A-Rod homers as Yankees pound Red Sox
Apr 17, 2008 - 5:44 AMRodriguez passed Ted Williams and Willie McCovey on the all-time home run list while the Yankees' bullpen tossed five solid innings en route to a 15-9 victory over the rival Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
Jorge Posada doubled twice and drove in three runs and Bobby Abreu homered for New York, which pounded out 16 hits while scoring double-digit runs for the first time this season.
"It was a heavyweight fight between two good teams," Rodriguez said. "It will continue to be that way all summer."
The Yankees' bullpen, led by a surprising performance from LaTroy Hawkins (1-0), allowed just three hits and no runs in the final four frames. Hawkins lowered his ERA to 7.00 with two scoreless innings.
"He (Hawkins) gave us six huge outs today in the sixth and seventh," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He threw the ball very effectively. He was great tonight. I have liked the way he threw the ball the last couple of times, but luck was not really on his side."
"We showed we can win games when our ace isn't on," said Brian Bruney, who pitched two scoreless frames. "I think collectively that we think that every role is important. The middle innings were just as big as the late innings. It gave us an opportunity to score more runs."
New York wasted little time overcoming an early one-run deficit when Abreu clubbed a two-run blast in the bottom of the first off Red Sox rookie starter Clay Buchholz. Rodriguez followed Abreu, taking Buchholz's 1-1 offering deep into the bullpens beyond the left field wall to move into sole possession of 15th place on the all-time home run list.
"When I tied them (Williams and McCovey) in Tampa I feel as I do now - it's very humbling," Rodriguez said.
Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang - just five days removed from tossing a complete game two-hitter against Boston at Fenway Park - did not have his best stuff Wednesday and quickly coughed up the lead, allowing single runs in the second and the fourth for a 3-3 tie.
"Tonight, they did not swing at the first pitch," Wang said. "When you fall behind in the count, they wait for you to come up in the zone. It had nothing to do with arm strength. I simply could not find the strike zone."
Buchholz did not last through the fourth as the Yankees rallied for four runs in the frame, with Derek Jeter's two-run single serving as the biggest blow. Buchholz was charged with seven runs and eight hits while walking one and striking out two in 3 2/3 frames.
"Sometimes you've got to give them (the Yankees) a little bit of the credit," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "In the first inning, his fastball was real live, and they hit two off of him. They were not bad pitches. He made some really good off-speed pitches that they either fouled or put in play for base hits."
But the Red Sox got the runs back in the fifth, plating six runs on four RBI singles. J.D. Drew drove in a pair and Dustin Pedroia capped the rally with another bases-loaded single to make it 9-7 in favor of Boston.
But the discrepancy between the bullpens became apparent when Boston's Julian Tavarez (0-1) failed to hold the lead. Tavarez and Mike Timlin allowed four runs apiece.
"Early in April, relievers get a lot of work and get tired," Timlin said. "In the middle of the season, starters get stronger and there is bullpen famine ... no innings for anybody. Later in the season it evens itself out."
Posada and Jason Giambi each clubbed two-run doubles off Timlin in the eighth to cap the scoring.
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BOSTON 1 1 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 9 14 1
NY YANKEES 3 0 0 4 4 0 0 4 x 15 16 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: BOS - CLAY BUCHHOLZ, JULIAN TAVAREZ (4TH), DAVID AARDSMA (6TH), MIKE
TIMLIN (8TH) AND JASON VARITEK
NYY - CHIEN-MING WANG, ROSS OHLENDORF (5TH), LATROY
HAWKINS (6T
Apr 16 11:16 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JASON GIAMBI SCORED JOHNNY DAMON AND JORGE
POSADA.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, J GIAMBI ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 9
NY YANKEES 15 BOTTOM, 8TH
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: R CANO (.180, 1-FOR-4, RBI)
Red Sox 9, Yankees 15 Bot 8, 0 OutsApr 16 11:03 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JORGE POSADA SCORED DEREK JETER AND ALEX
RODRIGUEZ.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J POSADA ON SECOND, J DAMON ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 9
NY YANKEES 13 BOTTOM, 8TH
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: J GIAMBI (.114, 1-FOR-3, BB)
Red Sox 9, Yankees 13 Bot 8, 0 OutsApr 16 11:00 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
FIELDER'S CHOICE BY MELKY CABRERA SCORED JASON GIAMBI.
