It's always a party when these teams get together.
Chien-Ming Wang didn't have it, but the offense exploded for four runs in the fourth, fifth and eighth innings as the
Yanks out-muscled the Red Sox 15-9 in a wacky game at The Stadium. The Yankees blew a 7-2 lead for the second time in the past three games, but the bats are starting to sizzle. How hot were the bats? Jason Giambi actually got a hit to left field. Every Bomber regular had at least one hit and scored a run on Wednesday night. Alex Rodriguez drilled career home run No. 522 as the Yanks won their third straight game and moved two games above. 500 for the first time this season.
The Good:LaTroy Hawkins. How can a pitcher make the "good" list in a 15-9 final you ask? Well, I'll tell you. The Hawk entered the game in the sixth with the Yanks up 11-9 and stymied the Sox for two innings. Hawkins got off to a rough start in pinstripes, but has been solid in his past five appearances. LaTroy also turned in his
No. 21 for No. 22 before the game, thus averting the curse of Paul O'Neill. Hawkins picked up his first win as a Yank with this: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
Chad Moeller. Jorge who? OK, that's foolish, but Moeller has been excellent as the backup to the backup for the Yankees. Chad picked up a key two-out double in the fourth inning to give the Yanks a 4-3 lead. The Bombers would go on to score three more runs in that frame. Moeller also broke up a potential inning-ending double play in the fifth by taking out Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo. The takeout slide led to two runs. Moeller may not have a future with the team, but he's definitely making the most of his opportunity. Moeller finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and a ribbie.
Jorge Posada. Jorgie got the Yanks right back off the mat after they blew the 7-2 lead with an RBI-double in the fifth to close the gap to 9-8. His second double came in eighth and started another four-run rally. I'm not sure when Posada will take his normal place behind the plate, but it's good to see his bat is healthy. Posada finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
The Bad:Chien-Ming Wang. The Yankee ace was dominant in his last start in Boston. It wasn't exactly a repeat performance in the Bronx. One thing with Wang -- you know pretty early if he has it or not. Wang gave up single runs in the first and second innings and then suffered a complete meltdown in the fifth. He would leave the game without recording an out in the inning. The Wanger has been so good to start the season that a clunker was inevitable. Shake it off, buddy. Wang's night: 4+ IP, 9 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 2 K.
The Ugly:Tim McClelland. It happens every time McClelland is behind the plate. The veteran umpire always makes the game about him. I've noted McClelland's
shenanigans before and it happened again on Wednesday night. His delayed calls behind the dish didn't hurt the Yanks, but it's just bad for the game. Manny Ramirez was half-way to first base after he took a 3-2 pitch he thought was ball four in the third inning. The pitch was a strike (actually, it was a hanger), but McClelland took too much time. It happened again later in the game to Jason Varitek. The only saving grace was that the Yanks were spared. Smarten up, Tim.
The Yanks will try and sweep their second two-game set in a row on Thursday night. It will be another rematch as Mike Mussina (1-2) goes against Josh Beckett (1-1). The Moose pitched well up in Fenway, but stayed in too long and got tagged with the loss. Beckett was solid and picked up his first victory of the year against the Yanks. That Saturday affair also featured a 2 hour-plus rain delay.
The Yanks will look to rain on Beckett and the Red Sox for their fourth straight win.
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