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Sox Rally Past Yankees in Season Opener 24
Posted: April 5, 2010, 12:18 AM ; Updated: April 5, 2010, 10:25 AM
BOSTON (AP) -- The Red Sox stressed run prevention as they built their team for this season. Then it began and they won with run production.
Kevin Youkilis had three extra-base hits, Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run homer and three new starters had big nights with the bat as Boston rallied to beat the defending champion New York Yankees 9-7 in the major league opener Sunday night.
"We all have faith in ourselves," said Youkilis, who scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the seventh inning. "It's good to get a win opening night. It's good for the city. It's good for the fans. It's good for the players. It's good for everyone. ... But it's still just one game."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi had little doubt the Red Sox could hit.
"We expected them to score runs," he said. "We know they have a very good offensive team. You look at the guys they brought in."
The signings of outfielder Mike Cameron, third baseman Adrian Beltre and shortstop Marco Scutaro were part of what general manager Theo Epstein called the "run prevention" approach after a poor defensive season by the club. But that trio went a combined 5 for 9 with three RBIs.
"I think it's great for them because there's a lot of pressure here and it's good to see them get the hits out of the way," Youkilis said. "There's no doubt they're not just defensive (players) like everyone's saying. These guys can play."
Boston erased a 5-1 deficit against CC Sabathia in the first night opener in the history of 98-year-old Fenway Park.
"It fell definitely on my shoulders. I'm very disappointed," Sabathia said. "I had a pretty good lead and I was trying to throw the ball over the plate a little too much."
Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back homers off Josh Beckett to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the second. It was 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Scutaro singled and Pedroia tied it with an opening-day homer for the second straight season.
Youkilis then doubled with two outs, went to third on Damaso Marte's wild pitch and scored when the left-hander's high pitch bounced off Posada's glove.
"You don't really want to give them runs," Girardi said. "That's the last thing you want to do to a club like this."
Pedroia added an RBI single in the eighth.
Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless inning to get the win and Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for the save.
Chan Ho Park recorded just two outs while taking the loss in his Yankees debut. The right-hander was charged with three runs and three hits.
Former Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez got a warm greeting when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
The real starters didn't do as well.
Sabathia gave up five runs and six hits over 5 1-3 innings in his second poor opening-day start since he joined New York for a $161 million, seven-year contract.
Beckett allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings. It was the worst of five opening-day starts for the right-hander, who had allowed just four runs in 22 2-3 innings in his previous four.
The long-term contract extension he's expected to sign soon "never crossed my mind," Beckett said. "I never established my curveball, at least not for strikes."
The Yankees began the season as champions for the first time since they beat Kansas City 7-3 behind Roger Clemens in the 2001 opener. They finished that year in the World Series, but lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games.
The last time the Red Sox and Yankees met in an opener was in 2005 following Boston's first championship since 1918. New York won 9-2 with Randy Johnson beating David Wells -- like Sabathia, a burly lefty.
Youkilis got the first hit off Sabathia, a leadoff double in the second, and scored on Beltre's sacrifice fly. Youkilis then tripled in two runs in the sixth before Beltre's RBI single tied it at 5.
The Yankees went ahead again before the Red Sox grabbed the lead, typical of past back-and-forth games between the two rivals.
"That was one of those games I guess I've got to learn that it's going to be that way pretty much all year long," said Cameron, who came over from Milwaukee.
The first eight batters of the game were retired before the Yankees, who led the AL last season with 244 homers, got two longballs in a row. Posada hit a liner off the right-field foul pole. Then Granderson sent a long drive into the center-field seats in his first at-bat as a Yankee.
New York went ahead 7-5 in the seventh on Robinson Cano's RBI groundout and Posada's run-scoring single.
NOTES: The back-to-back homers by Posada and Granderson were the first by the Yankees on opening day since Dave Winfield and Steve Kemp did it on April 5, 1983, at Seattle.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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24 Comments
HUGE Yankee fan. But congrats, Red Cox. haha
Ok i am a yankeees fan, but ya they have been stinking, who nose if hey guna make it this yeer i dont think so, but dont blame this tragedy on Curtiss granderson and all the junk, its the lost of our old yanks. For ex. Hideki Matsui and Melky (milk Man) come on who trades those! whos nxt jeter!????Hideki got the world series win for the yanks so whyd they trade him!!?!?! Godzilla! come bak!!!!!!!!!!
why must the yankees lose?!?!?!?!?!
