The benches cleared and the 2007 rivalry rebirth came to a head in the ninth inning with the Yankees holding on to a commanding 9-5 lead when Scott Proctor came inside on Kevin Youkilis prompting a turn towards the mound. The Yankees second ejection of the game confirmed their desire to shake things up and fuel a fire that hasn’t been seen in the clubhouse yet this season. And as the dust settled at Fenway Park, the Yankees pulled out a much needed win to take the series opener from the division leading Red Sox in front of a hostile crowd donning buxom blonde female masks, an obvious reference to the newly appointed Stray-Rod.

With Chien-Ming Wang on the mound, the Yankees were able to provide more than enough run support to combat baseball’s third-leading run producers. Wang went 5 2/3 innings allowing only 3 runs on 10 hits to even out his season record at 4-4. But even with a 9-3 lead, the Yankees managed to use seven total pitchers, including three in the ninth, a problem the bullpen has faced all season long. Robinson Cano provided the power in the 2nd inning with a two-run homerun and followed that up with a hit in his second at-bat which gave him a total of six straight hits dating back to Thursday’s game in Toronto. The Yankees unloaded in the fourth inning to break a 3-3 tie and rally for six runs on 4 walks and a bases clearing double from Jorge Posada, his first of two doubles in the game. Boston starter Tim Wakefield struggled for the second straight start against the Bronx Bombers allowing 8 runs on five hits, six walks, a wild pitch, and a hit batsman over 3 2/3 innings in what was the shortest outing from a Red Sox starter this season. As for Red Sox bats, Kevin Youkilis extended his hit streak to 23 games and David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez combined for 7 hits in 9 at-bats to do what they do best against the rival Yankees.

Joe Torre was the first of the Yankees ejections in the fifth, arguing Bobby Abreu’s failed attempt at stealing third in what has been the Yankees second breach of baseball’s unwritten rules in as many games. Yes, you never steal a base when your team has a big lead, but this is Fenway Park and with its little league dimensions no lead is safe, especially with the Yankees bullpen on the mound. But to see Torre light the fire and hear his comments following the game was encouraging to both his team and the frustrated New York fans. With the Yankees current situation who wouldn’t mind seeing a revitalization of the Bronx Zoo? With the spotlight focused back on the on/off-field actions of Alex Rodriguez, this season’s frustration is in dire need of some throwback mentality, I mean, where is Wade Boggs +50 beers when we need him?

(6 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

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