Red Sox vs. Yankees, Game 1

GAME OVER, NO. 20 FOR MUSSINA (5:52, END 9, 6-2 YANKS)
Mike Mussina is getting hugs from all his teammates in a line on the infield. Nice moment for a pitcher with a memorable career. The game is officially over. The rain has gone away, but there's still a heavy fog/light mist.

PAPELBON SHAKY (5:40, MID 9, 6-2 YANKS)
Jonathan Papelbon's performances are often dictated by adrenaline, so it makes sense that a poor outing in a meaningless game snapped a string of excellent ones. He allowed three runs, all earned, on four singles and walk. (One of the singles was an RBI infield dribbler by Alex Rodriguez.) Significantly, he threw 33 pitches, his highest total of this season. His previous high came when he threw 32 pitches Aug. 1 against the Baltimore Orioles.

Also, it is raining. Not too hard.
WHAT HAPPENED (5:19, END 8, 3-2 YANKS)
Pedroia struck out, stranded Ellsbury at first and lowered his average to .3261. With Mauer done for the day, his chances at the batting title appear slim.

Jonathan Papelbon is in the game for the Red Sox, facing Robinson Cano, Cody Ransom, and Jose Molina.

LOTS GOING ON (5:13, BOT 8, 3-2 YANKS)
1. Jacoby Ellsbury just singled to extend his hitting streak to 18 games, a hit that scored Kotsay with two outs and drew the Sox to within a run. A batter earlier, Chris Carter drove in Bay with a groundout.

2. Mariano Rivera is in the game for Bruney, with Pedroia (batting .3266) coming to the plate.

3. Joe Mauer just tripled, raising his average to .3302 and virtually giving the Twins a much-needed victory.

SHORT OUTING FOR JOBA (5:01, TOP 8, 3-0 YANKS)
The Red Sox, thanks to a shaky and brief appearance by Joba Chamberlain, are threatening to steal Mike Mussina's 20th win. Chamberlain came in for the eighth and promptly walked Jason Bay and gave up a ground-rule double to right by Mark Kotsay. Joe Girardi summoned Brian Bruney from the Yankees after only two batters for Chamberlain. Red Sox have men on second and third with no outs.

STEP BACK FOR PEDROIA (4:32, TOP 7, 3-0 YANKS)
Dustin Pedroia grounded into a double play, and his average is now .3266. He's currently 2 for 3 today. Joe Mauer, 0 for 3, was at the plate now with a .3276 batting average as Pedroia walked into the dugout. He ripped a single, giving him a .3289 average.

MOOSE NEARING MILESTONE (4:20, END 5, 3-0 YANKS)
If the Yankees hang on, Mike Mussina will win his 20th game today, ending a career full of near misses. He has won at least 10 games 17(!) consecutive seasons, including this year. He has won 19 games twice, 18 three times, and 17 twice. He has never won the Cy Young. He has never thrown a no-hitter; he was one out away from a perfect game before Carl Everett broke it up at Fenway Park. He has never won a World Series; he joined the Yankees in 2001, the year after they won their last title. He is a potential Hall of Famer, and a victory today -- allowing him to write "20-game winner" on his HOF resume -- may be a deciding factor for his candidacy.

Also, Manny Delcarmen is in for Lopez. And Joe Mauer is due up second when the Twins come to bat in the seventh.

DICE OUT, LOPEZ IN (3:53, END 5, 3-0 YANKS)
The Red Sox couldn't capitalize on Pedroia's leadoff single, and now Lopez has entered for Matsuzaka. Dice-K allowed three runs in four innings on two walks and four hits. He struck out five and threw 73 pitches, 46 strikes. His final ERA for the year is 2.90. If this result holds, he'll finish at 18-3.

SLIMMEST OF MARGINS (3:46, BOT 4, 3-0 YANKS)
Pedroia grounded the most routine ground ball imaginable at Cody Ransom, a sure out and a sure blow to his batting title pursuit. But the ball hit a pebble or something and nearly hit Ransom in the face. He probably didn't deserve it, but official scorer Mike Shalin had no choice but to give Pedroia a base hit. And get this -- Mauer, as of about two minutes ago, is 0 for 3 today.

We've got a batting race on our hands -- Mauer at .3276, Pedroia at .3271.

DICE-K GIVES ONE UP (3:36, TOP 4, 3-0 YANKS)
Matsuzaka walked Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez with one out, but it seemed like he would pull his typical escape act when he struck out Jason Giambi on a 91-mph curve.

Not so. Xavier Nady popped to right, and the ball hooked toward Pesky's Pole. Drew chased all the way to the wall and slowed up a bit as he neared it. The ball bounced almost on the top of the wall, maybe 310 feet from the plate. Cheapie or no, it counts as a three-run homer.

Robinson Cano followed with a single up the midde, the Yankees' third hit. Javier Lopez is up in the bullpen. Matsuzaka has thrown about 70 pitches.

Dustin Pedroia is due up first in the bottom half.

MAUER 0-2, MATSUZAKA ROLLING (3:11, MID 3, 0-0)
Mauer made another out in his second at-bat, moving his average down a point to .328. Pedroia will bat fourth this inning. With a hit, he'll jump to .327. (Mauer would lead at that point, taken out to four decimals, by .3283 to .3271.)

Dice-K has been impressive. The only hit he's allowed so far was a double to Robinson Cano in the third. He has three strikeouts and no walks and has thrown 37 pitches, 27 for strikes.

PEDROIA GAINS GROUND ON BATTING TITLE (2:49, END 1, 0-0)
The most interesting subplot from a Red Sox standpoint today is Dustin Pedroia's pursuit of the batting title. He entered at .325, 5 points behind Joe Mauer's .330. After one at-bat by each, Pedroia has cut the deficit to 3 points. Mauer made an out in his first at-bat in Minnesota against Kansas City Roayls starter Brandon Duckworth. In the first inning here, Pedroia slammed the first pitch he saw from Mike Mussina off the scoreboard in left. He was thrown out at second, but he gets credit for a single.

Pedroia is now at .326, and Mauer is at .329.

DREW LOOKING GOOD (2:40, MID, 0-0)
J.D. Drew and his ailing back passed his first test today. Johnny Damon roped a liner to right field, and Drew sprinted after it at full speed. He slid on his knees across the wet outfield grass to make the catch, his gloves nearly touching the ground. He held the ball aloft and didn't seem to have any issues. He jogged briskly off the field after Daisuke Matsuzaka struck out Bobby Abreu to end the first.