Clay Rapada and David Aardsma after both had been DFA'ed earlier. I can only think that Rapada's bursitis is much worse than originally diagnosed or there's something more than bursitis. I figured that Vidal Nuno might have a shot at the other lefty spot in the pen, but I spoke to Scranton beat writer Donnie Collins who said Nuno would be a starter in Triple-A and has not looked as effective as a reliever in the past.

The Yankees travel to Detroit now for a weekend series, with day games Friday and Sunday. The highlight of the series will be Sunday when CC Sabathia faces Justin Verlander.

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.