YANKS BEST PEDRO, BOSOX
N.Y. Pulls to Within 3 1/2 Games
NEW YORK, Sept. 5 (AP) - In the opening game of their final regular season
series of the year, the New York Yankees topped the Boston Red Sox, 4-1 before a
sellout crowd of 57,824 at Yankee Stadium. The victory moved New York to
within 3 1/2 games--just three in the loss column--of the first place Red Sox in
the American League East. Yankees starter Andy Pettitte (13-9) out-dueled
Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez (15-5) to earn the victory. Closer Mariano
Rivera earned his 32nd save.
The Yankees drew first blood when Alfonso Soriano led off the bottom of the
opening frame with a triple into the right field corner. After Martinez
struck out Nick Johnson, Bernie Williams lifted a sacrifice fly to right field
to put New York on top, 1-0.
The Red Sox knotted the game in the top of the second. Manny Ramirez lined
a lead-off single to right field and David Ortiz rolled a base hit between
Soriano and Johnson, putting runners on first and second. Kevin Millar
followed by looping a single to center, scoring Ramirez to tie the game, with
Ortiz holding at second. Pettitte then walked Jason Varitek, loading the
bases with no outs. But, in a key moment, Pettitte induced Trot Nixon to
chop a one-hopper to third baseman Aaron Boone, who was playing at the edge of
the infield grass. Boone threw home to force Ortiz and catcher Jorge
Posada threw on to first to double up Nixon. Pettitte then retired Lou
Merloni on a grounder to short to end the inning with the game still tied at
one.
With one out and the bases empty in the bottom of the fourth, Jorge Posada hit
his 25th home run of the season to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. It was
Posada's second home run in as many days and his fourth of the season off Boston
pitching.
The Yankees picked up an insurance run in the fifth with a two-out rally.
After Karim Garcia and Enrique Wilson were retired to open the inning, Soriano
lined a double to left and Johnson followed by blooping a single to right,
scoring Soriano to increase the New York lead to 3-1.
The Yankees chased Martinez from the game in the sixth. Jason Giambi led
off with a double to left-center and Posada walked. Hideki Matsui's slow
roller to second moved the runners up 90 feet, giving the Yankees men on second
and third with one out. Martinez got Boone on an infield pop up for the
second out. With lefty swinging Garcia due and Martinez's pitch count
mounting, Boston manager Grady Little summoned Alan Embree from the
bullpen. New York skipper Joe Torre countered with pinch Juan Rivera but
Embree retired Rivera on a liner to center to keep the deficit at two runs.
Pettitte pitched into the seventh inning, but left with a runner on first and
two outs in favor of Jeff Nelson, who retired Nomar Garciaparra on a pop to
short to end the inning.
In the bottom of the same frame, Johnson hit his seventh home run of the
year. The solo shot to right came with two outs off Mike Timlin and gave
the Yankees a three-run cushion.
The Red Sox threatened to tighten the game in the top of the eighth.
Nelson walked Ramirez to open the inning and was replaced by Gil Heredia, who
retired Ortiz and Millar on infield flies. But Varitek doubled off the
wall in right-center field, putting runners on second and third and bringing the
tying run to the plate. Gabe Kapler came on to pinch hit for Nixon.
Torre brought on Rivera, who got Kapler on an inning-ending fly to center.
That was the end of the drama. The Yankees did nothing against reliever
Scott Sauerbeck in the bottom of the eighth and Rivera retired the Red Sox in
order in the ninth to complete the save.
The two clubs meet on each of the next two days. Tim Wakefield (11-9)
faces Roger Clemens (15-10) on Saturday and Jeff Suppan (3-1 with Boston, 15-8
overall) matches up with David Wells (12-9) in the series finale on Sunday.
9/5/2003, Bos03-NYY03, Yankee Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Red Sox 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 0 10 0 2003 Yankees 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 x 4 7 0 5 1 Red Sox AB R H BI AVG Yankees AB R H BI AVG Damon cf 5 0 1 0 .283 Soriano,A 2b 4 2 2 0 .284 Mueller 3b 4 0 1 0 .340 Johnson,N 1b 4 1 2 2 .286 Garciaparra ss 4 0 1 0 .309 Seguignol 1b 0 0 0 0 .000 Ramirez,M lf 3 1 1 0 .327 Williams,B cf 3 0 0 1 .225 Ortiz,D dh 3 0 1 0 .270 Giambi,Ja dh 4 0 1 0 .272 Millar 1b 4 0 2 1 .294 Posada c 2 1 1 1 .265 Varitek c 3 0 1 0 .254 Matsui lf 4 0 0 0 .318 Nixon rf 3 0 0 0 .308 Boone,A 3b 3 0 0 0 .248 Kapler ph 1 0 0 0 .308 Garcia,K rf 2 0 0 0 .287 Merloni 2b 3 0 0 0 .257 Rivera,J ph 1 0 0 0 .219 Walker,T ph 1 0 0 0 .246 Wilson,E ss 3 0 1 0 .215 34 1 8 1 30 4 7 4 Red Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Martinez,P L 15-5 5.2 6 3 3 2 5 105 67 2.15 Embree 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 3.19 Timlin 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 10 7 3.42 Sauerbeck 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 12 8 4.14 8.0 7 4 4 2 6 130 84 Yankees INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Pettitte W 13-9 6.2 7 1 1 3 8 103 67 3.26 Nelson H 17 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 6 2 1.95 Heredia H 9 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 4 4 3.20 Rivera,Ma S 32 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 14 10 1.88 9.0 8 1 1 4 9 127 83 Bos: Kapler batted for Nixon in the 8th Kapler moved to rf in the 8th Walker,T batted for Merloni in the 9th NYY: Rivera,J batted for Garcia,K in the 6th Rivera,J moved to rf in the 7th Seguignol inserted at 1b in the 9th 2B-Varitek(23), Soriano,A(30), Giambi,Ja(21). 3B-Soriano,A(4). HR-Johnson,N(7), Posada(25). RBI-Millar(89), Johnson,N 2(27), Williams,B(48), Posada(72). K-Damon, Mueller, Garciaparra 2, Ramirez,M 2, Millar, Merloni 2, Soriano,A, Johnson,N, Giambi,Ja 2, Boone,A, Garcia,K. BB-Mueller, Ramirez,M, Ortiz,D, Varitek, Posada 2. SF-Williams,B. GWRBI: Posada Temperature: 76, Sky: clear, Wind: left to right at 16 MPH. Attendance: 57,824 Game Time: 2:57