Rivalry ‘08 Kick off!

Cabrera CF
Cano 2B
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui LF
Posada DH
Giambi 1B
Molina C
Gonzalez SS

That’s the starting line up - more shake ups from GI Joe and some rest for Damon as Matsui takes left and Posada will DH. Giambi’s back in at first, so Ensberg will ride the pine alongside Jeter (hurt), Betemit (can’t hit), Damon (just resting, thanks). Also worth noting is that Coco Crisp is starting in center for the slumping Ellsbury. Ha!

To start the first, The Melkman Cometh! He grounds out to Pedroia at second, one away. Cano will take the two hole tonight, despite the .178 batting average. Cano goes down looking on a high curve ball from Buchholz (two h’s is weird to type). Smilin’ Bobby drives a nice long fly ball but Crisp goes back to the track and makes the grab. We’re half an inning deep and there’s plenty more rivalry to come!

Wang gets Coco Crispies to fly out to Cabrera right away. Pedroia flies out to Matsui on his first pitch, quickly two away as Ortiz steps in. He’s got a whopping 3 hits this season but still has a good eye and can draw a walk. Wang gets him to go gown looking on an inside pitch! Inning over, 8 more to go!

A-Rod faces Buchholz for his first time. Bucky has a very sharp 12-6 curve which he threw for the second strike, except it looked way inside and way low… It is still raining in Boston, by the way. A-Rod shoots one towards right but it gets snagged by Casey on a nice play. A-Rod was hustling but just a step short. Matsui makes Buchholz work, taking the count 3-2 before slapping a sharp single to center. Jorgie steps in as the DH and grounds to first but moves Matsui up to second for Giambi. Giambi may be the only hitter in baseball doing worse than Ortiz. Pitch zone is showing more than a few pitches out of the zone being called strikes. Giambi gave it a ride to right center but was just short. Back for more, after this.

Just in - the suspensions of Jay Gibbons and Jose Guillen have been rescinded by MLB. That’s enforcement!

CMW back to work to face Manny Ramirez. There are many, many things I don’t like about Manny Ramirez, but the lazy bastard can hit. He gives Wang a scare with a loooong fly ball that drifts foul. A few more foul balls and a hard fastball swung on and missed and he lazily walks back to the dugout. Youkilis and the small furry animal he has stapled to his chin come to the plate. He’s playing third for the injured Lowell and he pops out to right, two away. Nancy Drew grounds out to Giambi and another 1-2-3 for Wang.

Molina, Gonzalez, and Cabrera will face Buchholz this inning. Molina grounds to Youkilis at third, then Gonzalez goes down swinging. The NESN announcers refer to the Regular-old Rays as the Devil Rays as Cabrera lines out to second to end the half.

Varitek grounds out to second to start of the inning. Another grounder to Cano by Casey and Wang has two outs quickly. Short stop Julio Lugo grounds to third and Wang makes it all the way through the lineup without giving up a hit. Still nothin’ nothin’, fourth inning ahead!

Cano makes no noise, grounding to Pedroia to start off the inning. Smilin’ Bobby does the same and there are now two away. A-Rod steps in to fly out to center and I’m guessing everyone just wants this game to be over quickly as both sides are going down quickly and quietly.

Coco Crispies pops to Cano, who tracks it through the wind and rain and makes the first out. Wang falls behind Dustin Pedroia 3-0 before ripping one to third - A-Rod makes a great grab but the quick throw pulls Giambi off the bag leaping. Ortiz makes it up, though, by hitting into a double play. 3 more away in order but one hit allowed for CMW.

We’re in the top of the fifth now… Officials change the scoring of Pedroia’s hit to an error on A-Rod… Ooookay, I guess… Matsui steps in with the only hit of the game so far. He works the count full again and fouls off another for good measure before drawing a walk. Posada up again and the rain looks like its REALLY coming down now. Most of the fans are wearing yellow Hefty bags, which are quite in style in Boston. Posada takes his own walk and there are two on and no out. The NESN announcers have the gall to say that the Yankees are copying the Red Sox with their current plan of developing players rather than purchasing them… Do they not remember 1996 through 2000? Giambi has himself an opportunity for redemption with a runner in scoring position, so let’s see what he can do. Hacking at a change up in the dirt he walks back to the dugout unredeemed. Frack. Molina makes up for it right away with an RBI double! Posada stops at third, one down for Alberto Gonzalez. Now’s a great time to make a name for yourself, kid! Another walk issued by Buchholz loads the bases for Melkman! Javier Lopez starts to warm up in the bullpen as the infield steps back to double play depth hoping to bail Bucky out. RIPPED to the right side but Casey makes another great defensive play to snag the line drive and beat Gonzo back to the bag for the DP unassisted. Melky hit that ball HARD but right to Casey. Blast! Oh well, damage is done and the Yankees lead 1-0!

Ramirez leads of the bottom of the 5th for Boston. Apparently the rain can’t wash any of the pine tar off of his helmet… He hits a hard fly ball to right but Abreu’s RIGHT there (get it? ha!), one away. Youkilis hits another one to Abreu, two away. A couple of these fly outs have been hit hard off of Wang, but not quite hard enough. Drew hits ANOTHER one to deep right but this one Abreu can’t catch as it lands in the seats… Tie ball game. Another deep fly, this one to center, and Cabrera makes the catch. Back with more after the break.

