We had a chance to put them away.
The date? June 3, 2007. The situation? The Red Sox lead the Yankees, 6-5, in the eighth inning with Hideki Okajima on the mound. Background? The Red Sox stand at 37-18 and the Yankees at 24-30, a 12.5 game lead over their reeling division rivals. The Yankees pitching is in shambles and the Red Sox bolster one of the top rotations in baseball. Okajima and Papelbon pretty much meant the game was over. Instead, the Yankees rallied. Okajima blew a save and Papelbon got the loss following an A-Rod home run in the top of the ninth. Instead of a series win, the Yankees were invigorated. The Red Sox had a chance to close the casket on the 2007 Yankees, bury them dead and shatter any confidence they had left.
The Red Sox blew a chance to put them away.
Now we stand on July 18 with a lead that has shrunk to just 7 games. You could even say it
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
