A Beautiful Day for Virtual Baseball! Thairo Re-Cycles Yanks in a Pair Over Sox, as Fists Fly.

In one of the greatest doubleheaders ever played by a member of the New York Yankees, Thairo "Bulletproof" Estrada ran amok, leading the Bombers to a sweep of the Boston Red Sox in their first visit to the Bronx this year.

While the fans huddled in the stands around trash can fires and the players spooned together under horse blankets and buffalo robes in the dugouts, Thairo became the first man ever to hit for the cycle in both games of a doubleheader.

Not only did Estrada hit for the cycle twice, but he also did it in a sort of perfect symmetry.  In the opener, filling in at shortstop for Kyle Holder, who was bogged down in an 0-37 streak, Thairo backed the servings of J.A. Happ with a single, run-scoring double, triple, and finally a home run off the left field foul pole, that let the Yankees walk off with a 4-3 victory in the bottom of the ninth.

In the second game, filling in for D.J. LeMahieu at second base, Estrada worked from the top down, hitting a three-run homer that just cleared the fence at the right-field porch, then smacked a two-run triple, another run-scoring double, and a single that plated his seventh and eighth RBI of the game—and his ninth and tenth of the afternoon—en route to the Yankees' 14-11 triumph.

In Estrada's next plate appearance in the nightcap, he was hit in the head with a fastball by Sox reliever Brandon Workman.  After both benches cleared and a brief brawl ensued, the umpires issued strict warnings to both teams against any further head-hunting.  As soon as Estrada came up again, he was hit in the ribs by Sox reliever Ryan Brasier, which set off a second brawl.

The only casualty in this altercation, though, was Boston outfielder and budding superstar, Andrew "Babe" Benitendi, who suffered a severe buttocks strain, and had to be carried off the field face down on a stretcher.

Estrada also stole a base in each game of the doubleheader, and made several spectacular plays at both infield positions, a performance that had Yankees fans dancing in the aisles, albeit mainly to keep warm.  In just one day, he became only the fourth Yankee ever to hit for the cycle twice, after Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, and Languid Bob Meusel.

"What do you expect?  A bullet couldn't slow him down.  He's like Superman!" Red Sox interim scandal manager Ron Roenicke said after the game, shaking his head.

J.A. Happ pitched his second complete game of the season, and the team's fourth, in gaining the victory in the curtain-raiser.  In the curtain-dropper, perennial emergency starter Luis "In" Cessa was driven from the box early on, but Chad Green was able to pick up the win with two innings of relief work, while Zach(k) Britton got the save.

The loss dropped Boston deeper into fourth place at 17-22 on the season.

Meanwhile, the Yankees' new no-hit celebrity Mike King was placed on the 15-day disabled list with what was described as "minor shoulder pain."  Yankees officials denied rumors that King had seriously hurt himself pitching his 149-pitch gem, and said that he was expected to be fully recovered and ready to return to the rotation after his stint on the DL.