Sometimes you just have a premonition that you need to keep watching. I really started paying attention in the fifth inning of last night’s Red Sox-Yankees game and was so utterly transfixed for the rest of the night as the two teams engaged in one of the finest, most exciting, perplexing and terrific baseball games I’ve ever seen.
In the end, as usual, the Yankees found a way to beat the Red Sox in thirteen innings. But getting there was one hell of a wild ride, especially the period from the 9th through the 13th inning where, among other things:
– Derek Jeter made a simply unbelievable catch, running full bore towards the line in shallow left field. He made the catch and his momentum took him – face-first – into the third row. He emerged, ball in hand, with a bloody forehead and chin, as if he’d been mugged, which is actually a 42% possibility in the Bronx. Still, an amazing play.
– The Yankees end up with a leadoff triple in the 12th inning and an obvious rally. Boston first baseman David McCarty has to exchange his glove five times in the inning because of various infield switches. At one point, McCarty, who throws left handed, was playing second base. When was the last time you saw any left-hander play second base? I couldn’t help but laugh after each at bat as McCarty would run to the dugout for a glove-switch, Kevin Millar was running all over the field (see below) and the Red Sox were using two outfielders for two-thirds of the inning.
– The same rally saw Kevin Millar play 1st base, 3rd base and right field for Boston. In the same inning.
– The Red Sox had the bases loaded with nobody out in the 11th inning and couldn’t manage a run. Couldn’t bunt the guy in from third. Couldn’t hit a sac fly. Couldn’t score a run. In another one of the most comical moments of the game, Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees was convinced he had a triple play during this inning, but didn’t realize he was counting an out on Manny Ramirez twice. Huh? He quieted down quickly when told.
– The Red Sox finally take the lead in the top of the 13th on a Manny Ramirez home run to left center, his second HR of the game. It finally appears that the Red Sox will take this one when Sox pitcher Curtis Leskanic gets the first two out uneventfully and reaches two strikes on Ruben Sierra. But come on – this is the Red Sox. Three consecutive hits later – ballgame. Yankees win 5-4.
All that said, still one of the best games I’ve seen in my life. Those highlights were just the extra innings! Let’s not forget the Sox were down 3-0 and came back. Or Sheffield and Pedro jawing at each other. Sheffield ended up being hit by pitches twice in the game. Or a Yankees rookie pitcher who looked like he was 14 years old more or less mowing down one of the best lineups in the game. This is why we love baseball.
In other news, I really need to know what the big deal is with a flower that smells like rotting flesh. Seriously, why are we so fascinated with something that will make people throw up? Or something that would make security guards not able to finish their shifts because of the smell? Ah….to each their own, I suppose. I can always go downstairs and take a whiff of my hockey equipment, which I actually place on my body twice a week. Probably not much different….
As we head into the long July 4th weekend, I leave you with another MVP Baseball screenshot of Ken Griffey Jr breaking up the double play in Cincinnati….you can click on the picture to get the large picture.
Have a nice long weekend, eh?
Song now playing: Sebadoh – “On Fire”