Yankees Deliver Knock Out Blow; Defeat Red Sox 19-8

BOSTON - In the rain delayed baseball game that never wanted to end, it finally did. 

The Red Sox were defeated in their house 19-8 by the New York Yankees and with this loss, the Tampa Bay Rays have won the AL East.

The last time the Yankees scored this many runs, was the exact same score back in 2004 in Game 3 of the ALCS.

The Yankees had a lot ot play for even though they were eliminated from playoffs, playing their rival is just like any other night to them, they go out there and give it their all.

It showed on a rainy Friday night that the New York Yankees won't go down this year without a fight.

Robinson Cano was a huge contributor of the 19 runs tonight, knocking in five of his own with a near grand slam in the second inning that turned out being a sac fly.

Alex Rodriguez knocked in his 101st RBI of the season in the first inning to put the Yankees ahead.  He went 1 for 3 on the night before being pulled in the fifth after the games second rain delay.

Jacoby Ellsbury homered in the first inning, a solo shot to tie the game up at one all.  Kevin Youkillis then added a two run shot into the green monster seats in left to make it 3-1.

The Yankees would answer back quickly however, in the top of the second they scored three runs, two of them coming off Johnny Damon's 17th homer of the year, just over the right field wall into the Red Sox bullpen.

The Yankees never looked back after taking a 4-3 lead, scoring a run in every inning except the sixth.

Cody Ransom was 0 for his last 18 at bats coming into tonight and quickly turned that around with the first pitch he saw hitting for Derek Jeter in the fourth.  Ransom hit the ball clear over the wall in left out onto Landsdowne Street for his third home run of the season. 

Ransom wasn't done there though, adding another home run in his very next at bat in the fifth, a line drive that just cleared the wall in left while rain was pouring from the sky.

With the Yankees leading 13-3, the tarp hit the field shortly after Cody Ransom's second home run of the night.

Thankfully, after around 30 minutes, the rain subsided and the game continued.

Alfredo Aceves got the start for the Yankees, lasting four innings.  He got roughed up a bit in the first but settled down the next three innings he pitched but would be removed due to the delay to take his victory away.

David Robertson came in relief after Phil Coke pitched two innings to get his fourth win of the season and has yet to suffer a loss.

Chris Britton pitched the ninth and gave up three garbage runs to the Red Sox before the game finally ended.

I would like to congratulate the Tampa Bay Rays on their first ever AL East Title and wish them the best of luck during the 2008 post season.

The Rays are the first team since the 1991 Atlanta Braves to have the worse record in baseball the year before and win the Division Title the following season.

The Boston Red Sox will enter via the Wild Card and take on the Los Angeles Angels.