The reason I asked….Well, you know why I asked. Today’s game had a definite otherworldly quality to it – as if the ghosts of Fenway were stirred up by all the festivities yesterday. I know there have been wild comebacks over the course of The Rivalry – with both teams playing the part of the comebacker – but the onslaught mounted by the Yankees after being down 9-0 was seriously amazing.
Where to begin with this one? At the beginning, I guess.
Sweaty Freddy was horrible. I wanted him gone after the first minute. I wish Pettitte could get ready fast – especially now that Pineda is off the radar for the time being.
Phelps has been great, but even he looked over-matched.
Fortunately, the cast of characters that followed out of the pen were stellar, giving the offense a chance to do some damage.
How much damage? None that I could have predicted. I get that the Sox’s middle and late relievers haven’t been effective (poor Aceves), but how about the power of Swisher and Tex, in particular?
Fifteen unanswered runs. One after another after another. I don’t recall anything like it.
When the crowd booed Valentine as he walked to the mound to make a pitching change, I actually felt sorry for him. As Suzyn Waldman pointed out, “it’s not as if he had Goose Gossage out there.” Maybe they should have been booing their front office. (I wonder how Bobby V’s subtle tip of the cap was perceived.)
I saw a clip of his press conference after the game when he said the team had hit rock bottom. But isn’t it too early in the season to say that? The Sox got off to a slow start last year and they did just fine until the fateful collapse.
Who knows. I’d rather dwell on the euphoria I felt when the Yankees scored all those runs. Pure bliss.
Sounds like they’ll be rained out tomorrow, which would be a shame. I like the momentum they have going.
In other news, interesting about the perfecto by White Sox pitcher Phil Humber. I’d never heard of the guy but I read that he’d been traded a bunch of times and picked up on waivers. Not exactly a perfecto-type pedigree. But then the Mariners have been no-hit three times and if you’re going to throw a no-no they’re the team to be facing, no offense to Jesus Montero. Anyhow, congratulations to him.
