SB Nation Boston - Red Sox 3, Yankees 2: Boston Takes Extra-Inning Win On Pedro Ciriaco's Bloop

Still Breathing: Somehow, Someway, Boston Red Sox Still In Playoff Hunt

2012-07-30T17:39:49Z

Bad attitudes, a clueless new manager, a dysfunctional front office, inexplicable underachieving, washed-up veterans, impressive rookies, winners, losers, dreadful injuries... playoff contenders.

Those are your 2012 Boston Red Sox.

And if you haven't seen it all in person, I suggest you purchase your 100th anniversary ticket to Fenway Park, the nation's most beloved ballpark, before the end of this memorable season. The experience will be so uplifting; you may not even acknowledge the team is losing once you start singing the sweet tune of "Sweet Caroline" in the eighth inning.

That's it in a nutshell.

In my 30 somewhat years of watching the Red Sox and a decade of covering Major League Baseball, I can honestly stay I haven't seen anything like this. When asked if this Red Sox team has the ability to make it to the postseason, my answer is "I don't know." When asked if the team will be buyers or sellers at Tuesday's 4pm trade deadline, my answer is "I don't know." When asked if Jon Lester - the ultimate baffling underachiever - should be traded, my answer is, "I don't know."

Mediocrity will force those answers.

This is one of the strangest Red Sox teams I've had to talk about in recent years. To prove that statement, after Friday night's butt-whipping from the first-place New York Yankees, I told a friend, "This team is toast. They just don't have any fight in them and you can tell there is just no team chemistry."

Fast-forward 48 hours. After Sunday night's 3-2 win over the Yankees in 10 innings, I said to the same friend, "The Sox showed so much heart and fight tonight. They're back in this." And if they can do it all again Monday night against the Detroit Tigers at home, it'll be the first time the team has strung together more than two wins since June 16th. That's quite a stat for a team with a $180 million payroll, don't you think?

"We know we can compete with teams like this," Andrew Miller told reporters after Sunday's win. "We know what we've got, and we know what we're capable of."

"We're in it together and we've been in it a lot together," Valentine added. "They wanted this win as badly as I did. He shows that kind of passion a lot. I guess it was on national TV, so that was even better."

Yes, Bobby. Everyone was watching. But unfortunately, what they witnessed was two months later than expected.

Miller said it perfectly, but actions speak louder than words. And for the first time this season, the Red Sox finally walked the walk Sunday night in the Bronx and may have bookmarked the turning point of the season. The question is, however, can they continue that type of play for the remainder of what has been an inconsistent season? In a tight American League East, one that Blue Jays' manager John Farrell told me was the most competitive he's seen in recent years, the Sox have found themselves in unchartered waters; competing for a playoff spot with the Baltimore Orioles - an organization riding a 14 consecutive losing seasons stat - and teams alike.

Off the field, the team has been in shambles. Surrounded by controversy and drama since spring training, I'm willing to bet one of the best clubhouse moments this season was Terry Francona's pow-wow with his ex-players Saturday afternoon in the Yankee Stadium visiting clubhouse, one that resulted in him sending an apology to text to Bobby Valentine. Don't worry, Tito, you didn't do anything wrong. The players loved it and likely needed it.

Unfortunately, Francona can't get Jon Lester and Josh Beckett to play better. He can't heal Carl Crawford's left arm and make him more comfortable in Boston. In fact, from what I've been told, he tried that last year and it didn't work. He can't help find Adrian Gonzalez' power swing, nor can he force the players to want to win for Valentine. Only the players can solve the above issues and only the players can write the end of their story.

"We're two games under .500. We're the Boston Red Sox, so if anyone's thrilled with where we're at, they better reevaluate because I don't like losing. I know everyone else doesn't like losing," Pedroia told reporters Sunday night. "We've got to play better now."

They're the Boston Red Sox. If you aren't familiar with them, re-read the first paragraph.

There are 60 games left. The rest is still unwritten.

Jen Royle is a Columnist for SB Nation Boston. Follow her @Jen_Royle on Twitter.

Turning Point: Time To Buy Back Into The Red Sox, Or False Alarm?

2012-07-30T12:00:54Z

I loved baseball growing up. Some of my best sports memories came from the diamond. I played as a kid, wore my Mo Vaughn, Manny Ramirez and Curt Schilling shirts and jerseys with pride, and simply loved the game.

That all seemed like so long ago. Sadly, I can't say that I've harbored the same feelings this season. If you need to ask why, well, then you probably haven't been paying attention.

September's collapse, beer and chicken, the attitudes and endless complaints. So sickening.

