G58: Red Sox Rout Yankees Behind Beckett, 7-0 |

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G58: Red Sox Rout Yankees Behind Beckett, 7-0

By Administrator | June 9, 2009

David Ortiz watches his second inning home run sail towards the center field bleachers… Papi was once again asked to make a curtain call by the Fenway Park crowd in the Sox 7-0 win over the NY Yankees. AP photo

In my pre-game assessment of tonight’s matchup, I observed that NY Yankees starter AJ Burnett has been walking too many opposing hitters in his recent outings… I remarked that he had better make a change to that pattern this evening or he could be in trouble against the Red Sox.

He walked five batters in 2 2/3 innings pitched. ‘Nuff said.

Burnett was battered by Red Sox hitters to the tune of five runs (three earned) on five hits and five walks en route to an early exit and his first career loss at Fenway Park. Meanwhile, Red Sox ace Josh Beckett mowed down the opponents in as easy an outing as you will ever see in a Red Sox - Yankees contest. The Red Sox prevailed, 7-0, before 37,883 cold and wet fans in Boston.

Beckett allowed only one hit - a ball that was corralled by a sliding Dustin Pedroia but which could not be converted into an out - while issuing two walks over six shutout innings… he struck out eight New Yawkers. Only three NY batters hit the ball out of the infield against him.

Comfortably ahead in the game after six innings, manager Terry Francona pulled the young Texan from the game to save wear-and-tear on his pitching arm. Manny Delcarmen struggled through 1 1/3 IP and was picked up by Ramon Ramirez, who needed just four to record two outs (a double play grounder off the bat of Johnny Damon) to bring an end to the eighth inning. Dan Bard pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning, throwing ten pitches - eight for strikes - in yet another effective and efficient outing.

But the BIG story in this game was Beckett. Since May 1st, he has made seven starts… he is 5-0 (the team is 6-1), with a 1.71 ERA and a .181 BAA in those games. In 47 2/3 IP, he has struck out forty-five and walked sixteen.

The Red Sox offense managed nine hits and seven walks against four pitchers. DH David Ortiz had the big offensive blow of the night, a two-run home run (#3) seven rows into the center field bleachers. Kevin Youkilis and Nick Green had two hits apiece… Green hit his second home run of the season, a solo homer in the seventh inning.

With the win, the Red Sox moved into a first-place tie with the Evil Empire atop the AL East. The Sox improved to 6-0 against the Yankees for the first time since 1912, when they beat the Highlanders in fourteen straight games, including the first-ever game in Fenway Park.

The Red Sox jumped out to a 4-zip lead in the second inning. After Mike Lowell walked to lead off the inning, Big Papi unloaded on a Burnett fastball and drove it into the center field bleachers. Later in the inning, after another walk and an error by 3B Alex Rodriguez, right fielder J D Drew drove a double off the top of the Green Monster to double the lead.

The Sox added a run in the third inning on Nick Green’s rbi-double, another in the fourth on Mike Lowell’s rbi-single, and the final run in the seventh on Green’s solo homer.

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Tonight’s game was the first time the Yankees have been shut out all season.

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RHP Daniel Bard hit 100 mph on Fenway Park’s radar gun TWICE during his outing — once on a fastball to Alex Rodriguez and again on a fastball to Nick Swisher.

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Burnett came into tonight’s game with a 5-0 record and a 3.52 ERA in nine career starts against the Red Sox.

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Jacoby Ellsbury was out of the lineup with a sore right shoulder, injured on a head-first slide into second base on Sunday and exacerbated a couple of innings later on a diving catch on the warning track.

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The Red Sox passed the one million mark in home attendance on their 27th home date.

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In his post-game interview, David Ortiz was not his usual amiable and jovial self… he was noticeably curt with the media.

Some of the media members suggested his demeanor indicates that he is getting tired of all of the questions about his slump, but I have a different interpretation of his comportment… I think Papi is pissed off at the media — many (most) of whom have been fanning the discussion threads that he is washed up and the club needs to make a trade to obtain a power bat to replace its resident slugger.

Topics: Sox Games, Sox Players |

One Response to “G58: Red Sox Rout Yankees Behind Beckett, 7-0”

Kipp Ryan Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I was at that game to see the Ellsbury catch…that kid covered a TON of ground! Easily the best catch that I have ever seen in person. As for Beckett, it sure is good to see him back to his “old self” and is DOMINATING. With him and Lester back in the swing of things (so to speak) the Sox look like a force to be reaconed with! I sure would like to see Daisuke step up and have a couple of solid starts in a row, however. If I was the Sox F/O, I would be shopping Daisuke and be thinking about holding onto Penny for the short term. Can’t wait to see Smoltz on the mound at the Fens either!!