Yankees at Red Sox, 10 June 2009

5.53 PM: Today's line up, which will likely need to score ten or so runs in the first inning:

Jeter
Damon
Teixeira
Rodriguez
Canó
Posada
Matsui
Swisher
Cabrera


Interesting to note: both Swisher and Teixeira, both switch hitters, have indicated they may try to hit righty against the RHP knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.

There's a lot of pressure on Chien Ming Wang tonight...and the general consensus is that this might be a long night.


5.59 PM: Wang's wife is due any day. Besides numerous wishes for good luck, the jokes are flying way too easy tonight.

7.14 PM: Teixeira batting righty. 2-0 count right now.

7.15 PM: One dent-in-the-Green-Monster later, the strategy worked.

7.20 PM: And after A-Rod walks, Canó pops one up. And here our troubles begin.

7.24 PM: One out, one on for Kevin Youkilis. Uh oh.

7.24 PM: And a four pitch walk to Youkilis. Two on, one out for the Yankee killer Jason Bay.

7.29 PM: How the heck did that ball get through?

7.37 PM: Got lucky there with only one run as Wang simply doesn't have the zone. Glad to see Girardi wasn't going to waste any time if need be. Hopefully the offense can score a few runs here. I'm not used to being shut out in 2009.

7.40 PM: Hip hip Jorge!

7.41 PM: Matsui refuses to go 0-17 at any point. And Swisher is up batting right handed.

7.44 PM: Melky was unlucky there, but the real error was an awful baserunning move by Swisher. Too bad you don't get E's for offensive blunders.

Wait. Actually, that might end up being a good thing...

7.47 PM: Bad baserunning cost them that inning there.

7.54 PM: I'll be shocked if Wang makes it out of this inning.

8.07 PM: Teixeira's onto something.

8.16 PM: The Yankees, it would seem, have a real issue on their hands. They can't afford to let Wang pitch like this over the long term when Phil Hughes clearly seems to be the better option right now.

Glad I'm not the GM's office right now...

8.36 PM: Line drive single for Melky Cabrera and it's now 4-2 Sox. Men on first and second for Derek Jeter with one out.

8.48 PM: Trouble for Hughes. Man on third with one out and he's begun to nibble.

And Youkilis just hit a two run shot.

You know, I get that there's always a team we can't beat, but why, for the love of Mo, does it have to be the Sox this year?

8.58 PM: Yanks got one run back there, but with the exception of Teixeira, no one really seems to be playing with much energy. The potential is there, but they can't capitalize.

9.32 PM: Holy Mark Teixeira is 4-4.

9.44 PM: With six outs to go, the Yankees have made a game of it and it's now only 6-5. If the Yankees bullpen can hold it here--certainly not a given--they have as good a shot as anyone.

9.47 PM: Even if Swisher occasionally makes bone-headed moves, you can never accuse him of not giving it his all.