The Weekend That Was

Wow. Actually, it's more like "Waw: What A Weeekend". The sun came out (finally), the weather got warm (it's about time), and the Red Sox swept the Yankees in a 3-game series at Friendly Fenway. It was as close to as a perfect weekend as you can get. The Red Sox didn't necessarily dominate the Yanks, but they did enough each game, finding ways to win, a hallmark of the 2004 World Series champion squad. And that kids, is enough to get me jacked. Let's dissect this weekend's events and enjoy them for what they were worth.

1. Starting Pitching - The obvious glaring difference between these two teams was the starting pitching coming into the weekend. The Red Sox had their three aces lined up, while the Yankees had an aging Andy Pettite and two guys who had less combined starts than you and I have fingers. The Sox starters gave up a few, but their pitching was good enough to do the job, and keep the Yankees at bay long enough for the Red Sox to expose the Yankees poor pitching starters and bullpen included.
2. Alex Rodriguez - Not a surprise to anyone, the guy can hit. And now even Yankees fans are beginning to realize. The guy was unreal this weekend, especially Friday night when he hit two homers off of Curt Schilling, most notably one on a knee-high fastball on the outside corner that almost severed Coco Crisp in half in the process. However, I'm sure fickle Yankee fans will point to A-Rod's inability to come up in the clutch against the Sox in two at-bats this weekend. The first Friday night when Hideki Okajima and Captain Varitek did an amazing job of setting up A-Rod and inducing a soft line drive to second, and last night when Rodriguez hit a measly ground ball to third to end the contest. I love it. I really do.
3. Jonathan Papelbon & Co. - Honestly, who didn't have a great weekend out of the Sox bullpen. Papelbon picked up two more saves, and is still perfect in the month of April for all of time so far, and Okajima nutted up and came through huge when it mattered, especially Friday night when the Papel-bot was recharging his battery. Good stuff all around.
4. Back-to-back-to-back-to-back - In one of the coolest things I've ever seen, the Sox showed an awesome display of power when Manny Ramirez, JD Drew, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek all took Yankee rookie Chase Wright deep over the span of 10 pitches. The coolest thing about the home runs? The dugout's reaction, mainly Manny Ramirez after the deed was done. If you catch the replays again, check Manny's reaction and ensuing man-lovefest with Alex Cora after Lowell's home run. And then store it in your head in case Manny quits on his 'mates later in the year again. For now though, happy times!

So that was the series that was this weekend. This guy's off to look for tickets to Friday night's showdown in the Bronx boogeydown when Mr. Matsuzaka toes the rubber in his and the Sox's first trip to the House That Ruth Built this year. Gonna be a blast. Alright, now stop reading this the four of you that are reading it, and get outside. It's be-a-utiful out. -MC

PS - Go check out this article on Manny Ramirez in The New Yorker. Thanks to Mr. Garland for pointing this one out. Fantastic read, especially the part about how Big Papi describes Man-Ram.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/04/23/070423fa_fact_mcgrath