Final, Red Sox 7-6: It is Eric Patterson driving in Bill Hall to give the Red Sox a walk-off win in the 10th and end eight hours, 18 minutes of baseball between the two games.
The Yanks are back into a tie atop the division. The Sox are at least going to bed (for a few hours) with a smile on their faces.
Back soon to wrap it up. Anyone still awake?
Mid 10th, 6-6: The Yankees have left a man in scoring position in each of the last three innings. In the 10th it was Curtis Granderson at third.
Ivan Nova is still out there for the Yankees, presumably until there is some resolution. Bill Hall will start things off in the bottom half.
End 9th, 6-6: Sure, why not? We’re all itching for more baseball, right? For the third straight time the Yanks and Sox go to extras after the hosts strand two runners in the ninth, and we are approaching the eight-hour mark for baseball on Saturday/Sunday at Fenway.
Robert Manuel stays out there for Boston. The Yankees have the heart of their order up.
Mid 9th, 6-6: Good to know there will be extra Green Line trains at Kenmore Square until 1 a.m., 11 minutes from now. Maybe a J.D. Drew walk-off will get those who need to catch it a fighting chance.
Drew will face Ivan Nova, the rookie who walked in the tying run in the eighth.
End 8th, 6-6: Those of you still with us just witnessed Kevin Cash record his first RBI in 67 plate appearances with the Red Sox to tie the game. It was a bases-loaded walk that pushed across Ryan Kalish and pushed us to the verge of insanity…er…extra innings.
Two runs in this game have come on walks with the bases loaded. Two more have come in on infield singles, one on an RBI grounder, one on an error, one on a wild pitch, one on a “legit” single, three on sac flies and one on a solo homer.
Mid 8th, Yankees 6-4: Yamaico Navarro does his best Derek Jeter immitation by making a stab down the line and going face-first into the stands, only not as violently.
Plenty of good seats still available for this one.
End 7th, Yankees 6-4: Sergio Mitre and Royce Ring combine to get the Yankees through the seventh and we soldier on past midnight.
New York rookie Ivan Nova was up and warming in the Yankees’ pen. He was rumored to be their starter for Sunday but now it appears as if it will be Dustin Moseley.
Joe Girardi will not announce it until after the game.
Mid 7th, Yankees 6-4: It’s time to get up and stretch and I just might do so. My body aches a bit after watching two singles, two walks and two wild pitches lead to two runs for the Yankees, who now have a two-run lead.
End 6th, 4-4: The game’s sixth error allows Ryan Kalish, who was stealing second, to dash to third and come in on a sacrifice fly to left.
There is a lot of sighing in the press box right now. Much of it has to do with stress, fatigue and game No. 161. But part of it has to do with the ugliness of the game.
Scott Atchison is on to start the seventh for Boston.
Mid 6th, Yankees 4-3: Yamaico Navarro misplays a routine grounder to short and we are up to five errors between the two teams.
End 5th, Yankees 4-3: Suddenly this mess has begun to speed up a bit and both pitchers are getting some outs. As I say that here comes Scott Atchison, who has given up six runs in his last 1 2/3 innings.
Daisuke Matsuzaka goes five innings, giving up four runs — two earned — on three hits and five walks. He needed 104 pitches to get 15 outs and will end the season with just nine wins.
There was a stretch in the middle part of the year where Matsuzaka was pitching as well as anyone on the staff, but it fizzled just as quickly as it started and he has now had two straight subpar seasons.
Mid 5th, Yankees 4-3: The Yankees have four runs on three hits and have committed three errors. The Red Sox have three runs on four hits and have one error. They won’t be placing the tape of this one in the national archives.
End 4th, Yankees 4-3: New York is playing for a division title against perhaps the worst lineup the Red Sox have thrown out since that split-squad game in Dunedin this March. But the Yanks are doing everything they can to make it a game.
Three errors and one severe mental cramp gave the Red Sox one run and put Daniel Nava into the books again.
Nava advanced to third on an error at first base on Lance Berkman and while A.J. Burnett turned to argue the call at first Nava broke for home, scoring when Burnett’s throw zoomed to the backstop. New York added another gaffe when catcher Francisco Cervelli dropped a foul pop but it didn’t do much more than add to the sloppiness.
