Final, Red Sox 7-5: And there you have it, folks. The Red Sox are a .500 team!
A sweep of the listless New York Yankees gets them there, and sends them home for seven straight on a wonderful note.
These two teams next meet here in just a few weeks. It will be interesting to see where they stand at that point in time in what is an incredibly bunched American League East.
Daisuke Matsuzaka squares off against the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of the homestand Monday. There is rain in the forecast for much of hte week, so plan accordingly. Thanks for following along tonight.
Mid 9th, Red Sox 7-5: Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, the three guys due up, are just 10-for-43 (.233) against Jonathan Papelbon, but five of their hits have been homers.
They are playing a "Rocky" montage herre at the stadium to try to get people pumped up. Just a smattering of applause.
End 8th, Red Sox 7-5: The walk to Jorge Posada gets the fans a bit juiced, but Daniel Bard shuts the door after that. Two lazy flies and another Derek Jeter grounder to second does the trick.
Mariano Rivera will pitch the ninth for New York. Jonathan Papelbon is ready for his half.
11:20 p.m.: Adding intrigue into an already long and interesting night, Daniel Bard walks Jorge Posada to begin the bottom of the eighth.
Both closers are warming in their respective pens.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 7-5: Plenty of power tonight for the Red Sox. The latest blast is the first in nearly two years for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Not to take anything away from him, but it was in the first row or so just down the line, a 325-foot special. Still, a mammoth run as Boston does all it can to keep the Yanks at bay.
Daniel Bard is back out to begin the eighth. Jorge Posada will be the first in the box. This place will go nuts for him.
End 7th, Red Sox 6-5: A lot of wheels turning here. Terry Francona chooses to go with Daniel Bard instead of Rich Hill, which was one option.
After going to 3-1 on Robinson Cano, the Sox then elect to intentionally walk him and face Nick Swisher, who was 3-for-8 with a home run against Bard.
Andruw Jones was up next, making some wonder if Jorge Posada would be seen as a pinch hitter.
Bard makes that a non-issue, for now, by striking out Swisher and stranding two men. Huge K.
10:56 p.m.: The Yankees 3-4-5 hitters have been horrendous in the series, chief among them Alex Rodriguez, but he lines a double down the line that pushes Curtis Granderson to third base.
Oh, wait, Carl Crawford bobbled the ball in left, so Granderson scores. Evens out the A-Rod error from just a moment ago.
Daniel Bard in to face Robinson Cano with the tying run on second and two outs. Good stuff here.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 6-4: The Bill Buckner comparisons are flying around this place after Alex Rodriguez let one roll through his legs for a big error in the seventh.
You have to remember, however, that A-Rod is a true Yankee now, so he'll never get the Buckner treatment.
New York is a slopply squad right now. In their last four games, 18-of-25 runs have been unearned.
And yes, Alfredo Aceves will pitch the seventh for Boston. Final line on Jon Lester: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K. Not his best outing, but a win is a win is a win, and one in Yankee Stadium to finish a sweep is a WIN…capital letters and all.
10:37 p.m.: The loudest this place has been all series comes when Alex Rodriguez makes one of the worst errors you will ever see (exasparated screams from Yankees fans, cheers from Sox fans).
An easy grounder to third, where there was a force, skips right through his legs, allowing Dustin Pedroia to score from second.
A-Rod may have been thinking about stepping on third and then throwing to first for a DP, which would've been next to impossible. Regardless, gotta make sure of one.
End 6th, Red Sox 5-4: Two walks in the sixth accomplish little for the Yankees, except to push Jon Lester's pitch count to 109.
David Robertson will start the seventh for New York. Thought Boone Logan would get to face Jacoby Ellsbury but, well, he isn't.
There is action in Boston's pen. Looks like Alfredo Aceves.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 5-4: Boone Logan does his job, with a little help from the defense.
Carl Crawford blooped one to left that Brett Gardner caught inches above the turf. Jarrod Saltalamacchia then lined a hard shot that Alex Rodriguez hauled in, although he didn't have to move much.
Jon Lester has thrown 87 pitches as he begins the bottom half.
10:03 p.m.: Well, the leash went only as far as the next left-handed hitter. Freddy Garcia gets the first out of the sixth before giving way to Boone Logan, who is on to face Carl Crawford, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jacoby Ellsbury, at least.
End 5th, Red Sox 5-4: Alex Rodriguez is now 1-for-10 with five strikeouts in this series after becoming Jon Lester's latest victim to finish the fifth.
Lester has five strikeouts in the game.
