That good.

There was only one way I wanted to see this game end, and in the 15th inning, it happened.

An A-Bomb! From A-Rod!

This is why I watch baseball.

Alex Rodriguez hit a home run in the bottom of the 15th to lead the Yankees past the Red Sox 2-0. His clutch hit wasn't the only abnormal thing to happen this night (or this morning, I guess), but it's the only anomoly from this slugfest I want to see repeated in the future. Other oddities included the first three New York batters in the lineup go 1-for-20 (including 0-for-6 from Mark Teixeira and 0-for-7 from Johnny Damon) and the Yankees churning through six pitchers.

But it was a stellar night for the pitching staff, showing that the bullpen that was considered all-but-dead at the beginning of the season can be playoff-caliber. The relief staff allowed three hits over its 7.1 innings, following A.J. Burnett's best performance of the year: 7.2 innings pitched, no runs allowed, six strikeouts, one hit. (When Jacoby Ellsbury got a hit to start the game, I remember actually saying to myself that it was a shame that Burnett's no-hitter was already gone. Little did I know how close to that he would actually pitch.)

The real hero, of course, was A-Rod.

I was in a bar right next to Fenway, watching the game drag on (it totaled five hours and 35 minutes by the end), clad in my Yankees hat and Rodriguez shirt. Each time he came up, I was ready to see him shed his unclutchness and win the game.

Bottom of the 11th, 2 outs: struck out.
Bottom of the 13th, 2 outs, man on first: flied out.
Bottom of the 15th, 2 outs, man on first: an A-bomb. For A-Rod.

A-Rod had gone 72 at bats without a homer, and his batting average has hovered around the Mendoza Line all season. But looking at the team's performance since he's come back (New York is 46-27 since his arrival, and just 13-15 before; plus better statistics for several players), and his strange ability to eventually come through in the clutch at points this season, you have to wonder if he's figuring out which kind of cog he needs to be in the mighty Yankee machine.

And thanks to the pitching staff for keeping the game close until he was ready.

Next up, 16 hours after the end of this win: the game of the week on Fox, at 4 p.m. Saturday.

As of right now, the Yanks are running away with the American League East, and with the Dodgers losing tonight, they have the best record in baseball.

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