Late in the game last night, it looked like Boston would pick up another game on the Yankees, but then New York reminded us why they aren’t the same team we saw in the spring:
BOSTON, Sept. 14 — The gravity of the situation was obvious to Boston Red Sox Manager Terry Francona. Moments before, his team had a five-run lead over the Yankees, who had done their best to give away the game.
But now the lead was cut to three, after two homers, a walk and a double against the slumping reliever Hideki Okajima. With six outs still to go, Francona called on his closer, Jonathan Papelbon.
“It wasn’t the way we drew it up,” Francona said, “but we always feel good when Pap is in the game.”
Yet breaking the glass on the fire alarm only made things worse. The Yankees were rolling, and Papelbon’s trademark glare was no more intimidating than Andy Pettitte’s had been to the Red Sox.
The Yankees completed their comeback with a swift pounding of Papelbon, and they stormed off with an 8-7 victory at Fenway Park.
The game took 4 hours 43 minutes, two minutes shy of the longest nine-inning game in major league history — played between these teams, naturally, last August at Fenway. But for the Yankees, it was worth the wait. They cut Boston’s American League East lead to four and a half games and held their three-and-a-half-game wild-card edge on Detroit.
“I think it was our biggest win of the year, certainly,” said Alex Rodriguez, who singled in the go-ahead run. “It’s definitely character-building. It gives us a lot of confidence, coming into a place like this, being down five runs late in the game with their bullpen. You certainly feel like you stole it.
Stole it ? No. Earned it ? Definitely.