Admittedly, I had given up on my once-beloved Boston Red Sox going into this weekend's series against the New York Yankees, and it was a long time coming. I wrote a feature early in June saying as much. At the time, the Red Sox were a .500 ball club, and they weren't making any progress towards changing that. Coming into the weekend? Same old, same old.

Heck, I was more excited about watching Great Britain's basketball team than the Red Sox (for the record, I wasn't very excited about that), and they were playing the hated Yankees.

I wasn't particularly drawn to either of the first two games of this weekend's series in the Bronx. Sure, I caught glimpses, as well as the end of Saturday night's game. Sure, they won that game, but they gave up a big lead. Shocker, huh? Nothing new there.

Fast forward to Sunday night.

I didn't watch the whole game, but I tuned in just in time to see the Sox give up a 2-1 lead late in the game. Tie game. Great. Here we go again. Then things got interesting in the tenth inning.

Will Middlebrooks got hit (but that's not how the umps saw it), Bobby Valentine and Josh Beckett -- who wasn't even playing in the game -- were tossed, and Pedro Ciriaco stepped up in the clutch again. Enter Alfredo Aceves in the tenth, and after a few bumps, goodnight New York.

By the final at-bat, I was standing, pacing, clutching my head. All of the things I did as a passionate fan years ago. All the excitement was there, and the passion was back. Once again, I'm hooked.

Alright, let me reiterate. I took the bait and bit into the hook, but they haven't reeled me in.

After all, it was just one game, right? Well, two if you count Saturday's victory as well, but that lacked the same dramatics. And even after all of that Sunday night fun, the Red Sox are still 51-51.

Far from acceptable.

You can't help but ask, though. Was that the turning point? Bobby Valentine, Jon Lester, Ben Cherington and company have been talking about that crucial turning point for quite some time. Sooner or later, they had to turn the tables, right? Or so, we all hoped.

No, we don't know if that was the turning point, and we won't for another month or so. It sure felt like one, though. At the very least, it should serve as a spark plug for fans who have gone astray.

Don't want to take the bait and buy back in? I don't blame you. No one should. I'm back on the fence with my support for this team, and I realize they may wind up going on another losing skid, making Sunday's win meaningless.

You can make your own call, of course. As for me, I'm going to give them one more chance this year. What can I say? I guess I just have the itch. Here's hoping they don't break our hearts again.

For more Boston Red Sox coverage, visit our team page and team blog, Over The Monster.

Poll

Was Sunday's Win Over The Yankees A Turning Point For The Red Sox?

Yes.

4 votes

No.

3 votes

Too soon to tell.

4 votes

11 votes | Poll has closed

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Final Score: Pedro Ciriaco's Bloop Gives Sox 3-2 Win

2012-07-30T03:59:18Z

The Red Sox took their series against the Yankees with a 3-2 win in extra innings Sunday night thanks to a go-ahead bloop from Pedro Ciriaco.

While the Red Sox would see all of five pitches in producing three outs in the first, they would do a lot more to Kuroda in the second. An Adrian Gonzalez single around the shift, Jarrod Saltalamacchia walk, and Ryan Sweeney double into the gap would produce a pair of runs, giving them an early lead for the second straight night.

Kuroda would rebound impressively from there, but would be matched for much of the game by Felix Doubront. Early aggression from the Yankees would cost them, leading to a 1-2-3 first and plenty of strikeouts for Doubront, who would struggle with control as the game went on. A pair of walks in the fourth left him with five free passes early on before he settled down with four strikeouts between the fifth and the sixth.

It would not be until the seventh that the Yankees managed anything off of Doubront. A leadoff homer from Russell Martin cut the lead in half, and Ichiro Suzuki grabbed an infield single to put the tying run in scoring position. Jayson Nix would strike out after failing to get a bunt down, but Ichiro managed to snag second all-the-same. Ultimately, it was the threat of Ryan Sweeney's arm which would save a run, as Ichiro stopped rounding third on a single to right off of Matt Albers, and then only bluffed on a shallow fly ball to left induced by Andrew Miller--Carl Crawford's throw home would have nailed him--before a Mark Teixeira ground ball ended the threat.

Still, in the eighth the Yankees would finally manage to equalize things. After four strong outs from Andrew Miller, the lefty surrendered a two-out double to Andruw Jones (why he was left in to face the lefty-masher we'll likely never know) before Russell Martin lined a single up the middle off of Alfredo Aceves to make it 2-2.

