Sports Redux: Can The Yankees Be Stopped?

AP Photo/Elise Amendola.

The Red Sox ability to beat the Yankees has evaporated, and after Friday's almost indescribable 20-11 loss, the Yankees look unstoppable. It pains Bostonist to type such heretical words. PatriotLedger.com called it "one of the worst pitching performances in franchise history." You wanna argue with that?

Brad Penny wasted no time putting the Red Sox in a hole. Derek Jeter, who looked like he was really swinging at Jim Rice, opened the game with a double and it went downhill from there. He allowed six runs and eight hits in the first two innings. He left after four innings, 10 hits and eight runs. Michael Bowden might have been worse, if that's possible. Two innings, eight hits and seven runs. Bowden is 22 and has a long way to go. But, Theo Epstein, please tell us this you didn't deal Justin Masterson because you had to hold on to this stiff.

What makes an "effort" like that so frustrating is the crappy performance turned in by Andy Pettitte for the Yankees last night. Boston generated seven runs and seven hits in five innings. Bostonist bets the Sox usually win when they score at least seven runs. Jacoby Ellsbury tied Tommy Harper's team record with his 54th stolen base of the season in the first inning. Ellsbury, Mike Lowell and David Ortiz each finished with two RBI.

Hideki Matsui had two home runs and seven RBI. A-Rod and Melky Cabrera each had four hits. Mark. Teixeira had three RBI.

The Peabody Western All-Star Little League team is at Williamsport, Pennsylvania for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Despite opening the Little League World Series with a 10-1 loss to San Antonio, Texas on Friday, they'll never forget this journey.

Good News

Thank you BostonDirtDogs, for some much needed Monty Python inspired levity today. Jerry Remy finally returned to the booth. He delivered "Buenas Noches, Amigos" with his usual verbal cheese. It'll take awhile for Eck-speak to wear off. Is Remy glad Fox and ESPN have the next two games so he doesn't sit through that three straight days?...Tim Wakefield pitched well for Pawtucket in his second rehab start on Friday night. He allowed two hits and one run in 5.2 innings to Rochester. Wakefield threw 56 strikes on 82 pitches...Bostonist will have to be convinced that there is a better athlete in the world than the irrepressible sprinter Usain Bolt.