Game 39 - Red Sox v. Yankees (@Yankee Stadium)

I'm not going to panic.

I'm not going to panic.

I'm not going to panic.

Ok, so maybe I'm not going to panic, but I am going to get pissed off. What the F was that tonight? Sure, the offense looked pretty good. But you've got to be freaking kidding me with the PATHETIC performances from Dice-K to start the game and Papelbon to end it. I guess I should be more ticked off at Papelbon, given that the Sox fought back to take the lead in the 8th, only to see him completely and utterly implode in the 9th, but that P.O.S. performance by Dice-K to start the game shouldn't be overlooked either. The first 6(!) goddamn hitters in the first made it on base, before he retired Thames on a sac fly to center, which was the second out...the first coming on a play at the plate. That's an incredibly weak start from a guy who has a ton to prove this year, and actually showed some signs of proving it in his last start. Dice-K's line for the night was a horrid:

4.2IP 9H 7ER 3BB 3K

I think he's got another start for sure, but if he bombs in it the Red Sox can't be patient, time to get Wakefield back into the rotation and let Dice-K figure out his act in either triple-A or the bullpen.

And then there was Papelbon. Watching the highlights of the 9th, he had no control whatsoever. The ball that A-Rod hit out to tie the game was supposed to be down and inside and Paps threw it high and outside. Then the pitch to Thames was supposed to be down and away, instead it was mid thigh and inside. You have to give the Yankees credit for taking advantage of the mistakes, but this was just pathetic pitching from two guys that are getting big contracts and need to do better, especially in big games like this.

The thing that made the game especially tough was that I had checked the score on my way home and saw it was 6-1 early, so gave it an 'wtf dice-k!' in my car, then started to accept the fact that the season was sliding away very quickly now. That turned into excitement when I checked the score after dinner on my phone (while my kids were playing games on sproutonline.com), and saw that they had clawed back to take the lead at 9-7. This was it! (I told myself), the game that was going to turn the whole season around and spark that big run that the Red Sox so desperately need to get into the race. Then I flipped my phones score mode to 'at bat' mode and saw that Gardner doubled, and my stomach started to turn like it has so many times (albeit not as much over the last few years), knowing that Teixeira and ARod were coming up with good chances to tie it. After the Teixeira out, the scoreboard on my phone said 'in play, run(s) scored' for ARod. I frantically hit refresh as I tried to get a 3G signal (the reception in my home office is spotty), until there it was, 2 run homer to tie it....f it (using my inner voice of course).

Thank god the Celtics are playing tomorrow, I'm afraid of what kind of carnage there might be with Beckett on the mound against the Yankees.