Schadenfreude 72 (A Continuing Series)

Mark Feinsand, Daily News:

Since the beginning of 2008, the Yankees had been 84-0 in games they led after eight innings, but the homers by Bay and Youkilis ended that run ... It was Rivera's 12th career blown save against the Red Sox, his most against any team in the majors.

Mike Lupica, Daily News:

Bay's homer is the one you will remember even more than Youkilis' walk-off shot. ...

In the quiet Yankee clubhouse, October quiet in April, Jorge Posada was asked if he could remember the last time anybody in baseball took Rivera out of a park the way Bay did. Posada stood there for a minute and took a sip of soft drink and finally said, "It's been awhile."

Again: There had been other games Rivera couldn't finish. What became a loss in Game 4 in '04 was the worst loss in Yankees history, and it started because the greatest guy in history at getting the last three outs couldn't get them when the Yankees could have swept the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series and maybe kept their foot on Boston's neck for another 86 years. ...

You try to remember somebody hitting him like Bay did last night. You couldn't believe the way the ball sounded coming off his bat and you couldn't believe where it landed.

George A. King III, Post:

... last night Mariano Rivera getting taken over the Green Monster by Jason Bay with two outs in the ninth was simply one peg on the checklist of problems.

Prior to the Red Sox handing the Yankees a 5-4 loss in 11 innings, when Kevin Youkillis hit the game-winning homer off Damaso Marte, the Yankees' world started to go dark.

Brian Bruney, who has been sensational setting up Rivera, was on his way home to New York with a cranky right elbow. ... Chien-Ming Wang was found to have abductor muscle problems in his hips and was placed on the disabled list. ... In the eighth inning of the crushing defeat that stopped a three-game winning streak, the Yankees lost starting third baseman Cody Ransom due to a quadriceps injury. Ransom, who replaced Alex Rodriguez, was immediately placed on the disabled list. ...

Rivera's flush job makes the headlines because of who he is and what team did him in. But the Yankees failed to score off Javier Lopez when he loaded the bases without getting an out or giving up a hit in the ninth when the Yankees led, 4-2. ...