Satan's Luau

I really dig that they play Ecstasy of Gold while Randy Johnson warms up off the mound, then hits into Search and Destroy by Metallica ... awesome stuff

1:08PM HST

TOP 1: Unit pitching after a couple of shaky starts -- Damon hits a broken bat grounder to second, Cano rushes and bobbles, an E4 ... Frosted Hair Haysoos in at first -- Damon goes on the 0-1, Posada just late out of the glove, Haysoos in at second -- Runner at second, Johnson gets ahead Renteria 0-2, and lets it even to full, the payoff ... he loses him, a walk -- runners now first and second

Ortiz flies harmlessly to center, the runners hold, one down -- Ramirez hits the first pitch, high fly out to left, two down -- Runners again first and second, now two away for Varitek, he draws a walk ... and the Unit is frustrated with the home plate ump's zone, bases now loaded

Millar flies out to center, and Johnson has pitched out of the jam untouched

BOT 1: Wakefield pitching for Bosox today -- the unique aspect of the game is that his "personal catcher" Mirabelli is not behind the plate, and Varitek is

Jeter hits a liner to right, great diving grab by Payton to rob him of a single, one down -- Womack flies out to center, two away -- Sheffield down swinging to retire the side

1:29PM HST

TOP 2: Mueller hits a high flyout to left, one down -- Payton grounds to second, two away -- Bellhorn draws a two out walk -- Runner on first, two down for Damon -- Johnson has one get away from him, the runner advances to second -- Damon ends up grounding to short to retire the side

BOT 2: Matsui hits a slow roller up the first base line, he is tagged out by Wakefield, one out -- ARod draws a walk -- Tino fouls out behind the plate to the catcher, two down -- Posada grounds one through the infield and into right center, runner to third on the play

Runners now at the corners, two down for Bernie, he hits a line out to center to end the inning

1:45PM HST

TOP 3: Renteria rips the first pitch to leftfield, it rolls to the wall, he is in with a leadoff double -- Ortiz also lines the pitch to left, this time Womack is there, one down -- Ramirez is frozen pizza, watching the classic RJ fastball (RJ 1), two away -- Varitek grounds the first pitch to first to retire the side

BOT 3: Cano rips the first pitch down the leftfield line ... just foul, he grounds a routine ball to second, Bellhorn bobbles, his throw offline to the bag, pulling Millar off, Cano in at first -- Jeter hits a checkswing roller to first, Millar guns to second for the force, the return ... Jeter is safe, one down

Runner at first, one down for Womack, he foultips into Varitek's glove, two away -- Jeter steals second on the 1-0 to Sheffield -- runner at second now for Sheffield, he draws a walk, runners now first and second

Matsui pops to third to end the inning

2:07PM HST

TOP 4: Millar flies to right center in the shadow of the Adidas sign, one down -- Johnson works a full count to Mueller, he loses him to a walk on a close low pitch -- Payton grounds an opposite field single to right, runners now first and second

Bellhorn fouls one off the ump's forearm, there is a delay to check on his forearm -- back in, Bellhorn goes down, uno dos adios (RJ 2), two down

Runners first and second to Damon with two away, he flies to left to retire the side ... Johnson out of another jam

BOT 4: ARod draws a leadoff walk, his second of the game -- Tino down waving at a flutter ball, one down -- Posada draws a walk, runners now first and second

Bernie fouls out near the left side of home plate, two down -- Runners still first and second for Cano, he grounds to second to end the inning

2:32PM HST

TOP 5: Renteria lines a leadoff single into left center -- Ortiz hits a get it wet rainmaker popup to short, one down -- Johnson jumps out ahead of Ramirez 0-2, then back full trying to blow him away, Ramirez grounds to deep short, the force play is made at second, two down -- Varitek hits a 2 run blast to left center, Red Sox 2-0

Johnson just doesn't have it today, the mistakes for homers thing this year is getting REAL OLD... and you just gotta love the two-out hit killing the Yankees again, shirt

Two down for Millar, he goes down swinging, Posada drops the ball, he throws him out to end the rally

BOT 5: Jeter bashes one to the gap in left center, it rolls to the wall ... and Damon plays it in, because Manny is doggin it out there ... Jeter hustles into third way ahead of the relay, an awesome leadoff TRIPLE!!!

