Game 122 Wrap-Up: BOS 6 NYY 1

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

The Yankees came into Boston last night and beat up on the Sawx in a big way.  They outhit them, outpitched them, and even outdefended them by a slight margin.  They looked like the type of team that should be the leading the AL East, not one struggling to pull back into the AL playoff race.  They had another chance to get a step closer in that race this afternoon against John Lackey, one of the more outspoken players when it comes to Alex Rodriguez and the Biogenesis case and, in case anybody has forgotten, a certified jackass of the highest order.  There would have been nothing sweeter than to knock him around the park on route to another victory but today it just wasn't meant to be, not even with Hiroki Kuroda on the mound.

Game Notes:

- It was a true all-or-nothing first few innings for the Yankee offense.  They went down 1-2-3 in the 1st and 3rd innings on 6 GB outs, and failed to score on a bases loaded situation in the 2nd and 2 hits in the 4th.

- They certainly weren't playing it safe against Lackey, attempting 3 steals in the first 2 innings.  Alfonso Soriano and Curtis Granderson were each successful in their first attempts.  Soriano got gunned down for the first out of the 4th after leading off with a single.

- Kuroda worked around 4 hits to keep Boston off the board through 3.  He couldn't repeat the feat in the bottom of the 4th and got burned for 2 runs on a Lyle Overbay error and questionable call at third base.  A few 2-out hits after the error made it a 3-0 lead.

- In their best chance of the day, the Yanks had second and third and nobody out in the top of the 5th and the top of the order coming up.  Another trio of groundouts led to just 1 run and got Lackey off the hook again.

- The Red Sox put the game out of reach in the bottom of the 6th, knocking Kuroda out in the process.  The final blow was a 2-out RBI double by Jacoby Ellsbury that made it a 5-1 lead.  Tough day for Kuroda all around.

- The Yanks just couldn't get the breaks when they needed them.  12 baserunners in 9 innings should generate more than 1 run.

Lack Of Logic In The Claiborne Demotion

The Yankees had to make yet another roster move yesterday to clear a 25-man spot for the newly signed Mark Reynolds.  In a move that came as a surprise, it was Preston Claiborne who got sent down.  With rosters expanding in 2 weeks, it's not the end of the world for him.  Claiborne will be called back up and he should re-assume the role he had carved out as top middle inning guy.  Still, the decision to send Claiborne down when there were other more worthy candidates doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Game 121 Wrap-Up: NYY 10 BOS 3

(Welcome aboard, Mr. Reynolds.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

No hangover from the tough series finale loss to Anaheim on Thursday.  This was a straight up mollywhopping from the top of the 1st right through the bottom of the 9th.

F*ck Yeahs:

- Alfonso Soriano: 3-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 1 K, 1 LOB.  How locked in is this guy right now?  Tied an MLB record with 18 RBI in a 4-game span.

- Mark Reynolds: 2-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 K, 2 LOB.  Not a bad debut at all.

- Andy Pettitte: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 5 K.  The best Andy's looked in over a month and it came against a tough lineup.  That's a good sign.

Oh Nos:

- Eduardo Nunez: 2-4, 1 3B, 2 R, 3 LOB.  His day at the plate wasn't the problem.  It was the 2 errors, 1 fielding and 1 throwing, that led to all Andy's runs allowed that hurt.  This guy just flat out can't play shortstop.

Next Up:

Hiroki Kuroda takes the ball this afternoon in the second game of the series, looking to continue his streak of dominance.  John Lackey is the opposing pitcher and I'm PRAYING for A-Rod to hit a home run off him.