Rundown 8/7/09

Possible Playoff Match-Up:
New York Yankees crush the Boston Red Sox's spirit in 15 innings, 2-0.
This game could be the turning point of the season for Boston, and not in a good way. AJ Burnett and Josh Beckett eached pitched more than 7 shut-out innings. After that, relievers didn't allow any runs until the 15th, when A-Roid hit a 2-run, walk-off home run, much to the delight of the imbeciles still at the game.
This game is bad for the Sox in a few different ways. 4 days ago, Boston used 7 pitchers in a crushing, 13 inning loss to the Ray. Then last night, we used 8 different hurlers. Our bullpen is spent, our offense is struggling majorly, and our starters cannot seem to go past the 7th inning. With this loss, the Red Sox are 4.5 games back of the Yankees in the AL East, and only a game up on the Texas Rangers in the Wild Card. We need to start stepping it up, and soon.

Pitching Performance of the Night:
Josh Beckett, BOS: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K vs. New York Yankees
Honorable Mention: AJ Burnett, 7.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 6 BB, 6 K
I'm gonna give it to Beckett because of the 4 fewer walks. Although he allowed more hits, all but one were singles and the Sox just could not capitalize on the 6 walks in the first 7 innings handed to them by Burnett.

Offensive Performance of the Night:
Kelly Shoppach, CLE: 3 for 4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI vs. Chicago White Sox
Shoppach had a night seemingly taken from last season, when he had 21 home runs in 112 games. He hit two homers off Perfecto Buerhle, and then added an RBI single in the 6th. This type of game has been hard to come by for Shoppach this season. He is only batting .220 this year.
Honorable Mention: Maicer Izturis, LAA: 3 for 4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI