Red Sox, Yankees Split Pair Of Extra-Innings Contests Thanks To Unlikely Heroes

Well, that was an interesting night.

In 20 innings of baseball, the Red Sox split a double header with the Yankees with both games going into the 10th.

With the Red Sox not having anything to lose, the first game saw Tim Wakefield being given one last start on the season. As well-intentioned as the gesture may have been, though, it's hard to say it really worked out. Allowing five runs in five innings, Tim Wakefield was his usual, hittable 2010 self.

With Mike Lowell's first-inning RBI double and an RBI single from Daniel Nava keeping the game close at 5-3, the Red Sox ran into some luck in the late innings. In the seventh, with Lars Anderson on 3rd, a wild pitch from Joba Chamberlain allowed the Red Sox to pull within one. One inning later, and this time it was Kerry Wood bringing Eric Patterson (running for Jed Lowrie) in to tie the score.

But it was for naught, as a fluky 10th inning doomed Jonathan Papelbon to yet another BS, and the Red Sox to yet another loss. After walking leadoff batter Brett Gardner, a sacrifice bunt moved him on to second base. With one out, Papelbon induced a weak grounder to Bill Hall, who let the ball roll by him, letting Gardner come around to score on a ball that never got past the dirt. Jeter was given a single, Hall an error, and with Papelbon striking out the last two batters, it was definitely a costly one. The Sox couldn't pick up a run in their half of the inning, giving the Yankees the 6-5 win.

Game 2 started off much the same.

This time it was Daisuke making a typical Daisuke start, going only five innings and allowing five free passes to opposing batters. He may have been able to escape his outing with minimal damage, though, had it not been for a big error from third baseman Felipe Lopez to allow a 2-run second inning to develop.

A.J. Burnett's night wasn't much different, as four Yankee errors made things difficult for the Yankees starter, allowing runs to score in the 3rd and 6th innings. Also making things difficult was Felipe Lopez, whose solo shot in the fourth was the lone home run of the game between the teams.

Each team scored a pair of runs off the bullpen as Scott Atchison continued his decline, allowing four baserunners in the seventh. Still, he recorded four more outs in his effort than Yankee Royce Ring, who could only record the last out of the seventh inning before letting Jed Lowrie and Ryan Kalish reach to lead off the eighth. Daniel Nava singled in Lowrie, and then the least likely event ever--a Kevin Cash bases-loaded walk--brought around the tying run. It may have taken him the entire half-season with the Sox and an incredible show of incompetence from Ivan Nova, but by God, Cash finally got that RBI!

With the score tied at six-all after nine, the Sox and Yankees again went to extra innings, where the necessary rally was quickly produced by the most unlikely of trios. Bill Hall lead off the inning with a double and was bunted over to third, giving Eric Patterson the shot to win it on just about any decent ball-in-play. On just the seventh pitch of the inning, Patterson lined one past Ivan Nova's head and into center to pull out the win, and drop the Yankees back into a tie atop the East with the Rays.

One more game to go. With a win, the Sox will have successfully spoiled the Yankees' division title shot.