Wednesday, September 19, 2007

1 Game Back

Boston's closer celebrates his latest chokejob.















The Yankees are one game behind Boston in the loss column.

Let me say that again. The Yankees are one back.

After being 14.5 games back at one point of the season, the Bombers have stormed all the way back, thanks to a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles and simultaneous sweep of the Red Sox. Special consideration goes out to Johnathon Papelblown, who promptly served up a 2-out grandslammer in the bottom of the eighth inning. The score went from a manageable 1-run deficit to a 6-1 shellacking.

Meanwhile, in the Bronx, Andy Pettitte pitched into the eighth inning, going 7.2 innings of 1-run ball, with Joba Chamberlain securing the final out of the inning by way of a slider strikeout. Mariano Rivera worked out of another bases-loaded jam by striking out Scott Moore to end the game and move the Yankees a step closer toward a divisional shocker.

Adding to the satisfaction of the Red Sox collapse was the 200th career victory for Pettitte, a first in organizational history, as no other Yankee farmland ever went on to notch 200 career wins.

Hideki Matsui hit his 25th homerun of the season. The solo shot was his 99th RBI and seems to have Godzilla poised toward a postseason hot-streak.

3 comments:

randy l. said...

with an off day and things going so well it's difficult to come up with something to say.
the red sox are a mess. papelbon last night never got above 94. he had 4 days off. they didn't use him the night before when gagne blew the save. if there's something wrong with papelbon causing the decrease in velocity, the red sox are in trouble not just for the divison title but also for the playoffs.
the yankees on the other hand seem to have found away to win despite a slump by alex and jeter being on one leg.
going into toronto for 4 games is going to be a challenge, but it looks like the yankees are going to be in the playoffs one way or another. that's so amazing considering where they came from that it takes the words right out of me. it's just like wow!

randy l. said...

going into the toronto series ,that is.

Bronx Liaison said...

Papelbon has yet to prove himself capable of lasting an entire season. Although I'm sure he can handle the pressure, it remains a fact that he's never proven himself in postseason play either.

Along with the recent shutdowns or extended rests for Okajima and Matsuzaka, coupled with Manny's refusal to play baseball, the Red Sox are definitely in disarray.

However, I will not be silly enough to count them out of October. We all did that with St. Louis and Detroit and they both ended up in the World Series.