The New York Yankees dropped their series opener against the Red Sox on Tuesday night as Jacoby Ellsbury ripped a walk-off single to right field for the 4-3 win. Jon Lester danced around seven walks in 5.1 innings as the Yankees could never quite come through with a big rally to chase the starter and put Boston away.
Captain Derek Jeter finally made Lester pay for his wildness in the sixth, when he blooped a ground-rule double to right to give the Yankees the 3-2 lead. The double scored both Curtis Granderson and Andruw Jones, but that's all the Yanks would plate on the evening.
The one-run lead didn't last long as Dustin Pedroia stepped into the box and knotted things up at 3-3 with a solo shot off Hiroki Kuroda, sending it over the monster in left. It would remain tied until the bottom of the ninth, when the Red Sox mounted a one-out rally against David Robertson. Pedro Ciriaco would start things off with a single to left. He would move to second when Mike Aviles sent a slow nubber to the hole between short and third. Jeter chased it down but there was no throw to be made. With Ciriaco on second, Ellsbury would come through as the hero on a single to Ichiro, who charged the ball but could not get the speedy Ciriaco at home.
The loss, combined with the Orioles blowout win over the Rays, evens things up again at the top of the AL East standings. David Phelps will now take the hill for the Yanks in Game 2, where he'll be opposed by Aaron Cook.
For more on the Yankees, check out Pinstriped Bible. For the rival's perspective during the series, visit Over The Monster.