Mid 4th, Yankees 4-2: Daisuke Matsuzaka issues his fifth walk in four innings, to the speedy Brett Gardner no less, but manages to post his first zero of the night.
End 3rd, Yankees 4-2: Felipe Lopez got his first hit in a Red Sox uniform in the first game Saturday. He gets his first home run here in the nightcap to pull Boston within two.
A.J. Burnett won’t allow this one to get away from the Sox anytime soon.
Mid 3rd, Yankees 4-1: Daisuke Matsuzaka is not long for this one. Two walks and a single load the bases (again) and a sacrifice fly gives the Yankees another run.
End 2nd, Yankees 3-1: We always seem to be bombarded by the “evenness” of this series over the years, but with a victory in this one the Yankees clinch a win in the season series for the eighth time in 11 years. Two of the other years they tied.
Mid 2nd, Yankees 3-1: Two unearned runs come in after a two-base throwing error by Felipe Lopez.
Tampa Bay has won in Kansas City so they are one-half game out. The Yankees still control their own destiny but the Rays win the tiebreaker if it comes down to that.
End 1st, 1-1: Lars Anderson has picked up his third career RBI on an infield single to shortstop. Although it wasn’t hit hard A.J. Burnett has only himself to blame. His 16th wild pitch — second in the American League — allowed Felipe Lopez to get to third base and come in easily on the Anderson hit.
Burnett did his best Daisuke Matsuzaka impression by following up the Anderson hit with a walk and a hit batter. Like the Dice-man, Burnett also got out of it with a strikeout. Strap yourselves in, folks. First inning took 34 minutes.
A note on the first game I missed earlier. The 18 strikeouts for New York in the first game ties the franchise record. Ron Guidry had all 18 in a game against the Angels back in 1978. The Yanks used seven different pitchers to reach that mark this time around.
Mid 1st, Yankees 1-0: Two hit batters and an infield single load the bases and a walk pushes in the first run. Daisuke Matsuzaka doing his part to get us out of here at a reasonable hour.
You have to wonder what Tampa Bay thinks of this lineup the Red Sox are trotting out against the likes of A-Rod and Cano and Teixeira.
J.D. Drew is the only batter in Boston’s lineup with an average above .250. Four guys are below .200. Three are at .150 or below.
Postgame, Yankees 6-5: We have a scant few minutes before the second game begins at or just after 9:15 p.m. So here is the vaunted lineup for the Red Sox:
Eric Patterson, 2B
Felipe Lopez, 3B
J.D. Drew, DH
Lars Anderson, 1B
Ryan Kalish, CF
Daniel Nava, LF
Josh Reddick, RF
Yamaico Navarro, SS
Kevin Cash, C
Look for plenty more on the site on Mike Lowell and Tim Wakefield, both of whom met with us in the brief time between games. Both also had some very interesting things to say.
Final, Yankees 6-5: Almost 26 hours after this series was supposed to begin we have completed one game, with one more to come in who knows how many minutes.
The Yankees’ magic number to clinch the division is two. Back in a bit to get you set for the second game.
Mid 10th, Yankees 6-5: When was the last time a run was scored in conventional fashion? The Yankees take the lead on another bizarre occurrence and Mariano Rivera is on to try to close this one out.
With the speedy Brett Gardner on second Derek Jeter hit a check-swing dribbler that got past Jonathan Papelbon and then through the hands of Bill Hall, who was charging hard.
Hall was charged with an error for letting Gardner scamper home.
Papelbon is charged with an unearned run. He struck out Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira to strand Jeter at second.
You just get the feeling something crazy will happen here.
End 9th, 5-5: Holy mackerel. The Red Sox have struck out 17 times in this game and we have bonus baseball. Jonathan Papelbon is on to pitch the 10th.
I know I’m just one person, but using myself as a subject let’s put this series into perspective. I’ve spent over 16 hours at Fenway Park over the last two days and not one game has been completed.
This game is four hours old and have a crowd outside waiting to get in for the next game, whenever that comes.
