Thames' Timely Tater

The Red Sox offense went deep five times at Yankee Stadium Monday night. Boston scored nine runs on thirteen hits. The visiting team from Beantown even came back from a 5-0 first inning deficit to take the lead in the eighth inning. Yet, the Red Sox left the Bronx ballpark losers of their eighth straight in New York because the rival Yankees staged a ninth frame comeback in the thrilling two-game series opener. Alex Rodriguez clubbed a game tying homerun to left center off closer, Jonathan Papelbon and Marcus Thames plated the go-ahead run moments later with a two-run blast. Javier Vasquez picked up his second win in his second stint in pinstripes after recording the final out of the ninth. It was the third career relief outing for the struggling starter, but an overall productive one as his team bounced back from a devastating dropping Sunday night.
Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka gave up five first inning runs to the potent Bombers. Rodriguez singled in Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner for the first two tallies of the inning. Robinson Cano’s base hit to left field signaled in Mark Teixeira from third base, and Francisco Cervelli’s double produced the fourth New York run all with no outs. Cervilli crossed the plate on Marcus Thames’ sacrifice fly to complete the Yankees’ five-run jumpstart. Boston got a run back in the top of the second off Phil Hughes. Hughes tossed five innings of six hit ball, including an Adrian Beltre RBI single in the second. Gardner gave the Yankees a 6-1 advantage in the bottom half of the second when he raced home on Teixeiria’s double. The young Yankee centerfielder scored three times during the contest and collected two hits.
David Ortiz launched his seventh homerun of the season on a 1-1 offering from Hughes in the fourth. J.D. Drew added his own long ball an inning later to put the Red Sox within one run. New York got an insurance run in their half of the fifth when Thames doubled in Cervelli for a 7-5 Bomber edge. Boone Logan replaced Hughes in the sixth and allowed Victor Martinez to drill his first of two homeruns of the night. The Boston slugger smacked his second in the eighth on a full count but not before teammate, Kevin Youkilis, roped a two run tater to lead off the inning. It was the sixth time this season the Boston first baseman went yard. Both homeruns were served up by Chan Ho Park. Youkilis couldn’t help the Red Sox in the ninth, however. Vasquez fanned Youkilis to hold the Boston lead at two with runners at the corners and two outs. Papelbon was summoned from the bullpen in the bottom of the ninth. The closer promptly yielded a Gardner double before giving up Rodriguez’s game tying bomb. Papelbon hit Cervelli with a pitch and let Thames walk off with the winning homerun a batter later to suffer his third loss of the year. Thames’ four RBIs Monday were one short of his career high. The well-traveled right fielder has 10 RBIs for New York and is batting .365 though a month and a half of 52 at-bats. Matsuzaka allowed seven runs and nine hits as the Red Sox fell under the .500 mark with a 19-20 record.

Parting Points: Tuesday’s tune-“Insensitive” by Jann Arden

I wish Tampa Bay would cool off before coming to New York. They are impressive.

Kobe helped the Lakers set down out the Suns for 40 points in Game 1. I think L.A. will take this series. It’s a tossup in the East, however.