The teams would end up going into the tenth, but it wouldn't last beyond that. Trying to drop a bunt down with Jarrod Saltalamacchia on first, Will Middlebrooks was hit on the hand while pulling the bat back--an event that normally would give him first base. This time, however, the umpire went down as well, unable to make the right call. Bobby Valentine and Josh Beckett would both get ejected in the ensuing shouting, but Middlebrooks made everything better by singling through the left side of the infield to move Saltalamacchia into scoring position. Up came Pedro Ciriaco, the King of Clutch from the preseason, and once again he was able to come through. His hit wasn't hard, or impressive, but it was a well-placed bloop, and in the end the run on the board was all that mattered. Alfredo Aceves came back out to end things in the tenth, and the Sox left New York with a series win.

Final - 7.29.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	9	0
New York Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	7	0
WP: Alfredo Aceves (2 - 6) LP: David Robertson (1 - 4)

Complete Coverage >

For more on the Red Sox stay tuned to Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. Visit Pinstripe Alley and SB Nation New York for everything about the Yankees. Check out Baseball Nation for even more news around the Major Leagues.

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Live Blog: Inning By Inning Updates For Game 3

2012-07-30T00:21:10Z

The Red Sox will wrap up their road trip to New York Sunday night as they face the Yankees in the rubber game of their three-game set.

We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in New Yankee Stadium.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 2, Mid 10th -- The most unlikely King of Clutch continues to earn his title: Pedro Ciriaco has delivered again. With Jarrod Saltalamacchia walking to start the inning, Will Middlebrooks squared down to bunt, and was promptly hit in the hand by the pitch. The umpire, however, went down too, and was unable to make the call that Middlebrooks had been hit trying to pull the bat back, which should have given him first. Bobby Valentine came out to argue, and found himself headed back to the locker room along with Josh Beckett, ejected from the bench.

Middlebrooks, however, was not to be denied. A single through the left side put the runner in scoring position all-the-same, and a ground ball only led to one out, moving Salty to third. Up came Pedro Ciriaco, and the shortstop did what he does best: found the grass. It wasn't a hard hit, but it was perfectly placed, a bloop into right field that brought Saltalamacchia home from third and gave the Sox the lead.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 2, End 9th -- Curtis Granderson gives one a ride with two outs, but the Sox are able to survive the inning nonetheless, leaving them headed to extra innings.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 2, Mid 9th -- The Red Sox are given an absolute gift when Rafael Soriano hits Carl Crawford to lead off the inning, but waste it with three outs from some of the best hitters in the lineup. The Yankees will have a chance to walk off in the bottom half.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 2, End 8th -- And of course the game is tied. Andrew Miller continues to pitch well while recording two outs, but for some reason is left in to face Andruw Jones, who has become a designated lefty-masher. The result is a double, and when Alfredo Aceves comes in, Russell Martin comes to the plate and smacks a single up the middle, bringing Boston's lead to an end.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 1, Mid 8th -- Kuroda manages his sixth straight scoreless inning, retiring the Sox in order in the eighth. It's been an uninspiring offensive night for Boston, but they've still got the lead with just two frames to go.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 1, End 7th -- The Red Sox survive a tense seventh inning by the thinnest of margins. A leadoff homer from Russell Martin quickly cuts the deficit to one, and Ichiro Suzuki beats out an infield single to put the tying run on first without an out on the board. Jayson Nix ends up striking out after failing to get a bunt down, but with Matt Albers in the game, Ichiro manages to snag second base all-the-same.

A Derek Jeter single could have meant the end for Boston's lead, but it went to Ryan Sweeney in right, and with Ichiro not willing to test his arm, the Yankees were forced to settle for runners at the corners with one out. The hit also prompts Andrew Miller's entry into the game. A shallow fly ball to Carl Crawford led to just a bluff from Ichiro (which proved to be the right move, as Crawford got the ball home in a hurry), and with Mark Teixeira grounding out, the inning was over.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 7th -- You'll never guess how the Yankees got out of this inning. It was cra--

Oh, yeah, a double play, how ever did you know?

