Julio Lugo (right) was a nightmare for the NY Yankees Friday night. The Boston leadoff hitter went 3-4 with a homer, double and single, walked twice, stole two bases, drove in 3 runs and scored 3 times, leading the Red Sox to an 11-4 bombing of the Bombers in the Bronx. The win put Boston 4 games up over Toronto in the AL East and opened a 6 1/2-game lead over the slumping, last place Yankees, who have lost 7 straight.
The Yankees are approaching an odd record. They've used at least 5 pitchers in 8 straight games. The MLB record is 9, and they hope not to equal that when Jeff Karstens takes the mound against Tim Wakefield this afternoon at Yankee Stadium. The Yanks are the only team in the majors without a save to their credit this season and are trying to avoid their worst slump since August, 1995, when they lost 8 straight.
New York is struggling in almost every aspect of the game. Topps, the world leader in sports trading cards for over 70 years.
The Sox stole 3 bases on Jorge Posada last night, Alex Rodriguez, whose bat has carried the team thus far, was 0-3 and is only 1 for his last 10 at-bats. The usually-reliable Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the 9th with the Yankees down 7-4, but lasted only 1/3 of an inning, allowing 3 hits, a walk and 4 earned runs. Rivera's ERA is 12.15. Ugly.
Tampa Bay's 2nd-year starter James Shields may be someone to keep an eye on. Last night, Shield allowed just 4 hits, a walk and 1 earned run, striking out 9 over 8 innings for his 2nd win of the season, 4-1 at Oakland. Al Reyes worked a hitless 9th for his 8th save.
Shields, after getting knocked around in starts against Toronto, Texas and Baltimore, may be settling into a nice groove. He allowed only 2 hits and 2 earned runs in his previous start against the Indians, but received no decision in a 6-4 loss, despite working 8 innings and striking out 12. He's avoided taking a loss thus far, evening his career record at 8-8. In 36 innings this season, he's struck out 37 while giving up only 7 walks. His ERA is 3.75, but his WHIP is a dandy 0.92. Fantasy players (and maybe the Yankees) should take note.
Other AL Scores
Seattle 7 Kansas City 4 - R. Sexson, 1-25 last 7 games
Minnesota 5 Detroit 3 - J. Mauer, pinch-hit 2-run single in 8th
Chicago White Sox 7 LA Angels 3 - J. Dye, 2 HR (5)
Cleveland 5 Baltimore 4 - Indians, 6-gm. win streak, 1st AL Central
Texas 5 Toronto 3
National League
Pittsburgh's Ian Snell (right) shut out the Reds on 6 hits over 7 innings en route to his 2nd win of the season, a 3-1 decision at home. Salomon Torres gave up a leadoff home run to Adam Dunn in the 9th, but still earned his 7th save of the season. The Pirates stretched their winning streak to five games and clawed to within 2 games of the Brewers in the NL Central. Snell, in five starts, has lasted at least 6 innings in each, and has allowed just 6 earned runs over 34 innings for an ERA of 1.59 and a 1.03 WHIP.
Edgar Renteria singled 4 times in 5 at-bats, drove in 2, scored a run and was instrumental in a key 7th inning rally that helped the Braves regain a slim 1/2-game lead over the Mets in the NL East, by winning at Colorado, 9-7. The Mets and Braves have exchanged the top spot in the division for the better part of the early season with neither team capable of pulling away. Renteria is off to a sizzling start, batting .344, including a 14-33 (.424) stretch in his current 7-game hit streak. Andruw Jones contributed his 4th homer of the year, a 3-run blast in the 4th inning.
Chris Capuano improved to 4-0, scattering 5 hits and 3 walks over 6 innings, as the Milwaukee Brewers won 4-1 at Houston. Francisco Cordero got his 9th save of the season with a hitless 9th inning and remained tied with Arizona's Jose Valverde for the NL saves lead. Cordero's been virtually untouchable in 10 1/3 innings this season, allowing just 3 hits and no earned runs while recording an eye-popping 19 strikeouts.
Other NL Scores
Washington 4 NY Mets 3 - J. Reyes, SB (13)
Philadelphia 6 Florida 5 - J. Rollins, HR (9)
Chicago Cubs 5 St. Louis 3 - J. Marquis (W, 3-1)
Arizona 3 San Francisco 2 - SF win streak stopped at 8, J. Valverde, S (9)
LA Dodgers 6 San Diego 5 - Dodgers 1-gm. lead in NL West
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