Runner at third for Womack, Womack grounds to the right, one run will score, the 2b puts him out, one down

Wakefield works it full to Sheffield ... on the 3-1, Wakefield seen shaking his head, looks like he is having problems with control ... the payoff, ball four

Runner at first, one down for Matsui, he bashes the first offering to left center, it dies on the warning track in Manny's glove, two down

ARod is plunked between the shoulders ... and now I am positive Wakefield has lost his control, runners now first and second with two down

Wakefield falls behind Tino 3-0, then works his way back to full as Tino takes, the payoff ... HIGH, the bases are loaded -- Wallace in to chat with Wakefield

Posada pops out to right center ... just missed, to end the inning

3:03PM HST

TOP 6: Mueller grounds to second, one down -- Payton lasers one to left, it's over the head of Womack, and bounds off the wall, a double -- Bellhorn lines a single to center, Matsui fields ... and guns, Sox hold Payton at third, he would have been DOA

Runners now at the corners, one down -- Stottlemyre in to chat with the Unit, Tanyon up warming in the pen

Damon slaps the first offering to right, one run scores, the other runner to second, RS now 3-1

Runners at first and second, one down for Renteria, he rips a single to left first pitch swinging ... the Sox wave Bellhorn, the relay from Womack ... IN TIME!!!, two down ... great throw from Womack, great block by Posada

Runners still first and second, two down for Ortiz, he grounds up the middle, Cano blocks it ... Damon is waved, Cano guns him down at the plate ... WOW! and that retires the side with no damage ... despite the FIVE straight singles by the Sawx

Two consecutive great defensive plays keep the Yankees in the game

BOT 6: Bernie draws a walk -- Cano absolutely BOMBS one to the rightcenter stands, a 2-run shot, the game is tied at 3-3

Jeter slaps a single to left center, and that will be all for Wakefield -- Francona out to fetch Wakefield, Embree will come in to pitch for the Red Sox

Runner at first for Womack, Womack tries unsuccesfully to sacbunt, Embree works it full, the payoff ... runner goes, Womack slaps an opposite field flare to left, the lead runner holds at second

Runners now first and second for Sheffield, he absolutely CRUSHES one into the upper deck in left, a THREE RUN shot, the Yankees grab their first lead 6-3

Matsui goes down swinging, one down -- ARod draws his THIRD walk of the game -- Tino grounds to second into a 463 inning ending double play

3:34PM HST

TOP 7: Sturtze in for Yankees, the bullpen hoping to save one for the Unit -- Ramirez grounds up the middle to second, one down -- Varitek turns to the left, he grounds to first, two away -- Mantei warming for Sox -- Millar lines a two out single to center ... dejapeww

Two out, runner at first for Mueller, he grounds the first pitch to short, Jeter steps on the bag for the force to retire the side

Seventh Inning Stretch, Yankees leading 6-3

Winning time, Tynan, Tynan, Tynan! ... the sellout crowd singing along, that's chicken skin, hoo

BOT 7: Mantei in to pitch for the Sox -- Posada flares a leadoff single into center -- Bernie grounds to second into a 463 double play, two down -- Cano down swinging to end the inning

3:50PM HST

TOP 8: Trot Nixon in to PH for Payton -- Torre puts in Groom to matchup lefties -- Nixon down on a checkswing, one down -- Gordon warming for Yankees

Groom jumps ahead of Bellhorn, and then loses it back to full, the payoff ... outside, ball four -- Damon hits a broken bat popup to first, Tino makes the awkward over the shoulder play ... that's about as nifty as he gets LOL, two down

Torre brings in Gordon to face Renteria -- the reset, runner at first, two down -- Renteria a bit slow with the bat, down swinging to retire the side

BOT 8: Nixon in to play RF, Halama is now the pitcher for Boston -- Jeter flies out to center, one down -- Womack grounds to second, two down -- Mo starts warming late with two down -- full count to Sheffield, the payoff ... is grounded to short to end the inning

4:11PM HST

TOP 9: Gordon still in for Yankees -- Ortiz down swinging at the high cheese, one down -- Ramirez gets on with a four pitch walk

Torre will bring in Rivera after all -- runner on first, one down for Varitek, Varitek very patient, works out a full count, but he goes down swinging at a pitch right above the hands, two down

Two down, runner at first for Millar, he lines a two out single to left that just falls in front of a charging Womack ... dang

Mueller goes down looking FROZEN ... to end the game

4:25 PM HST

FINAL: Yankees win, 6-3

Those two plays at the plate really changed the fortunes of the game ... that and really obvious fatigue/lack of control/combo from Wakefield

Pavano (NYY) and Clement (BOS) will go tomorrow ... again national TV works against us here on Saturday due to our place in the Western region, so I will have to watch on a delayed basis ... and not even get close to the NL West borefest on FOX

2005 Season Series
Yankees: 4
Red Sox: 3

27 UP 21 DOWN ... 4 straight