Bounce Back

Last night sucked. Last night sucked about as much as anything in September can suck other than a monumental collapse from the Red Sox. I thought last night’s come from behind victory from the New York Yankees was the start of that.

The Red Sox took a 7-2 lead into the top of the eighth inning with normally automatic Hideki Okajima taking the mound in his usual set up role. Jason Giambi hit a solo shot, the Robinson Cano followed suit with a homer to dead center as well. Not long after Jonathan Papelbon was in taking it on the chin for another three runs as the Yankees pulled off an improbable comeback against one of baseball’s best 1-2 punches out of the bullpen.

I got kicked out of my fiancé’s apartment last night for assaulting the love seat and had to go back to my place to watch the less than thrilling conclusion. The Sox responded to last night’s heartbreaker by routing the Yankees 10-1 today behind Josh Beckett’s 19^th win. The win also came against the Yankee’s best starter in Chin Meng Wong.

Yankee’s captain Derek Jeter got the only run on the day for the Bronx Bombers with a solo home run in the top of the first while Boston countered in the bottom half with an RBI single from Mike Lowell. JD Drew broke the 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fifth with a poke down the left field line. The Red Sox would go on to score eight more runs and score in each inning for the duration of the contest.

Eric Hinske was the catalyst for the win today on an out. Hinske was called out on a play to the plate after a short chopper hit by Dustin Pedroia but absolutely leveled Yankee’s catcher Jorge Posada in the sixth. The Sox scored three more runs after that physical play that the hometown Sox fans ate up.

Jacoby Ellsbury came into the game and smacked in three runs for the injured Kevin Youkilis, who was hit in the wrist by Wong and forced to leave the game. The Sox didn’t really bat an eye at the play I guess to not fan the flames between some heated exchanges already this season that involved Youkilis. However, in the bottom of the seventh with nobody on and two out, Beckett hurled a pitch in the direction of Giambi’s wrist and hit him. Nothing happened, but at that point in the game I guess I didn’t really see the point. You want to protect your players and go after the opponents first baseman obviously, but after the previous night’s comeback I wouldn’t take any chances.

Dustin Pedroia almost seems more and more of a lock for AL Rookie of the Year as the season winds down. Today wasn’t his best outing only going 1-for-5 and leaving five on base, but is clearly the frontrunner. I’ve seen some other picks on other sites/blogs (ahem, Reggie Willits?) but with almost 100 more at bats, more hits, twice as many doubles, a higher OPS, a significantly better average and half as many strike outs I don’t think Willits will be making too much noise for ROY when compared to Pedroia. Willits also has a goose egg on the year for dingers.

Tomorrow night Roger Clemens will take on Curt Schilling in a battle of which older pitcher will break down first. I’m sure Clemens will get a warm Fenway reception. With a win the Sox will take a 6 ½ game lead into the final two weeks of the season.