Red Sox 07 Game 24 Recap

Final Score - Bos 7 NYY 4

Hero - Alex Cora for his 2 for 4 with 3 RBI's and 2 runs scored.

Goat - Chein-Ming Wang who couldn't hold the 3 - 2 lead that Doug Mientkiewicz provided for him in the 3rd by giving up the 2 run homer to Cora in the 5th.

The game started off right when David Ortiz hit his 7th home run of the season in the top of the 1st. Wang left a pitch thigh high on the inner side of the plate and there was no doubt about the ball reaching the bleachers in right field. This was the 9th hit off of Wang in 18 hits for Ortiz and his 2nd home run against Wang.

Provided with a 1 - 0 lead Tavarez was dealing the first 2 innings as he set down the Yankees on 29 pitches. Of course this is Tavarez so in the 3rd inning he ran into trouble. After getting ahead of Posada 0-2 he threw 11 straight balls, walking Posada and Cano. The first two balls he threw to Mientkiewicz, Doug was trying to bunt but the passed ball by Varitek changed Torre's strategy.

Ahead 2 - 0 Mientkiewicz watched ball 3, took strike 1, fouled off strike 2 and then on a pitch that definetly caught to much of the plate launched a 3 run home run to right field just above the 385 mark. The rest of the inning he cruised on 11 pitches. Only to come back out in the 4th and allow lead off singles to A-Rod and Giambi. At this point I am thinking the wheels are about to come off but once again Julian surprises me by getting the always dangerous Matsui to hit into a pretty double play started by Cora, followed by a K of Posada.

It was at this point in the game that Wang became unglued. On the third pitch of the 5th Wang hit Coco sending him to first base. On the 2 - 0 pitch Alex Cora hit a ball into the right field seats and just like that the Sox are ahead 4 - 3 and never looked back.

In the 6th Tavarez was pulled after an error by Lugo allowed lead off batter Jeter to reach first. With the left-handed Abreu coming up next Tito went to HID Okajima in relief of Tavarez. Sandwiching a single by A-rod with K's to Abreu and Giambi he was able to get Matsui to ground out 1 - 3 ending the threat.

Game hero Cora struck again in the top of the 7th. After a lead off fly out to left field by Coco, Cora tripled off the wall in right and scored on Julio Lugo's sacrifice fly to Abreu. The score was now 5 - 3 Sox and you could start counting the outs until Papel-bot. The only question was how would the Sox get to him. Would Timlin come in the 7th, Donnelly? Once again Tito rolled the dice by sending HID out for another inning and he answered the call by setting them down 1-2-3 on 9 pitches with 2 K's.

David Ortiz and Manny decided to make things a little easier by leading off the 8th with a single by Papi and a Home Run by Manny to right. 7 - 3 and Papel-bot starting to warm up in the bull pen. The only question left wwas whether Lowell could extend his hitting streak, he couldn't.

The bottom of the eighth saw Timlin coming into the game. A three pitch K of Damon was quickly followed by Jeter's home run to left field. What is up with Timlin and the Gopher Balls???? Abreu quickly followed with a single, his first in 19 at bats, good thing Papel-bot was already warming up, because this could have got ugly quick, but the once torrid hitting A-rod grounded into an inning ending double play started by Lowell.

Surprisingly on a 1 - 2 pitch Papelbon gave up a lead off double to Giambi. No worries though, as Matsui struck out, Posada grounded out to second and Cano ended the game on another ground out. Game over, Series over and the Sox leave New York after winning 2 of 3 games. Both wins coming against the "Aces" of the Yankees staff.

Next game Tuesday as the A's come into town for a short two game series.

Today's press pass is here.