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, End 6th -- A two-out single breaks up a streak of four straight strikeouts for Felix Doubront, but a pop-up from Andruw Jones keeps the Yankees scoreless through six innings in Yankee Stadium.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 6th -- Somehow, a leadoff double from Jacoby Ellsbury does not end up scoring, even with Carl Crawford picking up a hit behind him. Derek Jeter manages to get to a low line drive off Crawford's bat, if not grab it, keeping Ellsbury at second. A fly ball would move him along to third, but Adrian Gonzalez hit a ground ball leading to yet another double play to end the sixth.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, End 5th -- Doubront recovers from his fourth inning difficulties by striking out two men in his first 1-2-3 frame since the first inning.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 5th -- The bottom of the order goes down in rapid fashion in the fifth, leaving Kuroda with nine men faced in three innings, albeit thanks largely to a pair of double play balls.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, End 4th -- Felix Doubront is putting on one of the most laborious shutout appearances you'll see tonight. Two more walks in the fourth leave him at five free passes so far, but with the Yankees' swings not producing any hits, he's surviving so far.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 4th -- The parade of double plays continues, as the Yankees turn two after Adrian Gonzalez leads off the fourth with another hit to make it another 1-2-3 frame.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, End 3rd -- Doubront ends up giving up two more walks--a concerning sign from a guy who struggles with efficiency--but picks up a double play in-between and gets a fly ball from Mark Teixeira to end things without too much difficulty.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 3rd -- Jacoby Ellsbury manages to beat out a throw to first to get the Red Sox off to a good start in the third, but Dustin Pedroia grounds into a double play with one down, leaving the team unable to take advantage of the opportunity.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, End 2nd -- A seeing-eye single from the returning Nick Swisher and a walk to Russell Martin cost Felix Doubront his first two baserunners, but Dustin Pedroia gets an Ichiro Suzuki ground ball to first in time to end the inning without a run coming in.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 0, Mid 2nd -- Once again, Sox fans are treated to a rare early lead, this time coming in the second. Adrian Gonzalez gets things started with a leadoff single, taking advantage of the shift by grounding through the left side of the infield. While Hiroki Kuroda manages to surround a walk of Jarrod Saltalamacchia with strikeouts from Cody Ross and Will Middlebrooks, he falls victim to the third left-handed hitter of the inning, with Ryan Sweeney smacking a double into the gap in left field to give the Sox the 2-0 lead.

Red Sox 0, Yankees 0, End 1st -- Is this Red Sox - Yankees? Less than 15 minutes in, and we're through the first. While Felix Doubront doesn't feature quite the ruthless efficiency of Kuroda, it's only because strikeouts to Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson require at least three pitches a piece. Mark Teixeira does manage to put the ball in play, but he finds the glove of Ryan Sweeney in right, ending the inning without incident.

Red Sox 0, Yankees 0, Mid 1st -- Before you can so much as blink, the Red Sox are gone in the first. Jacoby Ellsbury hits a fly ball which doesn't require any real movement from Andruw Jones to make the grab. Three pitches and two ground balls later, and Hiroki Kuroda is headed back to the dugout with just five pitches on his arm.

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Lineups: Pedro Ciriaco Starts At Short Against Hiroki Kuroda

2012-07-29T22:33:41Z

The Red Sox are out for a series win against the Yankees and a return to .500 Sunday night as they take on Hiroki Kuroda in New Yankee Stadium. First pitch is at 8:05 p.m. EST with broadcasts on ESPN and WEEI.

After evening up the series with a win against a top-quality southpaw in CC Sabathia Saturday, the Sox will go back to their more typical lineup as they take on the right-handed Kuroda. The one major exception: Pedro Ciriaco starting at shortstop in place of Mike Aviles, batting ninth.

Though Ciriaco is a righty, he's had massive reverse splits so far with the Sox this year, hitting southpaws poorly but producing a .455 average against right-handed pitching. He'll try and provide some more hits to turn the lineup over for Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford, who returns to left field after a day off.

Boston Red Sox (50-51)

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Cody Ross, DH
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Ryan Sweeney, RF
Pedro Ciriaco, SS

New York Yankees (60-40)

Derek Jeter, SS
Curtis Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, DH
Andruw Jones, LF
Russell Martin, C
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Jayson Nix, 3B

Next Game

Boston Red Sox
@ New York Yankees

Sunday, Jul 29, 2012, 8:00 PM EDT
Yankee Stadium

Felix Doubront vs Hiroki Kuroda

Partly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing in from right field at 0-5 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 75.

Complete Coverage >

Felix Doubront Vs. Hiroki Kuroda: Red Sox Pitcher Has Better Matchup

2012-07-29T13:44:17Z

There isn't a lot riding on the Red Sox/Yankees rubber match on Sunday, except for bragging rights. But that's enough to keep both players and fans intrigued by this matchup. Here, we'll take a quick look at the pitching duel between Felix Doubront of the Sox and Hiroki Kuroda of the Yankees.

Doubront is making his third start of the season against the Bombers, in which case he is 1-0 against them. In his earliest start against the Yankees, Doubront went six innings and allowed one run before the Red Sox fell 15-9. In his most recent start against New York, Doubront allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings for the win.

No Yankees batter has faced the 24-year-old Doubront more than eight times, but Mark Texeira has been most successful with four RBIs in six plate appearances.

