Yanks Top Red Sox With 2 Ninth-Inning Homers

Marcus Thames has spent much of his career on the bench, and that's where he was, should have been, in the ninth inning Monday night. If Nick Swisher were healthy, had been playing right field. If Jorge Posada were able to pinch-hit, no doubt would have strolled to the plate with the score tied and two outs.

"It was my turn to get to the plate," said Thames.

When he got up there, Thames hit a two-run homer capped a four-run blast off closer Jonathan Papelbon of Boston and the Yankees finally edged the Red Sox in a 11-9 victory. Thames ran to first with joy, watching the left-field bleachers erupted after taking her first home run to win the game. Alex Rodriguez, whose two-run homer the previous inning tied the game, jumped out of the cave.

A shaving cream pie to face Thames, the ritual of the Yankees for a victory in his last at-bat, arrived shortly thereafter. He received his first pie in 2002, Alberto Castillo, a beating when his first pitch in the majors, which came from Randy Johnson, for a home run. This, he said, "is up there."

Not only because it was against the Red Sox, who were astonished how violent the game was weakened. "When you lose late, that kind of feel more," said Boston manager Terry Francona. Or because it perpetuates the superiority of the Yankees for Papelbon, who allowed three homers this season, all against the Yankees. Or because it was his first game-ending hit in Yankee Stadium, a rarity to be major league leading 15 in 2009.

Maybe this pie taste sweet because the Yankees after blowing a five-run first inning, won at all. In fact, they were playing with a list of 20 players on Monday. Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera were available, and the Yankees surely refer to these consequences. So it was Sergio Mitre, which began Sunday. Swisher (left biceps soreness) and Posada (sore right foot) could not play, either.

Thames and capitalized on the circumstances, so too did Javier Vazquez, who inherited two runners stranded in the ninth inning, when he struck out Kevin Youkilis to keep the score at 9-7. After being skipped in the rotation once again, Vazquez become the winning pitcher.