The Orioles have done their part, taking an extra-innings win over the Tampa Bay Rays earlier today. Now the Red Sox have to do theirs, and knock the Yankees down to a firm second place in the AL East.
We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Fenway Park.
Yankees 2, Red Sox 0, End 8th -- Boston's ability to waste opportunities remains as impressive as ever. After a leadoff double from designated Yankee killer Pedro Ciriaco, the Sox can't move Pedro Ciriaco along until there are two outs on the board, and a pinch-hitting Ryan Lavarnway ends the threat with a fly ball to right field that's no trouble for Ichiro. They're three outs away from letting the Yankees back into first place.
Yankees 2, Red Sox 0, Mid 8th -- An error and a walk cost Craig Breslow a bit of tension, but nothing more in a scoreless eighth inning. The Sox are down to six outs to get some damage done themselves, however.
Yankees 2, Red Sox 0, End 7th -- Nick Swisher goes into a slide to rob Daniel Nava of a leadoff hit, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia strikes out for the third time tonight in part of a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
Yankees 2, Red Sox 0, Mid 7th -- So much for that one run. Felix Doubront comes back out for the seventh, with his pitch count nearing 100, and allows a pair of baserunners to reach with one out. Junichi Tazawa is able to get a pair of strikeouts, but they come after Derek Jeter bloops a single into center field to score the Yankees' second run of the night.
Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, End 6th -- Unfortunately, Doubront is being out-dueled by Phil Hughes at every turn, though that's probably got plenty to do with Boston's offense. A pair of baserunners, this time on singles from Jacoby Ellsbury and James Loney, come with one and two outs respectively. That's about the best attack they've mounted so far tonight, and like that one, it goes wanting as Cody Ross flies out to end the threat.
Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 6th -- It hasn't been easy at any point, but even after offering up a fourth walk, Felix Doubront is through six innings of 1-run ball against the New York Yankees now. That's a successful night by any reasonable measurement.
Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, End 5th -- The Sox get their second hit of the night on a Mike Aviles single. Somehow, though, they turn a hit-and-run attempt into two outs as Pedro Ciriaco grounds into a double play to end the inning in a hurry.
Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 5th -- Doubront returns for the fifth, and has things go rather better, as he keeps the Yankees to their one run. He does have to work around a double down the left field line, however, and the pitch count keeps growing.
Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, End 4th -- The Sox finally manage to put up some small fight against Phil Hughes, picking up a walk from Scott Podsednik with one out and a Cody Ross single that actually brings the tying run just 90 feet away with two down. Daniel Nava grounds out, however, and with him goes the threat.
Yankees 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 4th -- The Yankees are on the board, but it's a small miracle that they have just the one. As per usual, with around 50 pitches on his arm, Doubront falls apart. A sharp single from Alex Rodriguez and back-to-back walks to Robinson Cano and Russell Martin load the bases without any outs on the board. Both of the next two hitters even manage hard contact off of Doubront, but luckily for the Sox both manage to find gloves. The first swing produces a line drive to Cody Ross, but provides a run on a sacrifice fly. The second finds James Loney at first, who steps on the bag to make it two and end the inning. That could have been a lot worse.
Red Sox 0, Yankees 0, End 3rd -- Phil Hughes remains perfect through three, and with just nine more pitches on his arm after the third, it's getting time to look up the shortest perfect games ever thrown.
Red Sox 0, Yankees 0, Mid 3rd -- Felix Doubront gets his first 1-2-3 frame, and gets his pitch count down in the process. Needing just eight pitches to get through the 9-1-2 hitters, Doubront adds his third strikeout in the process, getting Eduardo Nunez swinging to start the frame.
Red Sox 0, Yankees 0, End 2nd -- Phil Hughes is having no such difficulty. Another 1-2-3 frame leaves him with a remarkably low 17 pitches thrown thanks to the remarkably impatient Red Sox lineup. Remarkable!
Red Sox 0, Yankees 0, Mid 2nd -- Doubront has another scoreless inning in his pocket, but also a base on balls and plenty more pitches. It's getting to the point where you can tell a Doubront start from the pitching line alone between the high pitch count per batter faced, the walks, and the late struggles.
Red Sox 0, Yankees 0, End 1st -- The Sox come close to reaching base with a couple of swings, but don't quite manage it. Jacoby Ellsbury goes down on a close play at first after a ground ball to short, and while Scott Podsednik is able to put a charge in the ball, Curtis Granderson is able to run it down and make the over-the-shoulder grab on the warning track to provide out number two. Granderson has a relatively easier time with a fly ball to left off the bat of James Loney, and that's all she wrote for the first.
Red Sox 0, Yankees 0, Mid 1st -- A decent start for Felix Doubront, who works around a 2-out single to get through a scoreless first inning. The thing is that Doubront tends to get into battles, which build up the old pitch count, and Doubront is a guy who's faded as his pitch count has risen in recent months. With the organization on the verge of shutting him down, this is a point of some importance.