Crisp slides to make a grab, robbing Cano of at least a hit… Robby can’t catch a break, I tells ya. From Robby to Bobby we go, and Bobby goes down on a slow grounder back to Buchholz (I still can’t get over typing two h’s in a row…). A-Rod in now with two away. That 12-6 curve is a nasty pitch and fools A-Rod for strike two, but he slaps a single through the gap at short to keep the inning alive. Matsui in again, 1-1 with a walk so far. Mike Timlin is back with the Red Sox as of today and is warming up in the pen. Matsui doubles off the Green Monster but A-Rod has to stop at third as Ramirez is right there to play it off the wall and fire it back in. Posada has a shot for two RBIs but can’t capitalize as he grounds to second to end the half. Frack!

Wang has given up just one hit and has yet to throw more than 12 pitches in any inning thus far. Casey flies to center, Lugo grounds to short, and Crispy pops to short. Another great inning brought to you from the Yankee ACE Chien Ming Wang.

Buchholz is done for the night as Timlin comes in to face Giambi to start the 7th. Giambi works the count full to put some pressure on Timlin right away and then HE BLASTS ONE TO CENTER, HOME RUN! 2-1 Yankees! Molina follows up with a gapper that gets him to second and gets Timlin a visit from Francona. Gonzo bunts Molina over to third, one away and Timlin will take a seat and give way to Okajima.

Cabrera in to face Okajima and sacrifices himself with a fly to right that scores Molina. 2 ER for Timlin in less than an inning. Bases empty and there are two away for Cano. No pressure, feel free to kick off your comeback here. Ugly, ugly hack at a high third strike sends Cano packing and packs up this half of the 7th, time to stretch!

Wang in again having thrown only 56 pitches thus far tonight, 47 for strikes. The domination has come mostly with fastballs and sinkers as his slider hasn’t really found the plate. Pedroia makes Wang throw seven pitches before grounding to A-Rod again, but this time there’s no error on the throw and there is one away. Ortiz grounds to Giambi to continue his paltry start, but I’m not complaining. Javier Lopez is warming up again in the Red Sox pen as Ramirez comes in. Wang punches him out on a 2-2 sinker that Ramirez just looks at! 7 innings of one-hit ball so far for Wang!

Lopez indeed takes the mound - he’s given up a run an inning so far this season. Abreu looks to get things started in the top of the 8th. I am taking my life in my hands blogging this game right now as the storm is really raging here in Atlanta. Abreu hits a tough grounder to second but Casey makes the grab and the toss to Lopez who just beats Abreu to the bag. A-Rod steps in to a chorus of boos, naturally. He shuts them up with a one-out single up the middle and the seventh hit for the Yanks. David Aardsma (n?) up in the BoSox BuPen. Matsui in with a walk, single, and a double already tonight, but a broken bat grounder leaves him sitting on first with a fielder’s choice as there was no chance to turn two. Posada in and I can’t believe what I’m hearing - NESN announcers are defending A-Rod in regards to the spat with Toronto last year when A-Rod was accused of yelling and confusing the Blue Jay third baseman, causing him to drop the ball. “If you’re dumb enough to fall for that, you deserve it!” Posada rips one to center for a single to bring up Giambi. Now the NESN guys are calling Yankee Stadium the Shrine of Baseball… This is bringing a tear to my eye! Giambi draws a walk (Good eye, Jason) and Lopez gets the hook. Aardsma will be in after this!

Jose Molina with two doubles tonight comes in to face the oddly named right hander with the bases loaded and two away. Aardsma pounding the strike zone but Molina fouling off pitches left and right. Seven pitches it takes, but Molina goes down swinging… Good battle but a losing one by Molina. Wang’s only thrown 70 pitches so far - will he be back out for the bottom of the 8th?

Wang indeed starts on the mound and Jobamania is warming up in the pen. Youklilis steps in and lines one hard to right field but Abreu is able to make the grab. Drew steps in with Boston’s only hit so far tonight. The replay shows that the homer actually glanced off of Abreu’s glove… daaaaamn. This time he flies out to center. 10 of Wang’s 23 outs so far have been airborne. Make that 11 as Varitek takes another to center. 78 pitches for Wang so far - can he go the distance?

Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez steps in to lead off the top of the ninth. Chamberlain has taken a seat and is no longer warming up - it looks like Wang may go the distance indeed! Gonzalez rips a double to left over Ramirez’s head - not bad production for a back up. Cabrera sacrifices him over to third nicely to give Cano a chance. Easy does it, Robby - see the ball, hit the ball. I have faith in you! Frack! Grounder to third doesn’t allow Gonzo to score and Cano’s out at first. Seriously, Robby? Seriously? Okay, Smilin’ Bobby up now to do some damage. He hits a slooooooooow bouncer off of a broken bat up the middle - Abreu hauls it up the line and beats the throw for the RBI! Excellent hustle by Smilin’ Bobby! A-Rod in now - grounder to left side doesn’t cause any damage and the Red Sox will get their last chance against Wang in the bottom of the 9th, down 4-1.

Chien-Ming Wang takes to the mound - Mariano is warming up just in case, but Casey pops to Cabrera in center for the first out. Lugo in now as I give you CMW slider report: he got on in for the second strike on Lugo and then dumped another “juuuuuuust a bit outside” and in the dirt. Lugo grounds out to short, but Crisp bunts an infield single to become the second base runner of the evening against Wang. Pedroia comes on now. If he gets on, Ortiz steps in as the tying run and I’m guessing Rivera will come on even though Ortiz is hitting .350 lifetime off of Mo. Moot point as Pedroia lines out to Matsui in left field to end the game and what a game by Wang! Yankees win! THEEEEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!

Seriously, this guy is an ACE. Good pitching by both starters but a sad return for Timlin and a manufactured run off of Aardsma sealed it for the Yanks. One down, seventeen more to go against the Red Sox.