A PERFECT NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK

If only every Yankees game could be like tonite’s game.  Tonite the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 9-5 in the first game of their final 3-game series of the 2009 regular season.  

The game belonged to New York right from the first, with Jeter swatting Lester’s first pitch for a base hit; then stealing second on the next pitch; then scoring.  Read: Jeter = run creation. 

Lester’s evening went downhill from there.  The Yanks piled on a comfortable early lead, with most of the Yankees’ lineup accruing solid hits off the Boston hurler, before the Yanks literally knocked Lester out of the game in the 3rd inning with a line-drive off Lester’s knee cap (or so it appeared on the instant replay).  Early reports indicate that Lester is okay, no confimed setback as to his ability to pitch in the playoffs having been reported; but there’s always hope. 

Joba Chamberlain retired the first 11 Boston batters, and turned out an encouraging quality start.  The Red Sox battled back for some late inning runs, but by then it was too late, the outcome of the game already a foregone conclusion.

The beauty of tonite’s game – from a Yankees’ perspective, anyway (as if there were any other!) - was the overall ease with which the Yanks won this one.  The Yanks scored at will (except, perhaps, for Matsui); they stole bases at will (stealing 7); and they looked confident.  The Red Sox, by contrast, did not seem so dangerous, never really threatening.  They struck out swinging on pitches they shouldn’ve taken; and they hit an inordinate number of pop-ups.  In short, everything went the Yankees’ way. 

Tonite’s victory extends the Yanks’ lead in the AL East to 6.5 games with 8 to play, and their magic number to 3 in terms of winning the division.  Barring a 1964-like collapse (notice I didn’t say 2004, i.e., The Year That Never Happened), the Yanks are going to win the division.  With that having been said, the larger questions still loom.  Will Joba pitch anywhere near this good in the playoffs?  Will the Red Sox starters pitch up to form?  Will Sabathia come out as a viable post-season big-game pitcher?  Will the real A.J. Burnett please stand up?  All this and more, as the countdown to the 2009 playoffs continues…

View gormanb's Profile      Subscribe via RSS