Did anyone see that little kid giving the speech at that game?
I love the Red Sox all though I live in Pennsylvania but we could see something out of the Sox although its the first but also in consideration beating the big team Yankees but according to the Sports Illustrated magazine the Sox will have there Wild Card in eight seasons.But down the road might run into trouble with Sports Illustrated estimate pick the Minnesota Twins team with Joe Mauer.
ManiacFerret your funny do you like the twins because I will be honest the rest is all true if you look in the SI Magazine.I'm not trying to be mean in anyway I respect the fact that people comment on my posts.
So true, so true. (With the Twins part at least)
I don't know why, red sox and phillie fans seem to get along!
good!! i was watching the begining of the game and saw becket get ripped off of for back-to-back homers. (posada and granderson) as a huge dodger fan, i was hoping the red sox would win. it wouldn't make sense saying i wanted the yankees to win. them and the dodgers have met in 11 world series matchups and yankees have won 8. is there any other reason why i should root for them? now don't get me wrong, i hate the red sox as well. im just rooting for them cause i can't stand the yanks'
what do u mean you can't stand the yanks? Yankees Rule!
I don't know why but from that win I have a good feeling about the rest of the red sox season
How about that Holladay? Where going the world series this season, but watch out for those nationals in the wild card. Placido Polanco hits a grand slam and gets 6 RBI's and Howards off to a good start along with Rollins.
BaseballGuy117,
You make it sound way to simple too!
Your observation is true about Ryan Howard, but i bet that every pitcher in the major leagues knows that Ryan Howard can't hit a down and away fastball.
What matters is execution. If every pitcher executed, Howard would have a .000 batting average. Not everyone can execute, and thats why Ryan Howard is one of the best in the game.
The Nationals have no talent. They need to bring in guys that will execute every day. Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman are those guys, but two guys cant run an offense, not to mention that the Nats have no pitching.
The Nationals have a long way to go before they are contenders, but the road to the playoffs will start when they can bring in a few good pitchers that can EXECUTE.
chargingbro, you made it sound so easy. like it's gradeschool. what you listed is true. but they also need to all go in their clubhouse, sit down, and all ask the same question. "what do we need to do to be a contender." they got rocked by the phills' last night. 11-1? that means who ever starts the next game was hopefully watching. its always helpful to see a batters strengths and weaknesses. if he sees ryan howard can't hit a low-outside fastball, then bring the heat to the outside corner. of course, you're going to have to change speeds maybe with a couple sinkers or curves, but if they do that, they have a chance. but remember, the odds are completely against them. not only because they stink, but they are competing with the phillies,braves, and marlins. all those three teams had a record good enough to make playoffs. braves finished second in wild card and marlins finished fourth. they have to go into every game firing on 8 cylinders. if the nats' play with enough effort throughtout the season, you're right, they have a chance to finish third or better. it's gonna take a lot of work though. i guess all that's left to do is kick back and watch.
Look, I make my predictions, and the nats are gonna get out of the cellar, maybe even third, but with best circumstances, Playoffs 2011 and 12,and WS 2013. They need to refind themselves as a baseball team ( since they've more been like a group of people playing a pickup game) and get a new owner, who can make sure the GM has a good idea on who to get. That's everything they've gotta do.
I was really hoping both teams would lose. But I finally went with the the Yanks
Yes I hate the Yankees mostly because they beat the Phillies in the World Series but anyway I just flat out hate them and I like to see them LOSE!!!!!!!!!!
Dude, CadillacCharger85, no fantasy baseball this season. Sorry dude. We're gonna see if we can improve it and bring it back in 2011.
how do you get to the fantasy page!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good for u
congrats to boston even though im not a fan
my little leauge team is the yankees so im bummed even if i lve in philly
GO PHILS
no!!!