Game 48: All Aboard Clement's Revenge

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 17, New York Yankees 1

"You know something, Tim? Pedro had 10 strikeouts and has been great for the Mets this year......Yeah, Joe, he also managed to save 2500 children from a burning orphanage in between innings."
-Steven's take on FOX commentators

"I'm like a new bride...I'm so happy...[sob]"
-Robin after I updated him on the score in the sixth inning

Is there any better way to break a four game losing streak? Eight out of nine starting players scored runs, ten out of thirteen total players scored runs, Renteria went 3 for 3 with a grand slam, Nixon hit a three run dinger and Jay Payton, in as defensive replacement, hit a two run homer. Manny went 4 for 4, Ortiz two for four with two walks. John Olerud, making his Red Sox debut, went 3 for 6 with an RBI. Out of 28 hits, the Sox left 13 men on base and grounded into no double plays. Everyone came up big and did so against every pitcher the Yankees trotted out. The game was near club record for hits (the record is 28) and the worst the Sox have ever beaten the Yankees. It was beautiful.

The Sox drew first blood in the first four pitches of the game: Damon doubled on Pavano's second offering. Renteria bunted him down to third on the next pitch and Big Papi hit a sacrifice fly on the next pitch to knock Damon in. The Sox got another two in the second off a group of singles and a fielder choice. In the third, Pavano looked like he might be settling down, giving up only two hits, but came out in the fifth after another three singles and a walk combined to drive in another two runs. Mike Stanton came on to close out the inning, but ran into trouble in the fifth when, with Mueller up, the Sox pulled the exact same sequence as the other night in Toronto: single, single, single, bases loaded. This time, however, Renteria came through in a BIG way, dropping a grand slam over the center field wall off of Paul Quantrill. Then Big Papi and Manny singled and Nixon hit another bomb to get three more runs.

After that, the defensive replacements came in. Kelly Shoppach had his major league debut behind the plate. Vasquez took over for Renteria, Payton came in for Ramirez (and hit his own homerun in the seventh) and Youkilis for Mueller. The Sox scored five more runs and went on to win.

Matt Clement maintained his golden god status easily, giving up no runs, five hits and four walks over six innings with seven strikeouts. Timlin made the only pitching mistake of the game for the Sox, giving up a run in the seventh, but he, Myers and Foulke did very well in effort to get Clement his sixth victory.

Edgah Rentahrier seems to legitimately hitting a groove; he's now ten for his last twenty-five with a double, a triple and three runs and his fielding has been much improved. Psychologically, I'm much less worried about the two spot in the batting order; it seems, especially after the past few days, that many of the holes in the Sox offense, including the one created by Renteria's poor start are beginning to fill themselves nicely.

The only negative to any of this wonderfulness is the speculation of whether or not the Sox had it in them to blow last night's game open as well, assuming the Moron did not commit his fifth and sixth screwup. I suppose that sort of speculation isn't fair, especially considering the performance of Olerud today in the place of Millar - it seems likely, based on today, that Olerud would have hit a single in that bases loaded situation in the first that Kevin ended with a fly out. For now, I'll bask in the glory, look forward to tomorrow evening and hope that today is the sign of the revitalization Red Sox Nation has been eagerly awaiting.

Tomorrow night is the rubber game of the series, with Donut* against Mussina. I'll be in Worcester, MA for a Memorial Day party, surrounded by the Faithful and in view of a TV for ESPN's take on the proceedings. GO SOX!!!

* - The Embedded Yankee