After trading back-to-back blowouts, the Yankees and Red Sox and a more traditional game last night and New York came out on top:
BOSTON — The Yankees have seen Josh Beckett at his best, and now they have seen him at his worst. In their final game at Fenway Park this season — until a possible playoff date, anyway — the Yankees stung their nemesis for five home runs Sunday night.
The result was an 8-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox for C. C. Sabathia, who leads the majors with 15 wins. Beckett had fired 16 scoreless innings against the Yankees before Sunday, and he shut them out for Florida in the Yankees’ last World Series appearance, in 2003. But he had never before allowed five home runs.
“Beckett is a great pitcher, but this lineup is unbelievable,” said Sabathia, who threw 80 of his 118 pitches for strikes. “I’ve had confidence in this offense all year. I just feel like I don’t have to go out and do too much to win games. Just keep them in the game and give them a chance to win.”
Derek Jeter punished Beckett’s first pitch for a home run, and Hideki Matsui went deep twice. Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez also homered off Beckett, who had a most unusual pitching line.
Beckett worked eight innings, allowing eight earned runs and five homers. The only other pitcher since 1954 to reach those totals in a game was Toronto’s Pat Hentgen against Boston on June 25, 1997.
“You tend to remember these,” Beckett said. “These are humbling deals. I’m still confident in the guys. Today is on me.”
The Yankees escaped Boston with a series victory and a seven-and-a-half game lead in the American League East. They have won 10 of 11 series since the All-Star break, including all three on this trip through Oakland, Seattle and Boston.
Their early futility against the Red Sox is a distant memory. In seven meetings this month, the Yankees won six times.
Boston, meanwhile, has a slim 1 game lead in the AL Wild Card race and will have to spend the next month making sure they aren’t sitting on the couch come October.