Mid 9th, 5-5: Bill Hall, Daniel Nava and Yamaico Navarro are due up for the Red Sox against Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes. So now we know Hughes will not be starting Sunday.
Nava has gone 154 at-bats since that home run in his first major league at-bat. That streak ends here.
End 8th, 5-5: As my father likes to say when he sees something remarkable, “I ain’t even got the words.” The Red Sox have tied it, but not how anyone would’ve ever predicted.
With the bases loaded and Lars Anderson at the plate, Kerry Wood throws a wild pitch to allow Eric Patterson to score the tying run.
Catcher Jorge Posada threw to Wood covering home to try to get Patterson but the throw sailed up the line, prompting Josh Reddick to round third and dash home. Third baseman Ramiro Pena was there to back up Posada’s throw and hit Wood at home to nail Reddick.
So I guess I do have the words. I may not at the end of this night, however.
Daniel Bard is on to pitch the ninth and the Red Sox have made a change at pretty much every position it seems.
Mid 8th, Yankees 5-4: It took a couple of weeks to play the top of the eighth but somehow the Yankees were kept off the board. Kerry Wood is on for New York.
Remember, they have to get a sellout crowd out of here after this game and welcome in all those who had tickets for Friday’s game and wanted to return. All in like an hour as we run down for an abbreviated clubhouse session. It’s going to be a nutty hour at Fenway, and then we get some Daisuke action.
7:28 p.m.: Dustin Richardson simply cannot throw strikes. Almost ever. He comes on in relief, walks the only two men he faces and departs. With that performance Richardson has now walked nine men in his last two-plus innings of work.
7:19 p.m.: The Yankees have a runner at third base and two outs in the eighth. Dustin Richardson is coming on to relieve Michael Bowden.
End 7th, Yankees 5-4: The Yankees still have plenty to play for but saw their lead cut in half when Joba Chamberlain unleashed a wild pitch with Lars Anderson on third.
Joe Girardi said earlier that he is reluctant to use any reliever in both games Saturday. With A.J. Burnett on the mound that might be an impossibility, but something to keep in mind as the Yanks burn through each guy to protect a slim lead.
Kerry Wood is warming and Mariano Rivera will follow if things stay like this. Tampa Bay and Kansas City start in a few minutes.
6:53 p.m.: After a leadoff walk to Lars Anderson, Yankees manager Joe Girardi goes out and gets Boone Logan. In comes Joba Chamberlain to a chorus of boos.
Mid 7th, Yankees 5-3: Felipe Lopez has recorded his first hit in the Red Sox uniform in this one and may have had the defensive play of the game in the top of the seventh to rob Nick Swisher of a hit and a potential RBI.
End 6th, Yankees 5-3: The Red Sox’ frustration continues when David Ortiz hits into a 4-5-3 double play to end the sixth. Aside from Mike Lowell, nobody getting the big hit with men on.
Boston has 10 hits and has drawn four walks in six innings.
Mid 6th, Yankees 5-3: The question was just asked by a colleague here in the press box and it’s a legitimate one. Will this game even be over by 9:05? At this pace, just barely.
Rich Hill works around a single and a throwing error by Yamaico Navarro to keep the Yankees off the board in the sixth.
End 5th, Yankees 5-3: Three Red Sox hitters strike out with men on in the fifth, the last coming to Darnell McDonald with the bases full. Yankees pitchers have 11 strikeouts overall and Boston has left 10 men on base already.
Rich Hill is taking over for Tim Wakefield, who gave up five runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in his five innings of work.
5:56 p.m.: Mike Lowell rips a single to start the fifth and is then removed for a pinch runner. The hit also chases Andy Pettitte and gives Lowell a chance to tip his cap to an adoring crowd.
David Robertson is on in relief of Pettitte. Lars Anderson is running for Lowell, whose hit was high off the Green Monster, missing a homer by very little. We will have to see if that is it for him.
Mid 5th, Yankees 5-3: Tim Wakefield has walked the leadoff man in each of the last three innings and has now paid for it twice.
