The Boston Red Sox (12-5) pulled the lever and came up all seven's this weekend.  Sweeping the New York Yankees (8-9) by scores of 7-6, 7-5 and 7-6.  This was Boston's first sweep of the Yankees at Fenway Park since 1990.  Red Sox fans have to be pumped that their team is off and rolling with a 1.5 game lead on the Baltimore Orioles, while the Yankees are 4 games out.

In the bottom of the 3rd with the Yanks leading 3-0, the Sawx hit four homers in a row, tying an MLB record.  First it was Manny Ramirez going yard, then it was J.D. Drew who was involved in last year's game winning four consecutive homerun rally for the Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Diego Padres.  After that was Mike Lowell, the former Yankee who was traded once upon a  time to the Florida Marlins for a bag of balls, hit his first of two homers, the second one the eventual game winner.  Finally to cap it off was the cap, Jason Varitek smashed Chase Wright's offering to give the Red Sox the lead at 4-3. 

The four consecutive homers were the first since last year's Dodgers accomplished the feat and the first American League team to do so since the 1964 Minnesota Twins.  Another quirk besides Drew being a part of the Red Sox and Dodger record was a connection to something that happened a year before the Twins hit their four homers.  In 1963 the Cleveland Indians hit four consecutive homeruns against the Los Angeles Angels.  Angels pitcher Paul Foytack, until Chase Wright last night, held the record as the only pitcher in MLB history to surrender four consecutive homeruns in a game, the third of those four to go yard off Foytack was none other than Red Sox manager Terry Francona's father Tito.

Incredible the amount of connections with this game and those other record breakers and how they all weave together.

As far as the Yankees go, it's not time to panic, they can take solace that they were still in ballgames teeing off on an overrated Boston starting rotation, while throwing rookie hurlers themselves. The final difference maker turned out to be how the team's shined in the late innings, with the Red Sox bullpen getting the upper hand.

Stench on the Bench: Remember when the Yankees used to have guys coming off their bench like, Darryl Strawberry, Luis Sojo, Jim Leyritz, Chad Curtis, Tim Raines, Shane Spencer and Ricky Ledee?  Well I would imagine those guys would still be better options than what the Yankees bench currently consists of now.  Bernie Williams was not brought back because he doesn't "excel" in a pinch hitting role consistently enough?  Tell me out of this group who exactly does?  None of these guys strikes the fear into the heart of a pitcher coming off the bench.  Not can't hit Will Nieves, or the light hitting first base combo of Josh Phelps and Doug Mientkiewicz, or singles hitter Miguel Cairo, nor have Melky Cabrera or Kevin Thompson shown anything inspiring.  It's seriously time to get a serious bench, bringing back Bernie would be a nice start!

News & Notes: Hideki Matsui and Chien-Ming Wang are slated to come off the 15-day DL soon.  A-Rod has a hit in every game this season thus far.  Joe Torre still has not retaliated for two of his stars being hit by Matsuzaka pitches.  Where's Don Zimmer to charge Pedro Martinez when you need him?

One turn through the New York Yankees (2-3) rotation and their starter's ERA is over 9.00.  For the first time ever none of them made it close to getting past the 5th inning.  When was the last time that actually happened?  Maybe three years ago or the last time Paul Bako actually hit a homerun back in 2004 as a member of the Chicago Cubs.

It was deja vu for the third day in a row as the Yankees on the strength of a two-run homer by Alex Rodriguez gave them a 3-0 first inning lead over the Baltimore Orioles, only to see that lead quickly relinquished by starter Darrell Rasner giving up a 4th inning three-run homer to the O's backup catcher Bako. 

Meanwhile the Yankee bullpen aided oddly enough by Andy Pettitte, pitched another brilliant 4/2/3 scoreless innings to keep their offense within striking distance.  However they couldn't capitalize as Josh Phelps flew out to center with the bases loaded in the 8th.

Perhaps a change of scenery to the controlled climate of the Metrodome and a regular routine through the rotation will fix some of the kinks ailing this starting rotation. 

News & Notes: Hideki Matsui, iron man no more, will head to the 15-day DL.  The Yankees will call up outfielder Kevin Thompson to replace him.  The Yankees bench just keeps looking better and better, where's Bernie? 

A-Rod's first inning homer gave him 468 in his career, only 32 shy of 500.  After the first week of the season, A-Rod leads the majors with 4 homers and 11 RBI.