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C.C. SABATHIA |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
The Red Sox are stymied
by C.C. Sabathia
May 31, 2013 ...
C.C. Sabathia put together a dominant performance to hand Boston a 4-1 loss in the opener of this three-game series between the rivals. Red Sox ace Jon Lester gave up six hits and four runs over 6 1/3 innings, walking four and striking out five.
On a night Sabathia when was vintage (7 1/3 innings, one run, no walks, 10 strikeouts), the Yankees were able to snap a five-game losing streak. He had been 2-5 with a 6.12 earned run average in his previous eight starts against the Red Sox. That included a
loss on Opening Day this season. But he had a better fastball in this meeting and a slider that zipped across the plate. With the loss, the Red Sox saw their lead in the American League East slimmed to one game.
The Red Sox, playing without Jacoby Ellsbury (groin, day to day), didn't have much life offensively for most of this game. In the ninth, however, they did make things interesting against the man most consider to be the best closer of all-time. Dustin
Pedroia, who didn't have a hit against Mariano Rivera in 13 career plate appearances, finally ended that drought with a one-out single up the middle. David Ortiz followed with a single to right and the Red Sox suddenly brought the tying run to the plate.
Rivera then reverted back to form. He struck out Mike Napoli on three pitches. Stephen Drew was Boston's last hope, but he ended the game with a little tapper back toward the mound.
The Yankees produced their first rally in the second. Mark Teixeira, taking his first at-bat of the season, led off with a walk. Vernon Wells followed with a double to left. That set up Jayson Nix for an RBI single to left. Ichiro Suzuki made it 2-0 when he placed
a single into left.
It wasn't until the seventh that the Red Sox could make any kind of impact against Sabathia. Pedroia led off with his second double of the night. With one out, Napoli cranked an RBI double to the opposite field in right and it was a 3-1 game.
Lester came back out for the seventh, but he came out after back-to-back, one-out singles by Suzuki and Chris Stewart. Andrew Miller came on in relief, and Brett Gardner greeted him with an RBI single that gave New York a three-run lead.
It was not necessarily a poor effort for Lester, particularly on the road against a team like the Yankees. But it was part of a downward trend. He was 6-0 with a 2.72 earned run average in his first nine starts but 0-2 with a 6.05 ERA in the three starts since.
Jose Iglesias was 2 for 3 with a double. He is 20 of 46 (.435) in 14 games this season. Iglesias has reached base safely in 13 games and has had multiple hits in all four games he has played against the Yankees. This is the same player who hit .202 in 33 games for
Triple A Pawtucket after being optioned early in the season.
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