Freddy Garcia to the mound to start the sixth, but expect a short leash.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 5-4: David Ortiz's seventh home run of the year was all muscle.
He was out in front with his body on a changeup by Freddy Garcia, but used all arm to sock it down the line in right. Four home runs in this game already.
Ortiz appeared to break his bat, to reinforce the oddity of the shot. Also, it's 13 feet down the line here.
Stirring, but no actual throwing in New York's bullpen, which has been ravaged a bit of late because the team is constantly playing from behind. Joe Girardi is going to mop-up and middle relief guys a lot, and may have to once again.
End 4th, 4-4: All sorts of weirdness involving Brett Gardner in the fourth.
With a man on first and one out, Gardner grounded back to Jon Lester. The throw to second seemed to pull Jed Lowrie off the bag, but the runner was still called out.
Gardner reached, but was caught stealing with the old 1-3-4-3. Gardner might've been safe if he just kept running afte Lester threw over to first. He stopped and was eventually caught in a rundown by the much faster Adrian Gonzalez.
Gardner has been a bit maddening this year for the Yankees. He struggled out of the gate and was dropped from first to ninth in the lineup. He has blinding speed, but has six caught stealings against just five stolen bases. And he struggles getting bunts down, something that doesn't allow him to take advantage of that speed.
Anyway, Lester is through four having thrown 73 pitches.
Mid 4th, 4-4: Freddy Garcia was on the ropes after a hard hit by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a hit batsman (Jacoby Ellsbury), but he gets Dustin Pedroia to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.
Potentially a huge play in this game.
Andruw Jones leads off the bottom half of the fourth in this one, which should end around sunrise.
End 3rd, 4-4: Jon Lester is able to put up his first zero against a trio of scuffling Yankees.
Alex Rodriguez is batting below .250 for the first time all year, Robinson Cano is just over .280 (he was at .324 the last time we saw him) and Nick Swisher, a strikeout victim, is now at .219.
Mid 3rd, 4-4: Three home runs in a span of nine hitters in this game, the latest a three-run shot for Kevin Youkilis in the third. The game is tied 4-4 and much of the life was sucked out of this place on that one.
Youkilis won a lengthy battle with Freddy Garcia before hitting one to left. Jacoby Ellsbury, who doubled, and Adrian Gonzalez, who walked, also scored on the play.
If Jon Lester can settle down the Sox will be in great shape. Garcia won't keep this lineup down much anymore, if at all.
End 2nd, Yankees 4-1: Coming into this series, it was Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett who had their issues in Yankee Stadium and against the Yankees in general, and Jon Lester who had been so solid in the rivalry.
However, after the first two dominate, Lester is looking flat. He gave up an absolute bomb to Andruw Jones to start the second and then issued a walk to Russell Martin. That became a run moments later when Curtis Granderson lined a two-run shot into the seats in right.
Granderson has 13 homers this year. Lester has given up six in his last four starts and nine this year, just five fewer than 2010.
And thanks for the corrections, sarcastic and otherwise, on the Jeter HBP. I know the rule, but was doing about 15 different things at the time and didn't think twice. It has been noted.
Mid 2nd, 1-1: While everyone talks about the former starting catcher for New York, the current one hurts his team's cause in the second.
Freddy Garcia opened the inning by striking out Kevin Youkilis, but a passed ball allowed Youkilis to reach first. That's the second time this series that has happened to Youkilis.
A single and a walk loaded the bases and Jed Lowrie lifted a long sacrifice fly to center.
That also moved up David Ortiz 90 feet to third base. Ortiz then broke for home on Carl Crawford's tapper to third and was an easy out. There is no way in heck that Alex Rodriguez gets Crawford on that play, so if Ortiz just stays put, it's bases loaded and one out. Instead, there are two outs and Garcia is able to escape by retiring Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
I don't know if that was all Ortiz or if third base coach Tim Bogar has anything to do with it, but not a good decision. Some are saying it was a contact play. I thought I saw Bogar yell something. Maybe it was "contact play, David."
The run for Boston is unearned, the sixth of that variety in the last four games for New York.
End 1st, Yankees 1-0: If there was a team that needed an early run to get some positive vibes going, it was the Yankees.
And when the opposing pitcher is Jon Lester, it means just as much.
Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch and Curtis Granderson pushed Jeter to second with a weak tapper to the mound. Mark Teixeira, who has offered so little resistance against Boston, singled to left.
Lester has had his first-inning issues. You will recall the three-spot the Blue Jays put on him Tuesday night.
Mid 1st, 0-0: Adrian Gonzalez swings and misses at a Freddy Garcia splitter to end a quick top of the first inning.
