MUSSINA DOMINATES BOSOX; LEAD DOWN TO 7 1/2
Yanks Top Boston for 6th Straight Time
BOSTON, July 26 (AP) - Mike Mussina struck out a season-high 14 batters in eight
innings of work and the New York Yankees topped the Boston Red Sox for the sixth
straight time with a 6-1 victory at Yankee Stadium. Boston's lead over New
York in the American League East Division fell to 7 1/2 games. The 14
strikeouts ties for the second highest total by an American League pitcher this
season. Andy Pettitte, Mussina's teammate, fanned 15 in a 3-1 victory over
the Cleveland Indians on July 17.
The Yankees took a 2-0 in the second inning. Bernie Williams drew a
lead-off walk from Red Sox starter John Burkett. Hideki Matsui then
drilled a double into the right field corner, with Williams advancing to
third. Burkett struck out both Nick Johnson and Raul Mondesi and seemed
poised to wriggle out of the mess without allowing a run but Robin Ventura
grounded a single into left field; both baserunners scored and New York held a
two-run advantage.
The Yankees added a run in the third. Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi drew
consecutive free passes with one out and Williams rolled into a 4-6 fielder's
choice, leaving runners on the corners with two outs. Matsui then singled
up the middle, scoring Jeter to up the lead to 3-0.
Mondesi's solo home run in the sixth increased the lead to 4-0 and, in the
eighth, back-to-back doubles by Matsui and Johnson and a sacrifice fly off the
bat of John Flaherty put New York on top 6-0.
Mussina, meanwhile, was handcuffing the Red Sox. He fanned at least one
batter in each of the first eight innings, striking out 14 through seven
frames. Manny Ramirez led off the ninth with his 29th home run and that,
coupled with Mussina's rising pitch count caused, Yankees manager Joe Torre to
call upon Antonio Osuna to mop up. He retired all three batters he faced
to close out the game.
The Yankees and the Red Sox have six games remaining this season, three in
Boston at the tail end of August and three in New York during the first week of
September.
7/26/2003, NYY03-Bos03, Fenway Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Yankees 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 6 8 0 7 0 2003 Red Sox 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 0 6 0 Yankees AB R H BI AVG Red Sox AB R H BI AVG Soriano,A 2b 5 0 1 0 .278 Damon cf 3 0 0 0 .285 Jeter ss 4 1 0 0 .322 Walker,T 2b 4 0 0 0 .265 Giambi,Ja dh 3 0 0 0 .286 Garciaparra ss 4 0 1 0 .308 Williams,B cf 4 1 0 0 .251 Ramirez,M lf 4 1 1 1 .320 Matsui lf 4 2 3 1 .333 Millar 1b 4 0 0 0 .297 Johnson,N 1b 4 1 1 1 .223 Nixon rf 4 0 2 0 .316 Mondesi rf 4 1 1 1 .275 Mueller 3b 4 0 1 0 .361 Ventura 3b 3 0 2 2 .286 Giambi,Je dh 3 0 0 0 .168 Flaherty c 3 0 0 1 .159 Varitek c 3 0 1 0 .258 34 6 8 6 33 1 6 1 Yankees INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Mussina W 12-5 8.0 6 1 1 1 14 132 92 2.91 Osuna 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 11 6 2.97 9.0 6 1 1 1 15 143 98 Red Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Burkett L 9-5 5.1 5 4 4 4 5 108 61 4.12 Mendoza 1.2 2 1 1 0 2 20 17 6.28 Jones,T 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 22 11 10.76 Kim,B 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 9 6 3.64 9.0 8 6 6 5 8 159 95 2B-Matsui 2(22), Johnson,N(5), Nixon(21). HR-Mondesi(15), Ramirez,M(29). RBI-Matsui(59), Johnson,N(4), Mondesi(54), Ventura 2(47), Flaherty(6), Ramirez,M(87). SB-Soriano,A(23). K-Soriano,A, Jeter, Giambi,Ja, Williams,B, Johnson,N 2, Mondesi, Flaherty, Walker,T 3, Ramirez,M, Millar 3, Nixon 2, Mueller, Giambi,Je 3, Varitek 2. BB-Jeter, Giambi,Ja 2, Williams,B, Ventura, Damon. SF-Flaherty. GWRBI: Ventura Temperature: 68, Sky: cloudy, Wind: in from center at 14 MPH. Attendance: 33,573 Game Time: 2:55