Yesterday, I needed a good day. And I got one.
You know what's better than the Yankees smacking the Boston Red Sox around? A few things, but not many. Not quite as good, but almost, is making Red Sox fans look like idiots.
Take the case of Jared Carrabis, one of the guys behind the vulgar, dishonest Barstool Sports, and now Red Sox writer for fools-and-their-money-parters DraftKings and co-host, with former Oakland Athletics perfect-game pitcher and nonetheless jackass Dallas Braden, of a podcast titled Baseball Is Dead.
Last night, after a nice catch by the good-field-not-much-hit Jackie Bradley Jr., he tweeted, "Jackie Bradley Jr. is the best defensive centerfielder in Red Sox history. I know you already know that, but I just had to say it again." Apparently, this great Red Sox fan has never heard of Tris Speaker, or Dom DiMaggio, or Jimmy Piersall, or Fred Lynn. Or even Dave Henderson.
In the 1st inning of last night's game, Rafael Devers hit another home run off the Yankees, and Carrabis tweeted, "RAFFY BIG SCOOPS IS THE OWNER OF THE YANKEES FRANCHISE."
Final score: Yankees 14, Red Sox 1. Who owns who, fool? After the game, he tweeted, "Wasting all their runs in one game like a bunch of dumbasses." Yeah, we know who owns who: The Yankees own you, Jared.
Jameson Taillon gave up that home run to Devers in the top of the 1st inning. The Yankees came right back and tagged Nick Pivetta for 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st. DJ LeMahieu started by flying out to center. But this was followed by a single from Aaron Judge, a double from Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton drawing a walk, Josh Donaldson getting Judge home with a groundout, and Matt Carpenter hitting a home run.
Taillon cruised through the 6th, allowing only 1 more baserunner. He got the support he needed, and there was plenty more where that came from. Judge and Carpenter both hit 2 home runs in this game. And in 3 separate innings -- the 1st, the 4th, and the 8th -- the Yankees scored 4 runs. That produced 2 linescores of 40004. That's the ZIP Code for Bardstown, Kentucky.
As I said: Yankees 14, Red Sox 1. WP: Taillon (10-2). SV: Ryan Weber (1). LP: Pivetta (8-7).
How can a pitcher get a save when his team wins by 13 runs? The rule says that if a pitcher is the last but not winning pitcher in a game won by his team, and "he pitches effectively for at least 3 innings." Weber came in with a 9-run lead, but he pitched 3 innings without blowing the lead. Not only that, he pitched 3 innings, allowing no runs, just 1 hit, and just 1 walk. And these are the cheating Red Sox we're talking about. Maybe if he had done the same thing at Fenway, the save would seem more plausible. But, according to the rule, he earned it.
The series, and the official 1st half of the season (even though this will be Game 92, 11 past the numerical half), concludes this afternoon. It's ace against ace: Gerrit Cole pitches against Chris Sale. Come on you Pinstripes, beat The Scum!
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Yesterday was a good day for another reason. Arsenal F.C., the North London-based soccer team I root for -- sorry, forgot to speak English there: The Arsenal, the football club I support -- was able to make a Summer tour, after canceling the last 2 years due to COVID concerns. And they've come to America. I wanted to go, as I had in 2014, when they played at Red Bull Arena, but I couldn't afford it.
They played Everton F.C., the blue team in Liverpool, at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, and won, 2-0. The goals came in a 3-minute span in the 1st half, from newly-acquired Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus and last season's breakout star, Bukayo Saka, an Englishman of Nigerian descent. The 2nd half was quieter, meant to give reserves a chance to get good minutes in.
Of particular note was the use of William Saliba. The 6-foot-4 centreback was much-hyped when acquired 3 years ago, but has spent each season since on loan to a team in his native country, France. Now 21 years old, maybe Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta thinks he's finally ready for the Premier League.
Attendance: 39,245. Apparently, they never intended to sell in the upper deck. They could have: Arsenal remain the 3rd-most popular English team in America, behind Manchester United and Liverpool; while Everton, due to having had some American stars like Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, are probably 6th, behind those 3 and Manchester City.
Arsenal now travel to Orlando, to play Orlando City on Thursday and fellow Londoners Chelsea on Sunday. Come on you Gunners!