The offensive firepower lasted roughly 24 hours.
Andy Pettitte didn't have it for the first time in weeks, Derek Jeter made a costly error and Jon Lester spun a complete game five-hitter as the
Red Sox whipped the Yanks 7-0 in the Bronx. The BoSox jumped ahead with two runs in the first and two more in the second and coasted to their first victory in six games. The Bombers reverted to their punchless offensive ways just one night removed from an 18-run outburst. The closest the Yanks had to a rally came in the first when they put runners on first and second with nobody out. But Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi both struck out with runners on the corners to end the threat.
The Good:Dan Giese. A Yankee comeback never materialized, but Giese kept the dream alive with some fine relief work. Giese probably won't get another shot in the starting rotation (barring another injury), but he's pitched well coming out of the pen. Giese sports an impressive 0.80 ERA when coming in from behind the center field wall. Giese's night: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
The Bad:Andy Pettitte. Jeter's error in the first didn't help matters, but the old lefty was off Thursday night. Pettitte labored and had trouble throwing strikes. The Red Sox had at least one runner on base in every inning and Kevin Youkilis' double in the fifth finally knocked Pettitte out of the ballgame. Pettitte has a tendency to follow up a string of great starts with a string of not so-great starts. Let's hope that trend doesn't continue. Pettitte lost for the first time in 10 starts with this: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R (5 earned), 3 BB, 2 K.
Derek Jeter. It was a tough night for the Yankee captain. Manny Ramirez hit a ground ball to short in the opening frame for what should have been an inning-ending double play, but DJ's relay throw to first was off the mark. The miscue allowed Dustin Pedroia to score and gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Mike Lowell followed with an RBI-single to left and things quickly degenerated from there. Jeter also banged into a double play to snuff out a potential rally in the third. Mama said there'd be days like this. Jeter finished 1 for 3 with a walk.
The Ugly:Are things that different? At this point last season, the Yanks were 40-41 and 10.5 games behind the first-place Red Sox. Things looked bleak in 2007, but the Yanks managed to get themselves together and made the playoffs for the 13th straight year. I've been more positive about the Yankees this season, but is my sunny outlook justified? True, three-fifths of the opening day starting rotation is missing (Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy) and Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and now Hideki Matsui have spent time on the disabled list, and still the Yanks are four games over .500. But they now find themselves 8 games back of Tampa, in third-place and have been playing the kind of baseball usually reserved for mediocre teams. Maybe it's their recent inability to score runs that has given me pause, but I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this team for the first time this season.
Darrell Rasner (4-6, 4.42 ERA) and Josh Beckett (7-5, 3.65 ERA) will do battle on Independence Day. Beckett defeated the Yanks twice in April and had a splendid June (2-1, 2.38 ERA in five starts). He's 3-2 with a 5.90 ERA in five career regular season starts at Yankee Stadium. Rasner pitched well in his last start against the Mets, but was tagged with the loss. The Ras is coming off a bumpy June (1-5, 6.47 ERA) and will be making his first appearance against the BoSox.
The Yanks need to regain their Powersurge so here's Overkill's classic to help them get back on track. Enjoy!
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