4 real? Four at bats that changed the game. Red Sox vs Yanks 4-4-13

Game 3 goes to New York, 4-2.
Well, they quickly came back to earth and we can now say that THE BOSTON RED SOX ARE WHAT WE THOUGHT THEY WERE! All kidding aside,the Red Sox had some fight in this game, and Andy Pettitte pitched eight strong innings for the Yankees as they take the third game of the series, 4-2. Here are the four at bats that changed the game:

1) In the bottom of the second inning and Travis Hafner on first, Eduardo Nunez hits a long driven fly to deep right field. Jacoby Ellsbury gets on his horse to try and run down the ball, but he pulls up at the last second and the ball drops in and bounces over the wall for a ground rule double. Could Ellsbury have caught that ball? Maybe. But it would have been a heck of a run to get there. Fortunately, the ground rule double keeps Hafner at third and prevents him from scoring. Of course, weak hitting Lyle Overbay comes up and delivers a duck fart to shallow center field and plates both runners, 2-0 Yankees.

2) With the Red Sox now down 3-0 after a Brett Gardner solo short in the third, Andy Pettitte only gives up one bunt hit from the 3rd inning to the 6th inning. But Pettitte looked a bit tired in the seventh when Will Middlebrooks lined a seeing eye single in front of the right fielder Ichiro Suzuki. Then, who else but Jackie Bradley fights off an inside pitch and drills it off the middle of the right field wall for a double to score Middlebrooks. The next batter, David Ross, crushes a ball deep to left center field, but Brett Gardner runs about 200 feet to bring it in and end the rally. 3-1 Yankees.

3) After you rally, its always important to get a quick 1-2-3 inning so you can get a chance to shave the lead. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Clayton Mortensen, who had homerun problems last year ( 7 HR in 49 innings), enters the game. He throws a flat pitch and backup catcher Francisco Cervelli,(who looks like the Great Gazoo) takes him deep. It's now 4-1 Yankees, and the Red Sox look like their spirit has been crushed as a man with 5 career homeruns just pushed the lead back to 3.

4) Top of the ninth inning, and you can hear "Enter Sandman" blaring through the loudspeakers. Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer that has ever lived, enters the game, and the Red Sox show some fight. Dustin Pedroia walks, and Jonny Gomes doubles to put men at second and third. The Yankees make a smart choice when Middlebrooks grounds to first. They let the run score and just get the out. 4-2 Red Sox. Jackie Bradley steps up and has a chance to be the hero in only his third game of his career. Unfortunately, Rivera throws three pitches and Bradley has a Manny moment and looks at all three for strikes. Game, set , match. Yankees win game three, 4-2. Next up, the Red Sox are on to Toronto to face Jon Farrell's old team. It should be an interesting matchup, as the Blue Jays hit five homeruns tonight.

Like me? Hate me? Tweet me! @Red33Sox
Read my other articles here