Curtis Granderson walks and scores on Mark Teixeira’s double to left-center field. Teixeira then comes in on another by Robinson Cano that fell in down the line in left, just out of the reach of a sliding Daniel Nava.
With Dustin Richardson warming in the pen, Wakefield escapes further harm by fanning Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada. Wakefield has thrown 94 pitches.
End 4th, 3-3: Victor Martinez strike out with runners at the corners as the Red Sox blow a prime scoring opportunity. No worries, Mike Lowell leads off the fifth. He’ll so go yard.
Mid 4th, 3-3: Tim Wakefield works around a leadoff walk to get through the fourth. The field is now covered in shadows so those won’t be an issue anymore, except for the fans in the bleachers who are currently being blinded.
End 3rd, 3-3: Mike Lowell has now been involved with all three of his team’s runs after drawing a two-out walk and scoring on Daniel Nava’s single.
Good stuff going on in the National League. The Padres have a 4-0 lead on the Giants. If they win that would pull them within a game of SF with one to play between the two Sunday. It could also pull San Diego into a tie with Atlanta for the wild card if the Braves lose Saturday.
A three-way tie remains a possibility.
Mid 3rd, Yankees 3-2: A walk, a triple, an RBI groundout and then a long solo homer by Robinson Cano adds up to three runs for the Yankees in the third.
Derek Jeter had the leadoff walk and shared a mini embrace with Mike Lowell. The two are separated in age by just a few months and Jeter was a couple of years ahead of Lowell in the Yankees’ system.
End 2nd, Red Sox 2-0: Andy Pettitte gives up a pair of singles but strikes out the side to escape any harm.
Lost in all the pregame hubbub and the fact that the game means little to the Red Sox is the fact that Pettitte’s start is a pretty big one for the Yankees, and not just because they are still trying to win the division.
This is just Pettitte’s third start back from the DL and he will go in Game Two of the ALDS. He was knocked around a bit by the Sox in New York his last time out. The Yanks would feel a whole lot better about their postseason rotation if Pettitte can pitch a good game and show them he has no rust from the layoff.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 2-0: Bill Hall took a circuitous route to a ball to right in the second, after Nick Swisher had his moments out there in the first. It is splashed with sun, but should be in the shade within the next couple of innings.
End 1st, Red Sox 2-0: Mike Lowell has not had many great moments in 2010, but his timing has been phenomenal. He had that home run in his first at-bat after not being traded at the deadline and follows up a ceremony in his honor by hitting a two-run double to right.
Victor Martinez and David Ortiz had reached before Lowell drove one over the head of Nick Swisher, who did not take a good angle and may have been bothered by the sun. Still, it goes into the books as the 951st and 952nd RBIs of Lowell’s career.
So, regarding the Lowell video, I am asking around to get you any answers but unfortunately I have no say in this. What I do know is that much of the ceremony will be aired at around 9:00 p.m. on NESN, just before the first pitch of the second game.
Due to MLB restrictions and because this is a FOX game there may be some issues getting it on the site until then. Sorry, wish I had a better answer for you.
I will say it was a very nice tribute. Former teammates Mike Redmond and Alex Cora were there, as well as Josh Beckett, Terry Francona, Sox executives and Lowell’s parents and family. His father, Carl Lowell, threw a heater with Mikey catching for the first pitch.
Mid 1st, 0-0: Fittingly, the top of the first inning ends with a weak grounder to Mike Lowell, who flips to Tim Wakefield covering. Wakefield strands a pair.
The Sox are in their red jerseys. They are 5-9 in these tops. That, perhaps more than anything, is the real reason they will not make the playoffs.
4:15 p.m.: I see many of you asking and I should’ve mentioned it earlier in more detail. NESN will show the highlights of the Mike Lowell tribute prior to the nightcap.
4:12 p.m.: Just as a reminder, because I know I almost forgot, we have 18 innings (at least) of baseball between now and Sunday morning. We will follow everything for you here. The Red Sox have just taken the field, Tim Wakefield in search of his 180th win with Boston.
4:03 p.m.: Mike Lowell has finished addressing the fans and is now catching the first pitch from his father, a nice touch to finish things off. The two embrace in front of the mound and now Lowell turns his attention to Andy Pettitte and the Yankees.
