Down to their very last strike, the Boston Red Sox struck back. And denting Mariano Rivera, well, that compounded the New York Yankees' misery. Stephen Drew hit a tying single off the all-time saves leader with two outs in the ninth inning, then Shane Victorino lined a go-ahead single in the 10th that sent the Red Sox past the Yankees 9-8 in a Thursday night thriller. "Just a character win, a team win," Boston manager John Farrell said. The Red Sox rallied in the opener of a four-game series loaded with playoff implications. It felt like a playoff matchup, too, especially after New York erased a 7-2 deficit with six runs in the seventh. There were plenty of pitching changes and pinch-hitters and a key pinch-runner who will certainly remind some Red Sox fans of Dave Roberts' daring dash from the past. Plus, there was an outburst -- Joba Chamberlain (2-1) was ejected by first base umpire Joe West, who ruled Victorino checked his swing right before the deciding hit. Source: ESPN
