--------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was set to be a marquee matchup between young pitchers, and that was definitely the case. Yet it was clear who was the headliner. Despite the Yanks having a 9-hit day, they still showed Joba no love and left him with a mere one run (at Fenway!) to work with. But no worries--Chamberlain went a stellar 7-innings while striking out 9 and only giving up 3 hits and one walk. *phew* On top of that, he retired the final 10 batters he faced. His best outing as a starter couldn't have come at a better time--Beckett's only slip-up was on an opposite side dribbler by Giambi that managed to beat the shift and bring home the game's only run. Tough, but that's baseball (hey, even Josh had to admit that he was only second best that night).
Or maybe third best? The Yankees are the only team in MLB that doesn't give in to Fenway and its fans while leading in late innings. Farns almost did; how else do you explain him breaking his "perfect" streak on a bloop followed by a botched play at first? But then Enter Sandman for 5-outs. And man, is he the king of immunity to Fenway's dark magic or what. After getting out of Farnsworth's jam, he returned in the 9th to sit down Ortiz, Lowell, and Drew. What a master of his craft.
Also deserving mention are Melky and Cano for spectatcular defensive plays. First was Melky making a Gomez-esque dive to probably save a run, and then came Cano who ranged to right to begin a double play that really came out of nowhere. Since when do the Yankees so tight on the field?
Also, I guess I need to talk about this exaggerated Youk-Joba nonsense. Anyone who thinks that Chamberlain would have hit Youkilis on purpose (in late innings and with a 1-run lead and in the head) is out of their mind. Yeah...I'm talking to you, Youk. If Jeter threw a little hissy fit everytime he was pitched inside and hit I'd have a lot less respect for him. But he knows his scouting report. As you should. And he knows pitchers sometimes lose control. As you should. And he doesn't whine like a baby, mouth off to the mound, and then complain to the ump between innings about it. I mean, is Youkilis really trying to start something with a 22-year-old? Doesn't he have more important things to worry about?
...And sadly, the Twins were defeated by the Indians (thanks Livan!) and now fall 3.5 back on a 5-game losing streak. That August road trip is seeming more and more deadly.
