Youk-less Red Sox take Yanks 6-3 in Round 1

The much hyped rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees resumed today in the Bronx. Besides this epic rivalry between the 2 clubs, there is the fact that the Red Sox need to win at least 3 games of this 4 games series in order to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Clay Buchholz was the starter for the Sox tonight opposing Javier Vazquez of the Yankees. In 2 previous meetings between these 2 AL perennial playoff bound teams, the Yankees chose to bump Vazquez from the rotation when his start was to be against the Sox. They decided to go with Vazquez tonight, as the Sox have several core team members on the DL, including the most recent addition to that undesirable list, Kevin Youkilis. It was all for nought as the Sox beat the Yankees 6-3 anyhow. Vazquez was chased out of the game in the 6th inning after allowing all 6 runs.

The Red Sox received another very good performance from Clay Buchholz. Buchholz went 7.1 innings scattering 9 hits and no walks earning his 12th win of the season. Bard got his 24th hold, and Pap walked 1 in the 9th en route to his 27th save.

Offensively, Papi went 2/4 with a solo home run, his 24th, to straight away center field in the 1st inning to get the Sox on board 1st, Mike Lowell got a hit and scored 2 runs, and Ryan Kalish continued to impress with his 1st home run with the parent club, 2 RBI’s and a run scored. Mike Lowell also was a key player in a double play catching a sharp grounder from Granderson, tagging 1st base and then firing off to 2B to get Lance Berkman out there.

The Jays beat the Rays tonight, leaving the Yankees still in 1st place, and the Rays a half game behind them. The Red Sox are now 5 games behind the Yanks and only 4.5 games behind the Rays for the likely wild card spot.

Good videos here of Ortiz’s solo shot, Buchholz’s good performance, a good running catch by Ellsbury, Lowell’s DP, and for your viewing pleasure, a bonehead error by Yankee’s catcher Cervelli.

John Lackey takes the mound tomorrow for the Sox against Sabathia for the Yankees at 4:10 pm (EDT), and will be broadcast on Fox in some parts of the nation.