G16: Red Sox 5, Yankees 4 (11)

Yankees - 000 200 200 00 - 4 13  1
Red Sox - 100 001 002 01 - 5 14  0

After Jason Bay tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run bomb to center off Mariano Rivera, Kevin Youkilis won it with a dong to left off Damaso Marte.

The first half of the game was highly frustrating, as the Red Sox hit into four double plays in the first five innings. But things clicked in the sixth, as Mike Lowell doubled and Jason Varitek and Nick Green followed with singles, tying the game at 2-2.

Hideki Okajima relieved Lester (6-7-2-3-7, 114) in the seventh and faced four batters. They all reached safely, but only two of them scored, thanks to Manny Delcarmen's arm (3 outs on 8 pitches) and Bay's diving catch of Robinson Cano's liner to left center.

After Jonathan Albaladejo plunked Green with two down in the eighth and threw a called strike to Jacoby Ellsbury, Joe Girardi called on Rivera. Panic move? Maybe. Lyndon singled, but Dustin Pedroia was caught looking.

Javier Lopez loaded the bases in the top of the ninth with no outs on an HBP and two walks. But he toughened, getting Cano to hit into a 4-2-3 double play with the infield in and retiring Melky Cabrera on a foul pop to Tek.

Rivera struck out Ortiz to begin the bottom of the ninth. Youkilis lined a single right back through the box and took second on J.D. Drew's slow grounder to second. Then Bay came up, looked at a ball, and crushed a home run into the left-center end of the Monster seats. Tie game, 4-4. Lowell singled, but Varitek fanned. Rivera ended up throwing 30 pitches.

Mark Teixeira stranded runners at second and third in the tenth and Milk Dud GIDP'd to end the eleventh. After Ortiz struck out against Marte, Yook hit a no-doubt shot on a 2-1 pitch to left field and the first walk-off of 2009 was in the books.

***

Joba Chamberlain (5.06, 97 ERA+) / Jon Lester (5.50, 95 ERA+)

The Herald's Sean McAdam thinks "it might be too soon to expect the requisite high drama this weekend".

Over at the Post, Mike Vaccaro counters with: "Not to worry. There is Joba."
Referring to the four times Chamberlain has pitched up near the head of Kevin Youkilis in the last two seasons, Terry Francona notes that "he has great command until Youk gets in there". David Ortiz says "the next step for [Joba] will be to earn respect from everyone in the league so people don't get the wrong idea about him".

Over at SoSH, ToeKneeArmAss posted this:


Both teams come into the series on hot streaks. The Red Sox are led by Youkilis: .429/.522/.750; 14 runs scored, six doubles, four homers, 12 RBIs. ... Ortiz: "He gets up in the morning and he's already got a hit."

Roger Rubin, Daily News:

The Yankees have won six of their last eight games, while Boston has won seven in a row to go from the AL East basement to within striking distance of first-place Toronto. Both teams enter the weekend series at 9-6 [2 GB the 12-5 Blue Jays]. ...

On the current streak, their primary method has been beating foes into submission - Boston leads the AL in team batting average (.320), on-base percentage (.409), slugging (.580) and runs per game (7.86) over the last week. ...

Pedroia is hitting .458 over the last six games, while Ortiz has five hits in the last three games ...

Since a 12-inning loss to Oakland on April 14, the Red Sox have not lost. In their last four games, the Red Sox have outscored their opponents 31-6. Here are some numbers on the two halves of the young season:

REC    RS   AVG   OBP   SLG    RA   ERA
2-6    29  .237  .319  .388    43  5.40
7-0    55  .320  .409  .580    20  2.66

What, Ortiz Worry?

People panic too easy here. I've been here seven years, man, and the years that we struggle the most, we win the World Series. Sometimes, I guess, panicking, that's what makes the game interesting. Sometimes, that gets the game all (messed) up too. I don't know, I love it. It's good with me. I've been dealing with it for years, so I know how it goes.

***

When he was 13 years old, Arthur Giddon was a batboy for the Boston Braves. That was in 1922. For his 100th birthday, he'll be working at the city's other ball park, serving as the Red Sox's batboy during batting practice.

The Red Sox have sent Chris Carter back to Pawtucket and are expected to call up Jonathan Van Every before tonight's game. ... Boston has also reacquired Kason Gabbard from the Rangers. ... In his first start since injuring his hamstring, Clay Buchholz pitched five innings against Rochester, allowing three hits, two walks and two runs.