G60: Red Sox 4, Yankees 3

Yankees - 000 000 300 - 3 10  1
Red Sox - 010 000 03x - 4  8  0

You never truly know with any given pitching match-up what kind of game you'll see.

Penny (6-6-0-1-5, 117) allowed five of his eight baserunners to reach second, but he threw six shutout innings. Manny Delcarmen allowed three runs in the seventh -- the first runs he had allowed to the Yankees in 16+ innings dating back to September 2006 -- but Takashi Saito got MDC out of further trouble and cruised through the eighth.

And when Girardi sent Sabathia out in the rain for the home eighth with a 3-1 lead, the big lefty could not record even a single out. The first three batters reached base and all of them scored -- as Boston batted around and pinned a big ol' "L" on CC's shirt.

Nick Green whacked a high changeup into left field, Dustin Pedroia worked a 10-pitch walk and J.D. Drew grounded an RBI single into center. Alfredo Aceves relieved CC. After taking a borderline pitch for a full count, Kevin Youkilis dropped a single into short right field to load the bases. Jason Bay lined the first pitch he saw into left field, FY scored and the game was tied. And there were still no outs!

Mike Lowell lifted a fly ball to left center. Brett Gardner called off Johnny Damon and uncorked a noodlesque throw that rolled into the infield. Drew scored easily and Boston had retaken the lead. Phil Coke came in and walked David Ortiz on four pitched to reload the sacks, but Jason Varitek fouled out to first and Rocco Baldelli struck out.

The top of the order could do nothing against Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth. Derek Jeter grounded to shortstop, Damon flied to left and Mark Teixeira lined to Yook at first. Nine pitches = save!

In addition to his single to kick off the eighth inning rally, Green made a great play on Jeter's grounder in the ninth. He ranged far to his left, turned a full 360 behind the bag and fired a bullet to first for the out. Also, back in the second, Green was the middle man on a 7-6-4 double play when Nick Swisher was caught off second when Francisco Cervelli flew out to deep left. (Anyone who thinks Julio Lugo makes either of those plays likely believes Sabathia is anorexic.)

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the second when Ortiz crushed Sabathia's first pitch over the Wall in left. It was his 4th dong of the year. Flo reached base in all four plate appearances tonight: Damon dropped his routine fly ball in the fourth, he singled in the seventh and walked in the eighth.

The Sox also threatened CC in the first, when Drew doubled with one out and Youkilis walked. Sabathia wriggled out of that jam and (outside of Tiz's HR) did not allow a Boston runner past first until Girardi tried to steal a few outs in the eighth.

That strategy failed miserably -- and the Red Sox attacked the MFY pen.

Boston is now 8-0 against the Yankees this season and are 2 GA of New York in the East. The rivals do not meet again until August 6-7-8-9 in the Bronx.

***

CC Sabathia (3.56, 126 ERA+) / Brad Penny (5.85, 81 ERA+)

It looks like Jacoby Ellsbury will miss tonight's game as well:

There's definitely still soreness. It's still really tender even doing non-baseball stuff. If I were to get out there and dive again, steal bases, that's where the possibility is of making it worse.

Jed Lowrie could return to the lineup before the end of the month. He is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Pawtucket on Monday and might rejoin the Red Sox in Atlanta on June 26. ... John Smoltz makes his final rehab start today for Pawtucket.

Jonathan Papelbon but unavailable for Tuesday's game because of food poisoning/dehydration, but was well enough to nail down the save last night:

I felt pretty good physically. I just had to take my time between each pitch. ... I was just breathing a little heavy. ... I was sick, but I was able to bounce back and come help the ballclub.

Jason Bay: "If you're sporadic and you're not really getting strike one, we're a bad team to face."

Bob Klapisch of the Record writes that the Yankees are

desperate for Sabathia to win on Thursday night. He's about to face a Red Sox lineup that has the best on-base percentage in the American League, a blend of power and speed and baseball smarts that's still a generation ahead of the Yankees.

Sabathia said, "I always look forward to pitching under pressure," and there's no reason to doubt him. ...

Yes, there is!