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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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BOSTON STRONG - September 7, 2013 ... It was another wild day at Yankee Stadium as the Red Sox took a 12-3 lead in the fifth inning then watched the Yankees crawl back. Over the course of three days the teams have combined for 59 runs, 74 hits, and 26 pitching changes. But the Sox won all three games. Though the Yankees mounted a late surge, the Sox held on for a 13-9 victory that put them in position to go for a four-game sweep of their rivals. The Sox are the first team to score at least nine runs in three consecutive days against New York since 1912, when they were called the Highlanders. For the first time in their history, the Yankees have scored seven or more runs in three straight games without winning at least one. Finally, John Lackey got some run support, reeling off just his second win since July 20. And it came on the perfect occasion, as Lackey gave up a season-high seven runs over 5 2/3 innings, his shortest start since June 10. Napoli has been in the middle of it, going 7 for 12 with a double, three home runs, and eight RBIs in the series. Aside from the two bombs from Napoli, the Red Sox also got homers from Gomes and Xander Bogaerts. For top prospect Bogaerts, his first career long ball was a prodigious blast that soared over the Red Sox's bullpen in left-center. The batting barrage began in earnest in the top of the second. David Ortiz led off with a double and Napoli unloaded for a two-run homer to left. It was Napoli's third multihomer game this season, and second against the Yankees. The Red Sox went right back to work against Yankees lefty David Huff in the third. Bogaerts got the rally started with a leadoff double. Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch. Up stepped Gomes, and he hammered a three-run homer to left. Robinson Cano made it a 5-2 game with an RBI single in the bottom of the third. However, Huff continually let his team down. The Red Sox again came out swinging in a five-run fourth. Will Middlebrooks and Jackie Bradley Jr. started it with singles. Ryan Lavarnway belted an RBI double. Bogaerts got a run home on a fielder's choice. Victorino smashed an RBI double. Gomes ripped an RBI single, and David Ortiz's sacrifice fly to deep right made it a 10-3 game. The two-run shot by Bogaerts in the fifth gave Boston a nine-run bulge. It's a good thing the Sox kept adding on, because Lackey didn't have his best stuff. The Yankees roared back for a four spot in the sixth. The big hits were a two-run double by Brett Gardner and RBI singles from Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano. The Yankees rallied for two more against Drake Britton in the eighth to make it a three-run game. Napoli gave the Sox some breathing room in the ninth by hitting a one-out homer. The Sox bats have been nothing short of dominant of late, scoring 54 runs in the past four games. It was the first time the Red Sox have scored 54 runs in a four-game span since the 1950 team scored 65. The Sox also hit four more homers, giving them 17 over four games for the first time since 2003. Considering the way things have gone for Lackey this season (the Red Sox have been shut out six times in his starts) this was a satisfying day for the whole team. Bogaerts had three RBIs and his first major league home run, and added a nice defensive play when he barehanded Robinson Cano's slow roller in the fifth and in one motion threw out the All-Star second baseman. Will Middlebrooks (2 for 4) is 30 for 84 (.357) in 25 games since being recalled from Pawtucket. His batting average has climbed from .192 to .240. As a team, the Sox are just as hot as their offense, reeling off five wins in a row, and 12 of their last 14. With an 87-57 mark, manager John Farrell's team has a magic number of 12 for clinching the American League East. Jacoby Ellsbury was sent back to Boston to be examined by a specialist, Dr. George Theodore, and team orthopedist Dr. Peter Asnis. According to manager John Farrell, an MRI showed swelling and inflammation. |
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