Yankees 6, Red Sox 2
Red Sox 7, Yankees 3
Yankees 8, Red Sox 3
Record: 31-15
I think Dan Shanoff captures my feelings regarding this series about as well as I could have, saying: "Yankees beat Red Sox: Really, do I have to? (Sigh.) Andy Pettitte beat Curt Schilling. There: Whee." I can't ever remember feeling this mellow after a Sox loss to the Yankees.
A combination of work-related dinners and mediocre (really, that's being kind) softball kept me largely away from the television over the past three nights. I saw the nerve-wracking 9th inning on Tuesday, when Jonathan Papelbon walked the first two batters before settling down to end things and I caught the frustrating first frame yesterday from the comfort of a too-loud bar during pre-softball "warmups". Other than that, it's been radio score updates and quick perusals of box scores, and frankly, the break was a little bit refreshing.
Heading into the series, I convinced myself that the Sox needed to win 1 of 3 - anything more was gravy, and a sweep by the Yankees would raise my angst levels to borderline unhealthy readings. And the Sox did just barely enough, getting one decent start in the series (Julian Tavarez, you magnificent lunatic bastard) to keep the Yankees 9.5 games back.
Not a ton to say at the moment - I feel like I've been away from the season for a lot longer than three days. I will note that Curt Schilling's been lousy since his public bashing of Barry Bonds, giving up 29 hits and 11 earned runs over 17.1 innings in 3 starts. If this is just a rough patch, no worries. If this signals something more, like maybe the inevitable decline of an older power pitcher, the crimson pennants are readying their grommets in preparation for hoisting.
Oh, and A-Rod once again demonstrated his status as a Class A douchewhistle, flagrantly going out of his way to upend Dustin Pedroia with a wide elbow while trying to break up a double play. I'm really very disappointed that he didn't get a fastball in the middle of his back last night.
(Edit - Here's Pedroia's quote regarding the A-Rod slide, courtesy of Seth Mnookin:
“He went in late and kind of threw an elbow. A little cheap, but no big deal….He’s the one who slid in like that. Some people play like that and some people slide in, good, clean slide. I think he probably got a little carried away. It happens.” Pedroia then made clear that at least he knew the correct way to get down and dirty: “I have to turn two against the Yankees 19 times a year. I know now that when he’s coming in, my arm slot gets dropped to the floor. That’s it. No big deal.”
As Mnookin writes, yet another reason to love that little scrapper.)
Off day today before a set with the hot bats of the Texas Rangers. I'll be out of town sans Extra Innings package, so Sox withdrawal will be raging fully in my bloodstream by Tuesday evening when I return. If you see me in Myrtle Beach mumbling something about Dwight Evans' mustache, just gently steer me away from the oncoming traffic.
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