The Battle for...Second?: Yanks-Sox Gamer VI

Over the past decade, mid-season Yanks-Sox match-ups have often carried with them the aura of sparring matches between two heavyweight champs who know that, whatever happens, they'll be seeing each other again  - in September, maybe even October - when it really counts, and the gloves will come off.  Being perenially # 1 and # 2 in a division that has sent two teams to the playoffs 9 out of the 13 years that the wildcard has made that possible has undoubtedly lessened the urgency of scrapping to be # 1.

Well when you're reduced to scrapping for the # 2 spot, the gloves are already off.  This holiday weekend's 4-game set feels more like a do-or-die grudge match between two hungry and wounded predators then it does a dress rehearsal for an inevitable late-season showdown.

The Yankees are coming off a rough 5-7 stretch that they hope to have put behind them with last night's slugfest against the Rangers.  The Sox are coming off an even rougher 4-8 stretch punctuated by being swept for the second straight time this season at the Trop.

Facing off tonight in the Bronx for the second-to-last season series they will ever play there (wipes tear from eye) a lot is on the line for both.  The Sox are suddenly 3.5 out of first and need to get their heads' right after losing 5 straight.  They send southpaw Jon Lester to the mound in his first Yankee Stadium appearance to lead the way.  Lester faced the Yanks only once before - getting pounded for 7 runs in 3.2 IP back in 2006, but he is undoubtedly a better pitcher now and facing a heavily lefty Yankee lineup.

The Yankees need to get off on the good foot - they are a full 8 games in the loss column out of first and their performance in these 4 with Boston and the next 2 against Tampa Bay could land them in a much better - or much worse - place come the rapidly approaching all-star break.  Taking the mound to try to set the tone for the Yankees: Andy Pettitte, who is 15-6 in 29 career match-ups with the Sox.

Let the fireworks begin...and comment away!

Comments

[rootbeerfloat]

Well there goes Pettite's no-hitter.

[Atheose]

There goes Pettitte's one-hitter, too!

Drew singles, two on for Manny "give me my f*cking tickets" Ramirez.

[Atheose]

Im only on Gameday... wtf just happened?

[Atheose]

LOWELL!

[rootbeerfloat]

And there goes his shut-out

[rootbeerfloat]

Jeter made the out at second and then threw it into the stands trying to get it to first

[Atheose]

Wow did it really go into the stands?

2-0 lead, let's go Lester!

[rootbeerfloat]

I'm the official score-keeper for the Little League tournament tonight so I have to run. Go Sox!

[Atheose]

Hey Damon: stop being a pussy and swing.

[Atheose]

Okay is it me or is this ump squeezing Lester? I'm only on Gameday, but still...

[Atheose]

Lester had 3 walks in all of June. He has two already tonight without recording an out. His nerves must be running high.

[Atheose]

HOLY CRAP Lester rocks! Way to strike out the two most feared hitters in the lineup.

[Atheose]

GOD BLESS COCO!

Wow it's been a while since I've said that.

[sf rod]

i ran to the computer to be able to type "good job lugo" for the first time in my life.

dunker by ellsbury. maybe it'll get him started.

[sf rod]

hmmm. ellsbury CS, followed by a dustin fly out to center that would have been deep enough to tag ellsbury from third. sox given away runs.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

No YFs?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

By the way, if you haven't read or heard about sprinter Tyson Homosexual, go to this link and be prepared to laugh your asses off: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2008/07/christian_sites_ban_on_g_word.html

[Atheose]

Jeter GIDP! Great play by Lowell.

[Atheose]

41 pitches after 3 for Lester... hell, I'm happy he didn't need 41 pitches to get through the first inning.

[Atheose]

GOD BLESS COCO! He's been saving up his hits while he was on the suspended list.

[Atheose]

Wowo Coco is fast as hell tonight... like, faster than usual.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Wow. Where the hell has this been?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Giese was the 34th round pick of the Red Sox in 1999.

[attackgerbil]

Funny that Cano and Cabrera, the _most_ maligned starting position players in the lineup for the Yanks tonight, are the only ones to have done anything so far. Wait. why do I think that is funny?

[sf rod]

ummmm....are you guy's watching the post game show on YES. girardi blew up in post game interviews. there was a 30 minute closed door "team meeting" after the game tonite. seems like he might be experiencing screws being tightened from above.

[sam-yf]

Not sure why having a manager calling a meeting after a loss becomes "screws being tightened from above" The yankees havent been playing well over the last week and any manager would do the same. Thats totally reading something into a situation that doesnt exist. Were the screws being tightened on Tito earlier in the year when he called a team meeting too?

Not sure why having a manager calling a meeting after a loss becomes "screws being tightened from above" The yankees havent been playing well over the last week and any manager would do the same. Thats totally reading something into a situation that doesnt exist. Were the screws being tightened on Tito earlier in the year when he called a team meeting too?

[sam-yf]

sorry for the double post, typepad was acting screwy...

[sf rod]

sam- the reason i said, "screws being tightened from above" was based around girardi being asked, "Did you talk to the owners?" with girardi responding, "That would be between my owners and I.". i don't think it's reading into too much to believe that comment means he has. my post really wasn't meant to be antagonistic as much as it was a statement of what i was seeing live.

[A YF]

Funny, but the Sox pitcher that scared me the most coming into this season was Lester. He's always had the stuff and lefties kill the Yankees, esp at the stadium. Good for him. Let it be a lesson about young pitchers - patience wins.

Great lesson for understanding where the Yanks are at right now. The offense isn't taking pitches they way it used to and is still way too reliant on the long ball. The lack of execution against very good pitching has haunted them since at least the 2005 playoffs. And the pitching hasn't been good enough for even longer. Right now, hard to see how they can compete with a top 3 of two junkballers and one developing ace.

[A YF]

Funny, but the Sox pitcher that scared me the most coming into this season was Lester. He's always had the stuff and lefties kill the Yankees, esp at the stadium. Good for him. Let it be a lesson about young pitchers - patience wins.

Great lesson for understanding where the Yanks are at right now. The offense isn't taking pitches they way it used to and is still way too reliant on the long ball. The lack of execution against very good pitching has haunted them since at least the 2005 playoffs. And the pitching hasn't been good enough for even longer. Right now, hard to see how they can compete with a top 3 of two junkballers and one developing ace.

The Yanks needed this fresh start - in philosophy and in execution. Patch and go wasn't working. At least it will be fun watching the kids.

[A YF]

Sorry for the duplicate.

One more note on a vigorously debated topic here:

[Hal] Steinbrenner said that going to the new ballpark will be affordable for the typical fan. He expects approximately 35 percent of the 53,000 seats to be priced at $25 or less, 50 percent at $45 or less and 80 percent at $100 or less.

"I see in the papers all the time about the 180 Legends Seats that are so expensive," he said. "But they don't talk about the fact that half of the seats in the stadium are $45 or less; that the entire top level is $20-$25 seats, and the bleacher seats are $12. We wanted to make sure that the average family can afford to go there and that's the way it's going to be."

http://tinyurl.com/3wt9fa