By contrast, Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Ross have 54 combined plate appearances against Hiroki Kuroda, with Gonzalez posting this line: .308 BA/.438 OBP/.629 SLG, 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 6 walks.

Read more on the Red Sox at Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. Head over to Pinstripe Alley and SB Nation New York for more on the Yankees. Baseball Nation is your source for news and analysis around Major League Baseball. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Preview: Boston Goes For Rubber Match In New York

2012-07-29T13:11:26Z

The Red Sox look to take the rubber match against the Yankees on Sunday, as the teams have split the first two games of their three-game series this weekend. There should be plenty of drama. Even though the Yankees are at the very top of the AL East Division and the Red Sox are fifth, Boston isn't backing down from New York for a even a second.

Hiroki Kuroda (10-7, 3.34 ERA) will face Felix Doubront (10-5, 4.54 ERA in the pitchers' duel.

Take a look at the game schedule and broadcast information right here:

Date/Time: Sunday, July 29, 8:05 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Online streaming: MLB.tv

Read more on the Yankees at Pinstripe Alley and SB Nation New York. Check out Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston for more on the Red Sox. Baseball Nation and the MLB Daily Dish are your sources for news and analysis around Major League Baseball. Also, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for video commentary.

Red Sox Vs. Yankees Final Score: Curtis Granderson's Blunder Helps Sox To 8-6 Win

2012-07-29T01:43:46Z

The Red Sox took an 8-6 win over the New York Yankees Saturday night, and they have Curtis Granderson to thank for it.

Long before Granderson left his mark on the game, however, it was Adrian Gonzalez and Will Middlebrooks getting the job done for the Red Sox. After singles from Pedro Ciriaco and Dustin Pedroia with one out in the first, Gonzalez hit a rocket to right field, doubling home Ciriaco and reaching scoring position himself to give the Sox an early lead. Cody Ross could get neither man home, managing just a pop-up, but Will Middlebrooks was up to the task behind him, blasting another hard drive off of CC Sabathia, this time to the gap in left for a two-run double.

Jon Lester would finally manage to get through a clean first inning, and in fact retired the first eight batters he saw on the night. A Chris Stewart home run would break up both the perfect game and the shutout with two down in the third, but Lester got right back on the horse with a 1-2-3 fourth.

The fifth inning would seem at first to be the key frame for the Red Sox. Once again it was Pedro Ciriaco and Dustin Pedroia setting the table, this time with a single-walk combination. With two outs already on the board, however, Gonzalez knew that, unlike in the first, it all rested on him to get them home. So when Sabathia offered him up a hanging curveball, he didn't miss the opportunity, launching a three-run shot to right field that put the Sox in a seemingly commanding 6-1 lead.

Lester, however, has not been one to hold big leads this year, and sure enough the bottom of the fifth saw him struggle in a big way. A four-pitch walk to start the inning, and then a bad pitch to Jayson Nix quickly made it 6-3, as the third baseman launched a two-run shot of his own to right. Another pair of baserunners would soon follow, allowing the Yankees to manufacture a third run with a bunt and ground ball.

The Sox would manage to hold the lead into the eighth, but the signs there would quickly turn sour. Curtis Granderson twice just missed tying the game with a two-run shot, sending foul balls deep to foul territory in right before striking out against Vicente Padilla. Inevitably, though, it would come down to Padilla and his arch-rival in Mark Teixeira. A 2-0, 51 MPH Eephus would fall in for a strike, and the 96 MPH fastball that followed left the park, giving the Yankees the tie they'd been chasing since the first.

In the end, though, it was a miracle courtesy of Curtis Granderson that would save the game for the Red Sox. With one down and Jacoby Ellsbury on first in the ninth, Pedro Ciriaco lifted a looping fly ball to center field. Granderson should have been able to play it with ease, but instead he ended up twisted around, only able to make a late lunge as the ball hit the grass and Jacoby Ellsbury raced all the way home. With Pedro Ciriaco able to reach third on the misplay, the Sox were able to add an insurance run on a loud Dustin Pedroia sacrifice fly. Alfredo Aceves came in to pitch a clean ninth, and the Red Sox left winners.

Final - 7.28.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	3	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	2	8	11	0
New York Yankees	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	2	0	6	6	0
WP: Andrew Miller (3 - 1) SV: Alfredo Aceves (22) LP: Rafael Soriano (2 - 1)

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For more on the Red Sox stay tuned to Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. VisitPinstripe Alley and SB Nation New York for everything about the Yankees. Check outBaseball Nation for even more news around the Major Leagues.