1 Last Soul-Crushing Defeat To Throw On The Dumpster Fire As Red Sox Secure Last Place In AL East

If you thought the Red Sox, the worst team in franchise history since 1966 was going to go out quietly, well you are lucky since you haven't been paying attention to this entire shitshow of a season. Or 13 months to be exact.

In the penultimate contest of their 2012, Boston (69-92, 35-45 away) had a 3-1 lead on the Yankees (94-47, 50-30 home) heading into the bottom of the ninth at Yankee Stadium. No sooner had I tweeted "not over yet" but Curtis Granderson (2 runs, 2 hits, walk, stolen base) singled and pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez tied it with a two-run homer (his 19th of the season) off closer Andrew Bailey (3rd blown save).

Ibanez was the hero again in the 12th with an RBI single against Andrew Miller (3-2) that scored Francisco Cervelli with the winning run. If you're looking for something to root for Red Sox-related tomorrow night (7:05 p.m., NESN) in Game 162, you want Boston to lose and Miami to win. If that happens, they'll "earn" the No. 6 draft pick in 2013. By virtue of their loss and Toronto's win, the Red Sox sealed last place in the AL East for the first time in 20 years. Marvelous.

The Yankees all too predictable comeback win was extremely important to them since Baltimore had already beaten Tampa Bay 1-0. This means both teams are tied heading into the final regular season game with the AL East up for grabs.

Playing with a broken finger, Dustin Pedroia (2 for 3, run, walk) was an inspiration with his RBI double in the first inning. Cody Ross knocked him in with a sacrifice fly and the Red Sox led 2-0.

Jon Lester went five innings, allowing one run (0 earned) on eight hits with one strikeout and one walk. David Phelps went 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Eduardo Nunez (2 for 3 with double) got the Yanks a run with an infield single in the second inning. James Loney (2 hits) hit a solo homer (2nd with the Red Sox) off Rafael Soriano in the 9th which gave Boston a temporary 3-1 advantage.

Mark Melancon (1.2 scoreless innings) and Vicente Padilla (1 scoreless inning) were able to clean up Bailey's mess but the final salt in the wound was that our old drinking buddy Derek Lowe (9-11) earned the win for New York with two scoreless innings of his own.

Pedro Ciriaco was 2 for 4 with a walk and stolen base in the loss. Derek Jeter (double), Nick Swisher (double, 2 walks), Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano each had two hits for the Bombers.

If you like car crashes-and who doesn't-make sure to check out the season finale of the Dead Man Walking Red Sox. Witness Bobby Valentine and Daisuke Matsuzaka's (1-6) last game in a Red Sox uniform. Hiroki Kuroda (15-11) gets to send this historically bad team to another tumultuous offseason filled with drama. I can't even predict what wacky thing those two jokers will pull? Perhaps Bobby V gets thrown out during batting practice or Dice-K finally unleashes the gyro ball? Whatever happens, it is destined to be hilarious.

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That's More Like It, Red Sox Rally Falls Short Against Yankees

Jacoby Ellsbury had two walk-off hits in a row last season but he couldn't record the same feat this season-obviously-as the Red Sox fell 5-4 to the Yankees tonight at Fenway Park in the middle game of three.

Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on a walk-off hit by Nate McLouth so the Orioles and Yankees remain tied for first place in the AL East. The Rays dropped to three games behind both teams.

To show you how important this game was to New York (80-62, 39-34), Joe Girardi used seven pitchers in a nine-inning contest and nobody had to leave early with an injury.

Boston (64-79, 33-42 home) were down 5-1 in the seventh inning but scored twice in that frame on a ground out by Mauro Gomez and Mike Aviles' RBI double. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (double, triple, walk) cranked a solo homer in the ninth (his 24th of the season) against Yankees closer Rafael Soriano. After Aviles reached on an infield single, Ellsbury represented the winning run. He never swings at the first pitch, except then as he grounded to Soriano, who got his fourth and final out for his 37th save.

New York was 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position but it didn't matter since they scored all their runs on three homers. Curtis Granderson had a solo homer in the fourth and two-run bomb in the seventh (his 37th of the season). Robinson Cano had a two-run homer (30th of the season) of his own in the fourth.

David Phelps (4-4) earned the win after 5.2 innings, one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Aaron Cook (3-10) went five innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

Things got wacky in the late innings, try to keep up. Dustin Pedroia (2 for 3 with double, run) left in the seventh inning to attend the birth of his second child; Derek Jeter (2 for 5 with run) hurt his ankle running to first base in the seventh and had to leave the game. Cody Ross was called out on a totally bogus third strike to end the eighth with a runner on second, he went bananas leading to his ejection along with manager Bobby Valentine (6th of the season, new team record) and third-base coach Jerry Royster.

James Loney (2 for 4 with double) produced Boston's first run with an RBI single in the fourth which cut it to 3-1. Nick Swisher was 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles while Eric Chavez also had two doubles.

Tomorrow night (7:10 p.m.) is the series finale and the last Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway in 2012. Felix Doubront (10-8) faces Phil Hughes (14-12).

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Lester Starts To Figure It Out, Months Too Late In The 2012 Red Sox Season

For the first time since June 5-22 (when he had four in a row), Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester strung together back-to-back quality starts.

His solid outing this afternoon helped Boston (59-62, 30-28 away) beat New York (71-49, 38-24 home) 4-1 at Yankee Stadium. They have split the first two games of the series so tomorrow night's finale will decade who takes it.

Lester (7-10) lasted seven innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. It's amazing what happens when he executes, the Red Sox look like a completely different team. Now if only Josh Beckett wasn't one of the most useless athletes in professional sports, then they'd get somewhere.

Yankees killer Pedro Ciriaco went 4 for 4 with a double, run and stolen base. My favorite part of his great game is that he saw seven total pitches in four at bats. Why wait around? Somewhere Nomar Garciaparra nods his approval. Ciriaco is 14 for 28 lifetime vs. New York, the highest career average ever against the Yankees (minimum 25 plate appearances).

Adrian Gonzalez (2 hits, walk) hit a two-run homer (his 14th of the season) in the first inning against David Phelps (3-4) for an immediate 2-0 lead.

Curtis Granderson (double) homered (32nd of the season) for the second game in a row, this time a solo shot in the fourth which cut it to 2-1.

Nick Punto's RBI double in the fifth scored Ciriaco for a 3-1 Red Sox lead.

Phelps settled down and went 6.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Boston tacked on an insurance run (which they ended up not needing) in the ninth as Scott Podsednik scored on Cody Eppley's wild pitch.

Andrew Bailey got the first out in the eighth then the Yale batterymates (Craig Breslow to Ryan Lavarnway) induced a double play by Robinson Cano to end the eighth inning.

Alfredo Aceves had a scoreless ninth for his 25th save of the season, he allowed one hit but also struck out a batter.

Nick Swisher was 3 for 4 in the loss.

Beckett (5-10) opposes Hiroki Kuroda (11-8) tomorrow night (8:00 p.m., ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball). Boston is 4-7 against New York so far this season but they can win their second straight series in the Bronx (2 out of 3) by coming away with a victory tomorrow.

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