7:01 Apparently, the announcer doesn’t want to sound like he’s comparing today’s baseball to the finer vintage of several years ago.  To prove this, he’s going to do just that.  Until Pedroia homers to (of course) right field!  You can send the bill for the giant chunk of the wall now lying on the warning track to Nick Swisher’s cleats.  1-0 Sox.

7:03 Chamberlain looks a little rattled, and walks V-Mart. Early swing by Youk….Chamberlain has to be freaking out a bit at the moment, given that if he ever hits Youkilis again–even by accident–he’s looking at a serious suspension.  (He’s done it a lot.)

7:07 Youkilis seems to have thought that pitch that almost just hit him was ball four.  Yankees fans think he tried to fake getting hit…and so did UPH, at first viewing.  Replay made it clearer, and he’ll stay in the box.   (Obviously, Youk just can’t count.)

7:09 Chamberlain really shouldn’t be a starter…he relies so much on his rhythm and if anything throws it off, he pitches nervously from the stretch.  This time around, a double play helps him out. Two down.  Drew flies to center to end the inning.

7:14 Nice play by Ellsbury takes a hit from Jeter.

7:16 Damon hits #20, and we’re tied 1-1.  Posada, in the dugout, looks pensive: haunted by baserunning?  Damon has 5 homeruns against the Sox this year.

7:17 long double falls between Ellsbury and Youkilis off the bat of Texeira. Just for the record, every time Youkilis takes off running, everyone on UPH’s couch cringes. ARod flies out to Ellsbury, but there’s clearly a lack of communication–you can’t say anything against Youk’s hustle, though.   He just wants to catch everything.

7:22 Matsui looked BAD on a K to end it.  The fact that the seven (7!) lefties are hitting .571 off Smoltz, though, makes us think this game can’t stay 1-1 for long…