G153: Red Sox 10, Yankees 8

Red Sox - 030 430 000 - 10 14  1
Yankees - 001 002 401 -  8 10  1

Jed Lowrie went 4-for-4 and hit a three-run homer in the second inning. Darnell McDonald and Marco Scutaro each had two RBI in the fourth, and Bill Hall added a three-run dong in the fifth.

The Yankees hit six home runs (and four singles). It is only the fourth time since 1920 that the Yankees have hit as many as six homers against Boston. They hit seven on May 30, 1961, and six on both June 2, 1935 (also only 10 hits) and May 26, 2002.

(And hit six home runs in a nine-inning game and lose? This is only the 19th time it has happened in the last 91 years.)

The Rays beat the Mariners 5-3 and moved into first place in the East, 0.5 GA of the Yankees. Boston is 6.5 GB New York in the Wild Card race. Two wins this weekend would bring them within 4.5 with 7 games to go, including 3 head-to-head. Just sayin'...

Josh Beckett / Andy Pettitte

Scutaro, 2B
Drew, RF
Martinez, C
Beltre, 3B
Ortiz, DH
Lowell, 1B
Lowrie, SS
Hall, LF
McDonald, CF

This series -- and the three games at Fenway next weekend to end the regular season -- have far less meaning that we had hoped. Now the job is to knock the MFY out of first place.

Since August 1, both teams have played at two games over .500 (Yankees 26-24; Red Sox 25-23). New York has lost 11 of its last 17 games, while Boston has dropped 13 of its last 23.

Also at 7 PM: Mariners/Rays.

September 24:

1921 - The Tigers lose to the Senators 5-1 and an angry Ty Cobb challenges umpire Billy Evans to a fight. Evans accepts and they brawl. George Hildebrand, the game's other umpire, reports the incident to AL president Ban Johnson, but Johnson does nothing. Commissioner Kenesaw Landis suspends Cobb, but allows him to continue as manager.

1931 - A round-robin playoff series between the Giants, Dodgers and Yankees raises $48,000 for charity. Between games, Babe Ruth bats right-handed (!) and wins the fungo hitting contest, hitting a ball 421 feet.

1939 - Johnny Cooney played 20 years in the majors and hit only two home runs -- and they came on consecutive days. He hits his first in the opening game of a doubleheader today and the second in tomorrow's game.