It was nearly impossible to make out what Lowell was saying, but I did hear him utter how proud he was to wear the Red Sox uniform.
David Ortiz was the first to embrace him upon returning to the dugout. He is now getting hugs from everyone.
3:58 p.m.: We have just seen a video tribute to Mike Lowell featuring his many career highlights. Let the gift-giving begin. One of the first few that he receives is third base, given to him by Josh Beckett after Beckett rips it from the ground.
3:45 p.m.: The Boston Children’s Chorus just sang “Iron Man” to kick off the Mike Lowell tribute. Lowell is now walking onto the field to a nice ovation. The ceremony will take place at third base, the spot from which he was thrust before the season.
Still, as they have just pointed out, he is the MLB leader in fielding percentage by a third baseman, a pretty solid claim.
All the Red Sox players and coaches are on the field, and most of the Yankees are on the top step. Former teammates of Lowell are being introduced.
3:20 p.m.: The Mike Lowell stage is being set. We will try to follow along with some highlights but for whatever reason the audio from the field never gets to the press box very well.
Portions of the Lowell tribute will be aired before the 9:05 game on NESN, so look for that as well.
In case anyone is still looking forward to the postseason sans Red Sox, one note to pass on. Joe Girardi is being asked by the NY media contingent about his rotation, roster, etc. for the playoffs. He confirmed that CC Sabathia will not get in any work this weekend as he prepares for Game 1 somewhere.
Girardi also will not announce a starter for Sunday until after the doubleheader ends. If the division is still in play and the Yankees really want to win it, Phil Hughes will start (and likely go in Game 3 of the ALDS). If not, Hughes will get some rest and rookie Ivan Nova will be on the mound.
2:05 p.m.: The one major pregame news item is the fact that Marco Scutaro is the latest Red Sox player to be shut down. It’s not entirely a surprise, given what Scutaro had to play through, but he himself said he was taken off-guard when told it was time to stop playing.
Clay Buchholz also shared some of his thoughts on being shut down and missing Saturday’s start. We will have more on both of those guys in separate notes.
We will also continue to monitor the Mike Lowell tributes. I didn’t notice it earlier but there is a very large “Thank You Mike” placed on the end of the Green Monster closest to center field.
And for those of you pining for the Yankees lineup against Tim Wakefield, here you go:
Derek Jeter, SS
Curtis Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Alex Rodriguez, DH
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Jorge Posada, C
Brett Gardner, LF
Ramiro Pena, 3B
12:34 p.m.: Just two players who were in the Red Sox’ Opening Night lineup are in there for the first half of a doubleheader Saturday vs. the Yankees. Take a look:
Darnell McDonald, CF
Jed Lowrie, SS
Victor Martinez, C
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Lowell, 1B
Bill Hall, RF
Daniel Nava, LF
Yamaico Navarro, 3B
Felipe Lopez, 2B
12:24 p.m.: Greetings from Fenway Park, where there is plenty of discussion in the press box about the possibility that the Yankees clinch the division Saturday.
Sure enough, if New York sweeps the doubleheader and Tampa Bay falls again in Kansas City the A.L. East will be locked up. Champagne for everyone!
We should have lineups for you in a bit. The Mike Lowell tribute is a few hours away and the line score on the Green Monster scoreboard reads “Mike Lowell” along the NY line and “25” along the Boston line.
8 a.m.: After a rainout Friday night the Red Sox and Yankees will play a doubleheader Saturday at Fenway Park, a day which will also feature ceremonies to honor Mike Lowell.
Lowell, who is retiring at the end of the year, will be celebrated for his five years in a Boston uniform as part of “Thanks, Mike Night.” Lowell was batting cleanup in Friday’s game before it was called off.
The opener will see Tim Wakefield opposite Andy Pettitte. The nightcap will feature Daisuke Matsuzaka against A.J. Burnett.
Wakefield is taking the spot of Clay Buchholz, who was shut down with a sore lower back, ending his season at 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA.
First pitch of the opener is 4:10 p.m. The finale is scheduled to start at 9:05 p.m.
