G12: Red Sox 4, Yankees 3

Yankees - 000 002 100  - 3  6  0
Red Sox - 000 103 000  - 4  9  0

After a 2:11 delay, Papelbon came in and struck Rodriguez out on three fastballs. On the 0-2 pitch, the two runners took off, which may have distracted Slappy, who whiffed on the 97 high heat.

In the 9th, Giambi (ccbb) struck out swinging, Posada (csfbbff) struck out swinging, and Cano (bsbfbffff) grounded out weakly to Pedroia.

26 pitches in all for Bot, who will likely have tomorrow night off. In six innings this season, he has 12 strikeouts (and only 1 walk).

***

Rain delay with 2 outs in the top of the 8th. Cabrera on 2nd and Abreu on 1st. Slappy at bat and Papelbon in from the pen. He hasn't thrown any pitches.

Beckett looked great once again, allowing only one baserunner through the first five innings (and only 47 pitches). Manny gave him a 1-0 with a long home run to left-center in the fourth.

Beckett faltered in the sixth when Molina and Gonzalez both singled to start the inning. Two sacrifices - a Damon bunt and a Cabrera liner to center -- brought in the first run and a wild pitch brought in the second.

Down 2-1, the Sox finally slapped Mussina around. (They had two singles in each of the first two innings off Mussina, but two double plays and an outfield assist let him off the hook.) With one out in the sixth, Ellsbury singled to left and Pedroia doubled off the Wall. Ortiz -- in a prime spot to break out of his current slump -- struck out. Girardi came out to chat and the Yankees elected to pitch to Manny. Mussina threw an 88 mph fastball in the heart of the strike zone and Being hit it to deep right-center for a two-run double. Bruney came in from the pen and Youkilis greeted him with a single to put Boston up 4-2.

Beckett started the seventh by walking Slappy on four pitches. He got Giambi to GIDP 453, but then gave up a single to Posada and wild pitched him to second. Cano doubled off the Wall and New York crept to within one run.

In the top of the 8th, Okajima got two quick outs on four pitches, but then walked Cabrera on four pitches and surrendered a single to Abreu. Papelbon came jogging in -- and the tarp came out.

***

Mike Mussina (3.09, 133 ERA+) / Josh Beckett (9.64, 45 ERA+)

Sean McAdam, on the bullpen:

After last night's game, the bullpen owned a collective 6.17 ERA, and as high as that figure is, it was deceiving. Subtract the work of closer Jonathan Papelbon and set-up man Hideki Okjima, and the bullpen's ERA zooms to 8.88.

Terry Francona, on Jed Lowrie:

If he's here for two weeks, one thing we don't want him to do is sit every day. That's no good. That kind of gets in the way of his development. We'll probably work him in a couple of times a week over there at the minimum.

Alex Cora referred to his elbow injury as "weird" and something he's "never felt before". He said he should return to his daily routine today.

Michael Silverman, Herald: "Since 1901, the Red Sox and Yankees franchises have been duking it out." The Yankees did not exist in 1901, though I suppose that technically the franchise did. The American League did not have a team in New York until 1903, when the Baltimore Orioles moved and became the Highlanders.

David Ortiz: 0-for-13, 1-for-25, 3-for-39 (.077). Am I worried? Not at all. As I said recently in comments, I'm worried about Flo's bat like I'm worried about the sun rising in the morning. However, I am curious, should his slump continue, if he'll hear any boos at Fenway? I've heard Yankee fans boo Rivera and Jeter, so any insane behavior is possible.