This season still has the look and feel of one that will ultimately end in disappointment but you have to give the Boston Red Sox credit for hanging around in baseball's best division.
The Sox (64-49) earned a split at Yankee Stadium yesterday afternoon with a nail-biting 2-1 win over the Yankees (69-42).
Boston is still six games behind New York in the AL East and 4.5 behind Tampa Bay (who broke a five-game losing streak last night).
Jon Lester (12-7) broke his career-worst four game losing streak with 6.1 scoreless innings. He allowed four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Daniel Bard entered with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth but he was able to strikeout Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher.
The Sox had a 2-0 lead thanks to two runs in the second inning. Bill Hall drove in Ryan Kalish with an infield hit and Hall came around on J.D. Drew's groundout.
Jacoby Ellsbury was moved to ninth in the batting order after starting 0-for-16 since he returned from the DL. The move paid off as he got a hit, walked, was hit by a pitch and stole four bases (tying Jerry Remy's franchise record).
Mark Teixeira hit a solo homer off Bard in the eighth but Jonathan Papelbon had one of his best outings of the season for his 28th save.
He got out of a jam in the eighth and then struck out the side in the ninth.
Phil Hughes (13-5) was the tough-luck loser since he went six innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts. He seemed to be on the ropes early as the Red Sox worked his pitch count but he settled down in a big way after the rocky second inning.
Boston heads to Toronto for three beginning tonight against the Blue Jays, one of baseball's hottest teams. The Jays also lead MLB in home runs.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, who's been great since the All-Star break faces Ricky Romero, a good young lefty that nevertheless the Sox have owned.
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