Another Boston Massacre for the Yankees
New York Sweeps the Red Sox in Crucial 4-Game Series
Aug 10, 2009
The Yankees came into their weekend four game series against the Boston Red Sox with an embarrassing 0-8 record against their hated rivals. In a week dominated by stories of the ongoing steroid scandals involving the Red Sox and the alleged positive steroid test of David Ortiz, it was the on-the-field play that really mattered in this four game set. After all, coming into the series, the Red Sox were only 2 1/2 games behind New York, which meant that a sweep could vault them back into first place. There was indeed a sweep, but the sweepers turned out to be the Yankees, not the Red Sox.
Yankees Blow Out Sox in Game 1
Hopes were high in both cities, but, as things usually go in these important matchups between the Yankees and the Red Sox, the Bronx Bombers dominated. On Thursday, August 6, 2009, the first game of the set, the Yankees did it Murderers Row style with 18 hits, 4 doubles and 4 home runs in a 13-6 drubbing that was actually worse than the scoreboard reflected.
A Brilliant Pitching Duel on Friday Night
Friday night’s matchup was the polar opposite of the prior evening. 13-game winner and Cy Young front-runner Josh Becket matched up with 10-game winner A.J. Burnett. What followed was a pitching duel for the ages. Burnett lasted 7 2/3 innings, giving up one hit, no runs and striking out six hitters. Beckett was equally impressive, hurling 7 shutout innings of his own. The two teams’ bullpens were just as tough and stingy as the starters had been, and after the top of the 15th inning, the game was still tied 0-0.
The marathon affair finally came to an end with two outs in the bottom of the 15th inning. With Derek Jeter on base, Alex Rodriguez drilled a home run off reliever Junichi Tazawa. The 30,000 or so fans who had stayed past midnight erupted in applause as their controversial star rounded the bases to seal the 2-0 win. The screaming throng refused to quiet down until A-Rod emerged from the dugout for his first curtain call of the season.
Yankees Toss Another Shutout on Saturday
Game 3 pitted CC Sabathia against Clay Buccholz. The Red Sox youngster pitched well, holding the Yankees to two runs in six innings. Sabathia, however, was a little bit better. In 7 2/3 shutout innings, the gigantic lefty surrendered only two hits and struck out nine hitters. The Yankees scored three more runs off Boston’s vaunted bullpen in the seventh and eighth innings, with two of the tallies coming on Derek Jeter’s 12th home run of the year. Final score: 5-0.
More Great Pitching, But Yankees Home Runs Result in Sweep
Jon Lester and Andy Pettitte were both fantastic in Game 4. The 37-year old Pettitte, who was coming off strong back-to-back starts, pitched seven shutout innings. Lester also went seven innings, striking out seven and walking none. The 25-year old lefty made only one mistake, a pitch to Alex Rodriguez that stayed in the zone a little too long and, as a consequence, was hammered over the fence to make it 1-0.
In the top of the eighth inning, Boston's first baseman Victor Martinez crushed a two-run shot off Yankees reliever Phil Coke that put the Red Sox ahead 2-1. (The homer produced the first runs that the Sox had scored in 31 innings). The lead lasted only a few minutes, however, because in the bottom of the eighth inning, with two outs, Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira hit back-to-back solo home runs. A two-run single by Nick Swisher opened the lead to 5-3. In the ninth inning, Mariano Rivera picked up his league-leading 32nd save.
While not quite as much of a beatdown as the 1978 Boston Massacre, and not as essential as the Five Game Boston Massacre in 2005, this one could find a place in Yankee lore if the Bombers finally do this season what they haven’t done in nine years: win a World Series. If they can do that, this four game sweep might take on a heck of a lot more importance.
