Yankees finish historic sweep of Red Sox

Team Infidel

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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/wires/08/22/2010.ap.bba.al.rdp.0897/

The New York Yankees finished off their domination of the Boston Red Sox and took their biggest lead in the AL East this season.

The slumping Detroit Tigers cushioned their margin in the Central with a victory over the Chicago White Sox.

After outscoring the Red Sox 47-25 in four games over three days, the Yankees rediscovered their pitching in a 2-1 victory Monday in the finale to complete a demoralizing five-game sweep at Fenway Park.

Yankees manager Joe Torre shouted in the dugout and exchanged hearty handshakes with his coaches, then hugged his players as they came off the field.

"It was emotional,'' Torre said. "When you're sitting there, a manager's dream is to have these guys, their attitude. The guys that didn't play today - you had to be in the dugout to hear the support that they gave each other.''

Cory Lidle (2-2) pitched six shutout innings in his third - and best - start since coming to New York at the trading deadline along with slugger Bobby Abreu.

"A sweep in Boston?'' Lidle said, pausing before breaking out in a big smile. "Pretty awesome.''
Justin Verlander gave up one run and five hits in seven innings to lead the Tigers to a 7-1 victory over the defending world champion White Sox in the opener of their possibly pivotal four-game series. Detroit had lost nine of its previous 12, and saw its division lead - which bulged to 10 games on Aug. 7 - dwindle to 5 1/2 games.

Verlander (15-6) got his first victory since Aug. 1 and beat Chicago for the first time. He had been 0-3 with a 9.88 ERA this season against the White Sox.

"This start alleviates my mind,'' Verlander said. "Against everybody else, I was doing well. The numbers were drastically different against them. That was a team I had to focus on. I worked on not tipping my pitches, but the biggest adjustment was the pitches I made.''

In the only other AL games, it was: Oakland 12, Toronto 10; and Tampa Bay 4, Texas 3.
There were a lot of regulars not playing for the Yankees, who rested center fielder Johnny Damon, catcher Jorge Posada and first baseman Jason Giambi and used Derek Jeter at designated hitter.

New York took a 6 1/2-game lead in the AL East, sweeping Boston in five games for the first time since doing it at home in 1953.

"Everything went about as wrong as it could,'' Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It's not been a very good five days.''

David Wells (2-3) coasted for five innings before Abreu doubled in Melky Cabrera to break the scoreless tie. Nick Green doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the eighth to make it 2-0. Wily Mo Pena homered off Scott Proctor for Boston's only run.

With All-Star closer Mariano Rivera unavailable after pitching two innings Sunday night, Kyle Farnsworth pitched the ninth for his second save in six tries.

"It's been an emotional weekend,'' Red Sox second baseman Mark Loretta said. "It's been physically challenging and emotionally challenging for both sides. It's a little easier to take if you're winning.''

The Red Sox hadn't been swept in a five-game series since the Cleveland Indians did it in 1954. The Yankees also swept Boston in five games at Fenway in '43.
 
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