David Ortiz's Bat, Jon Lester's Arm Help the Red Sox Down the Yankees

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz provided the offense for Jon Lester, who baffled the New York Yankees in a 6-4 victory Monday night.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester baffled Derek Jeter, striking out the New York Yankees captain on a nasty inside cutter.

No. 2 hitter Johnny Damon was next, and he too was left searching for answers as he struck out as well, foul-tipping one of the the final four-seam fastball of the at-bat into the glove of Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek.

Mark Teixeira was the next victim for Lester. The Yankees first-baseman continued his season-long slump, cemented in the batters’ box, left to watch helplessly as a fastball sped by.

Three up, three strikeouts for Lester. This trend would continue, as would Boston's dominance over its hated rival Monday, 6-4.

Lester, prior to the Red Sox first appearance in the New Yankees Stadium, was off his game. He won 16 games in 2008 as the most dependable pitcher on their staff, but scuffled to begin his 2009 campaign. The lefthander allowed 11 runs on 18 hits in his first two starts, then, after tossing seven scoreless innings against the Baltimore Orioles, gave up five runs against the Cleveland Indians.

Hitters weren’t fooled by his repertoire in four of his first five starts, but, luckily, he figured things out just in time to face New York.

The Red Sox were given a warm welcome to the new stadium by Phil Hughes. Serving up lifeless fastballs and sliders that failed to tail, the Yankees young starter was pounded.  He was so ineffective, in fact, that Boston’s designate hitter David Ortiz climbed out of a miserable slide.

He didn’t hit a home-run, something the slugger hasn’t done yet this season, but clocked two doubles off Hughes, raising his anemic average to .222. His first, in the opening inning, sent second baseman Dustin Pedroia over to third. Pedroia scored during the ensuing at-bat, as a curveball to Kevin Youkilis eluded Yankee catcher Jose Molina.

His second scored Pedroia in the fourth inning, nailing a first-pitch fastball into the right-field corner to give the Red Sox a 4-0 lead. His ringing double chased Hughes, who relinquished a run in all four innings he pitched. Lester benefited from this offense, mowing down seven Yankees in those four innings thanks to a dazzling curveball that he mixed in with regularity.

New York’s bats figured out Lester in the fifth, as Damon hit a two-run homer and, on the next pitch, Teixeira hit one as well. The deficit was only one, but this didn’t bother Lester, as he regrouped to strike-out Nick Swisher on a fastball the right-fielder could only admire.

Jason Bay gave Lester some insurance, hitting the first pitch, a fastball, he saw from reliever Alfredo Aceves off the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer. Boos and groans reigned through the stadium.

The displeasure voiced would have been louder if there were fans willing to empty their bank accounts to fill the seats directly behind home-plate, which were empty aside from a few rich enough. It’s safe to say that the underachieving Yankees, once again, weren’t worth shelling out $2,625 dollars to see.

New York made Boston sweat in the ninth, however, sending the fans who paid the sane fare murmuring in excitement. Closer Jonathan Papelbon was off-kilter, loading the bases with two out. Second baseman Robinson Cano had a chance to be the hero for the Yankees, but Papelbon finished as Lester began—with a strikeout.