Red Sox Very Clean, Get Swept by Yankees

By Jon in Featured, Red Sox, Top Story ⋅ August 10, 2009 at 5:07am ⋅ Post a comment

Perhaps the plane tickets were wrong. Perhaps there was some baggage-related mix-up. Whatever happened, the Red Sox offense never arrived in New York, losing the fourth game of this crucial late-season series to the Yankees 5-2. Damon and Teixeira’s back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning — off Daniel Bard, no less — may have ended Boston’s division title aspirations, while Nick Swisher’s two-run single later in the same inning sealed the game. Ladies and gents, this was ugly.

The Red Sox squandered a sterling performance by Jon Lester, who gave up one run through seven, while striking out seven. The offensive anemia has been accompanied by an uncharacteristic profligacy in the Boston bullpen, as Bard and Okajima gave up the critical runs.

Frankly, Sox fans, this was tough to watch, as Boston took an unlikely lead in the top of the 8th inning, only to watch it decisively slip away just three outs later. That’s four of the last four the Red Sox have lost to New York. The focus has shifted to the wild-card, make no mistake.

Sox Stud of the Game:

Tied between Victor Martinez and Jon Lester, as the former teased us with prospects of victory, and the latter was cruelly denied a win for an excellent performance.

Sox Dud of the Game:

Well, he doesn’t play for the Red Sox, but Nick Swisher’s an asshole, so let’s give it to him, what with his excellent plays in the field for the Yanks. Additionally, he tried to play-act his way on base for a phantom hit-by-pitch. Then he hit a two-run single. Screw that guy.