Sox 7, Yanks 4: Panic In the Bronx

Julian Tavarez went five innings, gave up three earned runs and earned the win against the Yanks today, 7–4 was the final. Tomorrow is an off day, and it couldn’t come at a better time for the Yanks pen, or me, we’re both exhausted.

I’m sure the Torre rumors will amp back up after the loss today, and probably reach a boiling point sometime tomorrow. I don’t know if there’s any basis to the rumors, but they could be. Torre pulled Wang before the top of the seventh today, he had only thrown 84 pitches, and while he wasn’t what you would call dominant, he could’ve gone out there and given the Yanks another inning minimum. Instead, Torre called on Proctor for fifteenth time in only the 23^rd game of the year.

For the record, I don’t think firing Torre is going to solve anything. It’s interesting to think about who would take his place if he was fired, though. My money is on either Joe Girardi or Larry Bowa. Don Mattingly is being groomed for the spot somewhere down the road, but I don’t think he’s ready yet.

The Yanks are currently 6.5 games behind the Sox with 139 left to go.

Game Notes:

• Wang hit Coco Crisp in the leg his second time up, Crisp tripled earlier in the game. Good to see him working inside, and also good to see a Red Sox player get hit.
• I’m in Mass. watching the game on NESN, and these announcers aren’t nearly as bad as I was expecting. They’re homers, but nothing over the top like the Celtics’ announcers.
• Hideki Okajima has the Yanks absolutely mesmerized. He’s by far the best Japanese import on the Sox roster.
• Doug’s HR followed a classic baseball pattern. Get the sacrifice bunt sign, miss on the first two bunt attempts, then hit a HR.
• Yanks have held a lead in every game against the Sox so far this season, they’ve won just one out of six games.
• They played Frank’s version of “New York, New York” after the Yankee loss today. I think they’ve permanently dropped Liza’s version. Perhaps the added motivation of not having to listen to Liza sing if they lost is sorely missed.

Player of the Game: Doug. 1 for 2 with a three-run bomb.