This place is pretty charged up, I must say. Seems the fans are backing their boys, who are in dire need of a win tonight. Jorge Posada, who has gotten some love tonight, got a roll call mention from the bleacher creatures, even though he's riding the pine.
Back to Gonzalez. We compiled just a few stats based on his production this month. Click link to see how close he may come to many team and baseball records if he keeps this up.
Jon Lester time.
8:10 p.m.: Brett Gardner makes a nice sliding catch of a Jacoby Ellsbury shot into the gap, and we are off and running.
6:53 p.m.: As a light rain comes and goes, and the Red Sox finish up batting practice, here are the pregame updates on Boston's side of things.
Marco Scutaro has been in Miami working with a therapist to try to improve his strained oblique. He is expected to rejoin the team Monday when it begins a seven-game homestand.
Scutaro is eligible to come off the disabled list the following week, on May 23.
Terry Francona was asked a lot about Carl Crawford, who remains in the No. 8 spot in the lineup, but with significantly less bluster than a certain Yankee who caused an international incident when he saw his name penciled into the ninth slot.
Francona insisted he wants to get Crawford back up to the top of the lineup soon. He has been saying this for more than a week now. Problem is, where?
"It also affects other people," Francona said. "Gonzo's the hottest hitter in the game. Pedey we would like to hit second. Ellsbury…there's some things to think about."
For his part, Crawford has just plugged away, even while wondering himself where he would hit right now if moved up. It's more a testament to the depth of the order than anything else.
Francona also fielded a question on Rich Hill. The lefty has yet to allow a run in 4 2/3 innings this year, after throwing four scoreless last year with Boston and shining in both spring training and at Pawtucket.
Hill retired a pair of right-handers last night and has showed effectiveness in such matchups, which will make him that much more valuable. I've been saying for a few weeks that Hill will be the Hideki Okajima of years past for this team. Early on, all indications are he could be even better.
"If he throws strikes, he can be really effective," Francona said. "There's a lot of deception there, which you can see."
5:57 p.m.: Both managers, as well as Jorge Posada and Jason Varitek, have commented on the events of last night. We will have plenty more on everything that was said in a bit.
For now, we want to pass on the lineup for the Yankees. It is without Posada, but that should not come as a surprise. He is 0-for-24 with 10 strikeouts against lefties and Girardi said he had this lineup in his head days ago.
Derek Jeter, SS
Curtis Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Andruw Jones, DH
Russell Martin, C
Brett Gardner, LF
4:04 p.m.: J.D. Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia return to the lineup Sunday night. Here is the Red Sox' look against Freddy Garcia:
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
David Ortiz, DH
J.D. Drew, RF
Jed Lowrie, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
3:29 p.m.: Greetings from Yankee Stadium, where this is what we can see on the field: a tarp, seven pigeons, two guys mowing the lawn and a hatless Dustin Pedroia taking swings on his own in front of the Red Sox dugout.
The rain has stopped, for now. There is more forecast for later on, but it's been moved back to the latter portion of the night. Looks like we might be OK.
That said, it is incredibly humid. And, the heat is blowing in the press box. Group that with about 100 laptops that will be on for nine hours or so and some cozy confines in some of these rows, and you have the recipe for a stifling evening.
But who's complaining. Certainly not the Red Sox, who will be aiming for a sweep and a .500 record. They are 0-4 in their previous four attempts at evening the mark, but that has to end at some point, right?
11:49 a.m.: A quick weather for anyone curious. It is raining pretty well in Manhattan right now, but there will be a clearing in a bit. Then, more wet stuff is due later in the day/night.
There is a massive system in western Pennsylvania. If it glides north from its current position, rather than east to NYC, we should be fine. If not, settle in for a long night.
More updates to come in a bit.
11 a.m.: The Red Sox will go for a series sweep Sunday night in Yankee Stadium with Jon Lester on the mound.
Lester is 6-1 with a 3.28 ERA in his career against the Yankees. If the results of Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett, both of whom had struggled against New York before dominating in the first two nights of the series, are any indication, Lester is in line for a quality effort.
Beckett tossed six scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory on Saturday that gave the Red Sox nine wins in their last 12 games in the rivalry. It also sent the Yankees to their eighth loss in 11 games, all amid the controversy surrounding Jorge Posada.
Freddy Garcia will make the start for New York. He is 8-2 lifetime vs. Boston and owns a 2.40 ERA in five starts this year.
First pitch for this one is scheduled for 8:05 p.m., but rain is in the forecast all day in New York.
