G110: Red Sox 6, Yankees 3

Red Sox - 130 002 000 - 6  9  1
Yankees - 200 010 000 - 3  9  1

Ryan Kalish hit his first major league home run, a two-run line drive to right-center in the sixth. It came right after New York had cut Boston's lead to 4-3.

Buchholz (7.1-9-3-0-4, 97) had only two perfect innings, but after Mark Teixeira hit a hanger out of the yard to right-center on his ninth pitch of the night, HH allowed only two other Yankees to get past second base. Terry Francona had an early hook, going to Daniel Bard after Buchholz gave up a one-out double in the eighth. Bard got the two outs, and while Derek Jeter battled Jonathan Papelbon for a 12-pitch walk with two outs in the ninth, Bot retired Nick Swisher on a fly ball to left to end the game.

David Ortiz homered to deep center in the first. Jacoby Ellsbury drew a bases-loaded walk in the second, an inning in which Vazquez threw 39 pitches, walking three batters (one intentionally) and crowding Francisco Cervelli on an infield pop-up that clanked off the catcher's mitt for an error.

Ellsbury also made a diving catch on a sinking line drive in the eighth (Bard's first batter). He dove forward, towards the infield, and ended up belly-flopping semi-awkwardly on the grass. There was a quick shot during a replay of Ellsbury holding his left side for a few seconds.

The Blue Jays beat the Rays 2-1, so Boston gained a game in both the East (now 5 GB) and the WC (4.5 GB).

Pre-Game: Hideki Okajima to the DL with an injured calf; Felix Doubront is up from Pawtucket.

Clay Buchholz / Javier Vazquez

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

           W   L   PCT   GB   RS   RA   DIF
Yankees   67  40  .626  ---  576  442  +134
Rays      67  41  .620  0.5  543  413  +130
Red Sox   62  47  .569  6.0  561  496  + 65

The Red Sox begin a four-game series at Stade Fasciste. Buchholz leads the AL with a 170 ERA+ and has allowed only 2 earned runs and 7 hits in his last two starts (15 innings). Buchholz has the best road ERA (2.36) of any AL starter, as well as the best nighttime ERA (1.94).

Some stuff from New York:George A. King III, Post:

While Yankee fans are jazzed about burying the Red Sox in The Bronx, that could be getting far out in front. ...

Who can forget six years ago this coming October, when the Red Sox recovered from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS against the Yankees? Sure, the names have changed for each team -- but ...

If the Yankees win three of four, they put more distance between themselves and the Red Sox. Split and nothing but time comes off the calendar. Lose three, or worse, get swept, and the math changes quickly in the Red Sox's favor.

That should probably be an "0-3 deficit".

Kevin Kernan, Post:

Now that Alex Rodriguez has his 600th home run, it's time he and the Yankees take on another big job:

Bagging the Red Sox. ...

[T]he Yankees have an opportunity this weekend. They can push the Red Sox out of the race. If they let them get back in it, anything is possible. ...

A lost weekend for the struggling Sawx would put them in a precarious position heading into the final eight weeks of the season. ... The last thing the Yankees need come October is to run into their old pals from Boston. ...

Boston, no matter what, is just too dangerous a team to mess with come October.

John Harper, Daily News:

[A]fter learning Thursday that Kevin Youkilis will have thumb surgery and is out for the season, the Red Sox appear ready to be put away for the season.

But do these Yankees have that killer instinct?

Therein lies the intrigue to this four-game series. Joe Girardi's ballclub is 27 games over .500, once again in first place, mostly because it has beaten up on the dregs of the American League, going 23-8 against the Orioles, Indians, Royals and Mariners ... [T]he Yankees are only 14-14 vs. the Rays, Red Sox and Blue Jays this season ...

The Sox have shown enough grit, in the face of an injury plague similar to the one that ruined the Mets in 2009, to make you think the Yankees could be making a mistake by giving them any sort of opening. ...

It is not often the Yankees get the chance to leave the Sox for dead in early August. They really should take advantage of it.

Mike Lupica, Daily News:

The Red Sox aren't going to catch the Yankees or the Rays for the wild card. ...

[The Yankees] have to take three of four or maybe all four off the wounded Red Sox this weekend, knock them right out of the conversation ...

Mike: If Boston is not catching anyone, as you just stated as a stone cold fact, why does it matter what happens this weekend? ... What? Your columns are merely extemporaneous bullshit that have no meaning, logic or coherence*? I see.

* - E.g., "The Yankees are some team. They are some deep team ...".

Since July 3, when the Red Sox were 0.5 GB the Yankees, they have gone 13-15.

There are 53 games left in the regular season. Injuries or no injuries, it's time to stop treading water. As David Ortiz said on Wednesday:

We are running out of time. This is the time when you need to win so you don't have to be rushing out in September. You've got to win. Got to.