Basebrawl / Milestone Reached

The long national nightmare is over - Shank gets off his lazy ass and writes his first Globe column in ten days. And I know what you're going to say - I waited ten days for this shit?

There was serious anticipation at Fenway Park last night. Were the Yankees and Red Sox going to revert to old-school ways? Was there a possibility that a night at Fenway could turn into the Jerry Springer show or a free Rolling Stones concert with Hells Angels providing security?

This is what a lot of us were wondering when Josh Beckett threw the first pitch to Brett Gardner at (Big Gulp-sponsored?) 7:11 p.m.

An ultra-tidy three hours and 16 minutes later (quick one this time), we had our answer. No fisticuffs. No beanballs. No purpose to the pitches.

Just another 9-5 Red Sox domination of the Yankees on the strength of seven innings from Beckett (4-0 vs. New York this year) and two-run homers by David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Jason Varitek. The Sox are 11-3 against the Yanks this season.

Nothing says 'domination' like a single win over the Yankees after losing to them the night before. Nothing says mailed-in Shank column like a thirty year old Rolling Stones reference.

The milestone - this is the 1,000th DSW post. Wheee!