Red Sox Vs. Yankees: Boston Pounds A.J. Burnett, Moves Back Into First

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 08: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox hits a two run home run against the New York Yankees during their game on June 8, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The Red Sox got to Burnett for eight runs over 5-2/3 innings, and wound up winning 11-6 to re-claim sole possession of first place in the AL East.

Jun 9, 2011 - When the New York Yankees didn't sign Cliff Lee over the winter but did sign Rafael Soriano, it seemed to signal a change in priority, as if the Yankees had adjusted on the fly to focus less on building a dominant rotation, and more on building a dominant bullpen. Indeed, coming into the year, the Yankees' bullpen looked like a terrifying strength, capable of shrinking games to six, or even five innings.

But the bullpen the Yankees built wasn't the bullpen the Yankees had on Wednesday night. Soriano's hurt. Joba Chamberlain's hurt. Pedro Feliciano's hurt. Damaso Marte's hurt. With so many relievers on the disabled list, the Yankees found themselves in an uncomfortable position, with a relief corps both top-heavy and thin.

Against the Boston Red Sox, though, the Yankees found a way to ensure that their weakened bullpen wouldn't be an issue: having A.J. Burnett get totally pounded.

Wednesday night, Burnett allowed eight runs over 5-2/3 innings as the Red Sox beat the Yankees for the sixth consecutive time, winning 11-6 to claim sole possession of first place in the AL East.

For the second night in a row, the Red Sox took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. This time, it was David Ortiz who came up with two on and two out and blasted the eight pitch of the at-bat - a 94mph centered fastball - out to right-center for his 15th home run of the season. It was also the 364th home run of Ortiz's career, right in line with Ortiz's post-game estimate of "almost 370."

From there, things only got worse for the home team. J.D. Drew's sac fly in the second made it 4-0. Jason Varitek's grounder in the fourth made it 5-0. Jacoby Ellsbury's double in the fourth made it 6-0. Dustin Pedroia's single in the fourth made it 7-0. The Red Sox weren't necessarily ripping lasers all over the field, but they were having great success getting runners on base and driving them in.

The Yankees would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth on Alex Rodriguez's solo homer. They also cut the deficit to 7-4 in the fifth on the strength of a walk, two hits and a sac fly. But Boone Logan handed momentum back when he walked Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, and when Derek Jeter came up in the bottom half with the bases loaded, one out, and the score 8-5, he worked a full count before grounding into a rally-killing 5-4-3 double play.

That proved the Yankees' last gasp, and in the ninth, Carl Crawford and Drew each went deep off Lance Pendleton to blow the game open for a second time. The Yankees went down 11-6, with Alfredo Aceves picking up the rare 3-2/3 innings save in relief of Tim Wakefield.

Wakefield allowed five runs in 5-1/3 innings and wasn't particularly effective himself; just sufficiently effective to earn the win, what with the hole his opponent dug for himself.

The series wraps up on Thursday with Josh Beckett and CC Sabathia. The Red Sox are gunning for their second straight three-game sweep in the Bronx.

For more on the Red Sox and Yankees, please visit team blogs Over The Monster and Pinstripe Alley.

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Jeff Sullivan

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I started blogging about the Seattle Mariners at Leone For Third in December of 2003, and I joined SBN and founded Lookout Landing in January 2005. I can see outside from my room, which is good... Read full bio

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