“I actually felt great. I thought my stuff was good,’’ said Sabathia. “Early in the game I was strike one right there, then I’m trying to throw down and away and I’m missing down. I started to nibble just a little too much and got into hitter’s counts, and this is a tough lineup to pitch to when you’re behind on the count. I normally don’t do that, especially with a lead. It was one of those nights where I lost my focus.’’
Predictably the Yankees mashed. Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back homers in the second inning against Beckett, Posada had three hits, Derek Jeter had two.
One surprise: the run prevention, pitching-based Red Sox also hit. Not a surprise was that the Yankee bullpen couldn’t get to Mariano Rivera. An assortment the likes of Chan Ho Park, Damaso Marte, and Joba Chamberlain makes one think the Yankees’ bullpen may not be quite as good as Boston’s.
“They still have a very good lineup,’’ said Sabathia. “They have professional hitters that if you make mistakes they’re going to take advantage. They work the count. They’re still a very good lineup.’’
What a mixed night for Posada.
He started things off for the Yankees with a solo homer in the second, the fourth Opening Day homer of his career (only Babe Ruth has more for the Yanks, with five) en route to a 5-1 lead. Posada knocked in New York’s seventh run with a clutch single in the seventh to give the Yankees a 7-5 lead and his single in the ninth after two outs made Jonathan Papelbon squirm for just a moment before he retired Granderson for the final out.
The dark side occurred in the bottom of the seventh in a 7-7 tie when Marte, the last man to arrive to the Yankees’ clubhouse yesterday, threw a high inside fastball to David Ortiz that Posada didn’t read well. In fact, he missed it, with Kevin Youkilis rumbling in from third (after Marte had thrown a wild pitch to put him there following a double) with the go-ahead and what proved to be the winning run.
