Red Sox Hit Three Bombs But Still Fall (49-51)

Cook allowed six runs in four innings

Well, we didn't really expect much more in this series-- both teams hit a lot of home runs and the Yankees came out on top. The Red Sox actually started the battle first as with two outs in the first, Dustin Pedroia drove a ball to left for a solo home run. However, the Yankees came storming back and put runners on the corners with an out in the bottom of the first. Aaron Cook's sinker worked to perfection as he got Mark Teixeira to ground a ball to Dustin Pedroia-- however, Mike Aviles was slow on the turn and allowed the run to score and the inning to stay alive. That would come back to bite the Red Sox as Raul Ibanez took Cook deep one batter later to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. The Red Sox wouldn't give up, though, as in the third, Carl Crawford hit a shot to right field and into the second deck to make it 3-2.

Pedroia hit his second homer in two
games

However, the Yankees just kept scoring and put two runners in scoring position with one out in the third. Mark Teixeira lifted one to left and into the glove of Carl Crawford-- falling for a sacrifice fly. It's a good thing they got the sac fly as in the top of the fourth, Jarrod Saltalamacchia took one to the opposite field for a solo home run to make it 4-3. But from that point on, it was all Yankees. With a man on first in the bottom of the fourth, Russell Martin absolutely crushed a ball to left field for a two-run homer to make it 6-3. It stayed at 6-3 for quite a while, all the way until the eighth inning actually. That was when the Yankees loaded the bases on a double, hit by pitch, and a walk. Curtis Granderson cashed in in the ultimate way, with a grand slam over the short porch in right. The Yankees would make it 10-3 and that would be the final in a tough loss.

Bright Spots:
Franklin Morales- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Carl Crawford- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Aaron Cook- 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 1 K, L (2-4)
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 1 BB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- Pedroia had a very good night in a calamity of a game last night, going 2-4 with his second home run in two games-- he is now .270/8/35.