ERROR BY JULIO LUGO ALLOWED ROBINSON CANO TO SCORE.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, M CABRERA ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 9
NY YANKEES 11 BOTTOM, 5TH
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: D JETER (.333, 2-FOR-3, 2 RBI)
Red Sox 9, Yankees 11 Bot 5, 0 OutsApr 16 9:42 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ROBINSON CANO SCORED JORGE POSADA.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, R CANO ON FIRST, J GIAMBI ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 9
NY YANKEES 9 BOTTOM, 5TH
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: C MOELLER (.375, 2-FOR-2, RBI)
Red Sox 9, Yankees 9 Bot 5, 0 OutsApr 16 9:36 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JORGE POSADA SCORED HIDEKI MATSUI.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J POSADA ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 9
NY YANKEES 8 BOTTOM, 5TH
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: J GIAMBI (.118, 1-FOR-2)
Red Sox 9, Yankees 8 Bot 5, 0 OutsApr 16 9:31 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DUSTIN PEDROIA SCORED J.D. DREW AND SEAN CASEY.
SITUATION: 6 RUNS IN, D PEDROIA ON FIRST, J ELLSBURY ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 9
NY YANKEES 7 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: D ORTIZ (.125, 1-FOR-3, RBI)
Red Sox 9, Yankees 7 Top 5, 0 OutsApr 16 9:19 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY SEAN CASEY SCORED KEVIN YOUKILIS.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, S CASEY ON FIRST, J DREW ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 7
NY YANKEES 7 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J LUGO (.269, 0-FOR-2, RBI)
Red Sox 7, Yankees 7 Top 5, 0 OutsApr 16 9:12 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY J.D. DREW SCORED DAVID ORTIZ AND MANNY RAMIREZ.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J DREW ON FIRST, K YOUKILIS ON SECOND, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 6
NY YANKEES 7 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J VARITEK (.277, 1-FOR-1, BB)
Red Sox 6, Yankees 7 Top 5, 0 OutsApr 16 9:02 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DAVID ORTIZ SCORED DUSTIN PEDROIA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D ORTIZ ON FIRST, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 4
NY YANKEES 7 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: M RAMIREZ (.300, 1-FOR-2, RBI)
Red Sox 4, Yankees 7 Top 5, 0 OutsApr 16 8:57 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
WILD PITCH BY JULIAN TAVAREZ ALLOWED MELKY CABRERA TO
SCORE.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, D JETER ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 3
NY YANKEES 7 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: B ABREU (.304, 1-FOR-2, HR, 2 RBI)
Red Sox 3, Yankees 7 Bot 4, 0 OutsApr 16 8:49 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DEREK JETER SCORED JASON GIAMBI AND CHAD MOELLER.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, D JETER ON FIRST, M CABRERA ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 3
NY YANKEES 6 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: B ABREU (.304, 1-FOR-2, HR, 2 RBI)
Red Sox 3, Yankees 6 Bot 4, 0 OutsApr 16 8:44 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY CHAD MOELLER SCORED HIDEKI MATSUI.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C MOELLER ON SECOND, J GIAMBI ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 3
NY YANKEES 4 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: M CABRERA (.286, 0-FOR-2)
Red Sox 3, Yankees 4 Bot 4, 0 OutsApr 16 8:38 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY SEAN CASEY SCORED JASON VARITEK.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, S CASEY ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 3
NY YANKEES 3 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J LUGO (.275, 0-FOR-1, RBI)
Red Sox 3, Yankees 3 Top 4, 0 OutsApr 16 8:20 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY JULIO LUGO SCORED J.D. DREW.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, S CASEY ON SECOND, J VARITEK ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 2
NY YANKEES 3 TOP, 2ND
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J ELLSBURY (.269, 0-FOR-1)
Red Sox 2, Yankees 3 Top 2, 0 OutsApr 16 7:42 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY ALEX RODRIGUEZ (4) TO LEFT WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 1ST OFF CLAY BUCHHOLZ.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 1, NY YANKEES 3
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: H MATSUI (.314, 3 HR, 8 RBI)
Red Sox 1, Yankees 3 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 16 7:27 PM - AL
AT NY YANKEES - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY BOBBY ABREU (2) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 1
OUT IN THE 1ST OFF CLAY BUCHHOLZ SCORED DEREK JETER.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 1, NY YANKEES 2
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: A RODRIGUEZ (.300, 3 HR, 8 RBI)
Red Sox 1, Yankees 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 16 7:25 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BOSTON 1 1 1 0
NY YANKEES 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: BOS - CLAY BUCHHOLZ
NYY - CHIEN-MING WANG
DUE UP FOR NY YANKEES: M CABRERA (.300, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
D JETER (.303, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
B ABREU (.296, 1 HR, 7
Red Sox 1, Yankees 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 16 7:17 PM
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