Game 28 Recap

1. The first three innings of this contest were dominated by the pitchers. Josh Beckett recorded six strikeouts and the only hit he gave up was a seeing eye single just past Dustin Pedroia. Phil Hughes mowed through the Sawx as well, recording only three strikeouts and the only baserunner he allowed as a walk to Jason Varitek.

2. Josh Beckett ran into a little trouble in the fourth, though. He allowed a one out walk to Mark Teixeira and A-Rod followed with a sharp single to right. Robinson Cano struck out by fouling back a 96mph fastball into the glove of Jason Varitek. Nick Swisher took an ugly swing over a cut fastball inside, looked terrible in the process, and then took a 4-seamer away and fell behind 0-2. Beckett wasted a fastball at eye level and then buried a curveball in the dirt to even the count. Swisher must have been looking for the hook again because when Beckett went back to it, Swish smashed it where the cameras are placed over the centerfield wall and put the Yanks up 3-0.

3. J.D. Drew got the first hit off of Phil Hughes and it came via a one out single in the fourth. The Fackin' Youkstah followed with a liner that rolled into the left field corner but was held to a single by a nice defensive play by Randy Winn. Drew was on third with one out out for David Ortiz and Big Sloppy lofted a deep fly to right center that he admired as if it might have been a home run but it fell into Swisher's glove shy of the warning track, putting the Sox on the board. Yanks 3, Sox 1.

4. Josh Beckett officially came unraveled in the sixth inning. A-Rod led off the inning with a double that rolled up to the Green Monster and then Beckett hit Cano in the knee with a pitch. The runners moved up on a passed ball while Nick Swisher was at the plate but Swisher ultimately struck out. With first base open, the Sawx elected to intentionally walk Brett Gardner to face Francisco Cervelli, who was already two for two on the night. After working the count full, Frankie called time just before Beckett delivered the pitch. Beckett was clearly annoyed by the move and lost payoff pitch up an in, walking in a run.

Swinging at the first pitch he saw, Randy Winn popped a single to left, drove in a run and brought Derek Jeter to the plate with the bases still loaded. Beckett plunked Jeter in the ribs, forcing in another run. At this point, Beckett already had 105 pitches and clearly had lost his control but Terry Francona opted to leave him in. Marcus Thames then grounded a ball between short and third that Marco Scutaro fielded and flipped to Adrian Beltre. Beltre had strayed off the bag when the ball was hit and Winn barely beat him to the base, extending the inning. Beckett ran two pitches inside to Mark Teixeira - one dangerously close to his knees - before Teix singled and chased Beckett from the game in the process.

A-Rod (who had led of the inning, if you'll recall) hit a sac fly off of Hideki Okijima to put the Yankees up 8-1. Ramiro Pena struck out to end the inning but the damage had obviously already been done.

5. The Red Sox got one back in the bottom half of the inning off of Phil Hughes. J.D. Drew doubled leading off, moved over to third on a ground out and was singled home by David Ortiz.

6. Randy Winn singled to lead off the eighth, took second and third on wild pitches (from Tim Wakefield to Victor Martinez) and scored on a sac fly by Marcus Thames.

7. David Robertson came into pitch the 8th and after striking out Pedroia, walked Jonathan Van Every and Youk. Ortiz struck out looking then Adrian Beltre knocked an RBI since to make it 10-3. Boone Logan pitched the ninth and allowed a single to Victor Martinez

IFs, ANDs & BUTs

• Phil Hughes pitched seven strong innings, striking out eight and allowing 7 hits and walking one. His fastball was sitting in the mid-90s all night, mixed in a cutter that was was between 88 and 91. The two heaters accounted for about 90% of his 101 pitches, with the remaining 10% were curveballs.
  
  
• Beckett really looked like he was in command early in the game but the pitch from Swisher really tipped the balance. Beckett had Swish off balance and 0-2 but couldn't put him away and the Yankees never looked back.
  
  
• You've gotta wonder about the intentional walk to Brett Garnder. At that point there was one out and men on 2nd and 3rd and although Garnder has been solid at the plate this season, he's not exactly a guy Josh Beckett should be afraid to pitch to.
  
  
• Nick Johnson was pinch hit for by Marcus Thames in the fifth because he had to be removed from the game to a sore wrist. Apparently this is something that's been going on for a while, he's going for an MRI and looks to be DL bound. Yes, this kind of sucks, but let's wait to see how serious this is going to be before we start jumping to conclusions like this and this.
  
  
• Josh Beckett hit Robinson Cano square in the knee on a 0-2 pitch during the top of the 6th inning. Cano attempted to stay in the game but had to be punch ran for by Ramiro Pena. Cano almost certainly isn't going to play tomorrow, so it's likely the the AAA call up is going to be an infielder. Good chance it will be Kevin Russo.
  
  
• Frankie Cervelli picked up two hits, scored a run and drove in one via the bases loaded walk from Beckett.
  
  
• Boone Logan pitched the ninth and allowed only a single to Victor Martinez.
  
  
• According to Marc Carig, CC Sabathia was not pleased with Beckett's, um, lack of command. Beckett probably wasn't doing anything intentionally - or at least shouldn't have been since the bases were loaded when most of shit went down - but he kept throwing inside anyway. Something to keep in mind considering that Sabathia is starting tomorrow.

The game is at 3:10 and on FOX.