The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox traded shots in Game 2 of Rivalry Series 4 on Saturday but Boston delivered the knockout in the seventh taking advantage of a New York meltdown for an 11-6 victory. In a game highlighted by Yankee miscues and injuries, none was more demoralizing than news that Roger Clemens is suffering from a fatigued right groin, an injury that has lingered for the past few seasons, and will delay his much anticipated debut as savior to the Yankees struggling staff.

With Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling on the mound and off to good starts through three, a fourth inning 30-minute rain delay proved to be too much for the aging starters as both would leave after five with each trailing upon their departure. Curt Schilling turned in his second consecutive dismal performance against the Yankees giving up his fifth and sixth homeruns in 18 innings pitched against the Bombers this season. The teams traded leads six times throughout the game but a five run seventh proved to be too much for the Yankees. New York failed to get quality relief from the bullpen and used five total pitchers during the game. Why Joe Torre went and stuck with Scott Proctor is anyones guess, especially when he has a limited strike zone and would more than likely be ejected if he pitched anywhere inside. The result…meltdown. Walks, errors, hits, and injuries, a familiar theme during the season-long struggles of the New York Yankees.

Mike Lowell looked more like a heavyweight fighter than ballplayer during the game knocking down the right side of the Yankee infield. Lowell was apart of two questionable plays during the game that saw him intentionally throw a shoulder into the face of Robinson Cano while trying to break up a double play in the fourth and an unintentional knockout of Doug Mientkiewicz while running down the first base line trying to avoid the double play. The play on Cano was considered a clean but with a blatant elbow and shoulder into the body, which knocked him to the ground, Cano expressed his displeasure following the game despite converting the double play. Mientkiewicz however did not fair as well as an errant through from Derek Jeter forced him into the first baseline where Lowell dropped the knockout blow with a knee to the head. Mientkiewicz would lay motionless for a few minutes before being carted off the field. The Yankees placed Mientkiewicz on the 15 day disabled list after tests revealed a mild concussion, cervical sprain and a fractured bone in his right wrist.

So where are the barking fans now? I don’t see Mike Lowell being chased for his A-Rodesque antics. It is unbelievable that Mike Lowell gets let off the leash for his bush-league play but a guy like Alex Rodriguez is crucified throughout the league and in the media for weeks. And don’t tell me it comes with the contract because Mike Lowell is making over $10M a season and he has had half the career of New York’s future Hall of Famer. Speaking of Klan meetings, Kevin Youkilis and his Aryan Brotherhood beard failed to extend a 23 game hit streak because he is scared to swing the bat on 2-0, 3-0, and 3-1 counts. And that brings me to David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, is there anyone in pinstripes they can’t hit? They are 10-16 in the series and 33-85 overall hitting a cool .388 against Yankees pitching this season. But I guess that could be said for all of the Red Sox this season as they are hitting .320 as a team in 11 games against the Yankees. Series finale is Sunday Night baseball and the Yankees are looking to take their second consecutive Rivalry Series with And Pettitte taking the hill against Josh “Blister” Beckett and his perfect record. Let’s Go Yankees!

(5 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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