Wishful thinking

Well we are in the top of the 9th... and Michael Kay has just said that the Red Sox are ahead 8-3... he must have missed that Alex Gonzalez 3 run bomb - yes, you read that right, as part of a 2-4 night, Alex scored 3 and drove in 3 from the 9 spot.

I said before the series began that I was looking forward to the pitching matchups - and after 1 1/2 things looked good for the Yankees - Beckett had his now customary poor 1st, while Johnson had breezed through his half of the 2nd in 7 pitches - I then remarked to a Yankee buddy that the bottom of the second would determine what type of night Beckett would have. Well Posada and Cano would ground out and Williams would get the first of his K's for the night, and Beckett was on his way to 7 strong innings and as good a performance as we have seen from him this year. I have said it before, and I am straying dangerously toward fanboy status and a Sox jersey with Beckett on the back, but... I am going to enjoy watching this guy pitching for the Sox - he is into every pitch, every at bat, every inning - just great to watch.

And then...

Randy just looks terrible - no sugar coating, just terrible. What shocked me most was his timidity - he didn't want to throw the ball near home plate, and with a patient line-up he was punished. When Joe came out to take the ball in the 4th it genuinely looked like RJ was fearful, and not just of the lusty boos that accompanied his exit. Yes the Yankees defence helped the Sox (A-Frod having yet another big night for the Sox, two errors and a nice ground into double play) and hindered RJ, but he refused to help himself at any stage.

Aside from Beckett's pitching, the big plus for the Sox was the continued emergence of the hitting from early season woes - they are still hitting here in the 9th and have added another three runs, and another 5 hits to leave the score at 14 - 3 with 2 outs.

But it is just one game... and tomorrow... yet another great pitching matchup... on paper!