David Cone got the ball to start the top of the first inning and the Sox immediately pounced on him. Jeff Frye led off with a double and John Valentin singled him to third. Trot Nixon whiffed and then Cone made a colossal mental error. Daubach hit a chopper back to Cone that should have been a double play, but instead David raced after Jeff Frye going home. Frye was out but Valentin and Daubach moved into scoring position.What was Cone thinking? Carl Everett made him pay when he singled home both runners. Everett swiped second and Troy O'Leary walked. Mike Stanley whiffed to end the inning but the Sox had a 2-0 lead.
Ramon Martinez took the hill in the bottom of the first. Ricky Ledee struck out, Wilson Delgado grounded out and Paul O'Neil flied out to end the inning.
The Sox threatened in the top of the second as well. Jason Varitek walked and Donnie Sadler bunted him to second. Frye walked but Valentin and Nixon struck out to end the inning. Ramon ran into trouble in the bottom of the second. Bernie Williams singled but Tino Martinez flied out. Jorge Posada singled but Scott Brosius flied out. Chris Turner struck out to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the third. Daubach lined out and Everett grounded out, but O'Leary singled. Stanley stepped up and clobbered a two run home run to put the Sox up 4-0. Varitek walked but Sadler hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third. Clay Bellinger homered to cut the lead 4-1. Ledee grounded out, Delgado flied out and O'Neill grounded out to end the inning.
Cone settled down in the top of the fourth inning. Frye grounded out, Valentin flied out and Nixon grounded out as well to end the inning. Ramon continued to pitch well in the bottom of the fourth. Williams popped up and Tino Martinez flied out, but Posada was hit with a pitch. Brosius flied out to end the inning.
Cone cruised in the top of the fifth inning. Daubach, Everett and O'Leary all flied out in short order. The Yankees threatened in the bottom of the fifth but blundered again. Turner and Bellinger singled then Ledee singled to score....wait, what? Turner stopped at third and Bellinger hustled around second thinking Turner went home...only to skid in his tracks when he saw Turner standing on third. Clay was tagged out and instead of the bases loaded or a run it, it was first and third with one out. Delgado compounded the error by popping up and O'Neil grounded out to end the inning. A huge break for the Sox kept it a 4-1 game.
Once again Cone responded with a shutdown inning in the top of the sixth. Stanley struck out as both Varitek and Sadler grounded out to end the inning. Ramon matched Cone in the bottom of the inning. Williams flied out, Tino Martinez popped up and Posada struck out to end the inning.
The Sox threatened in the top of the seventh as well. Frye singled but Valentin struck out. Nixon singled but Daubach flied out. Everett grounded out to end the inning. Ramon came back for the bottom of the seventh and got Brosius to ground out. Turner struck out and Bellinger flied out to end the inning.
Allen Watson replaced Cone for the top of the eighth but O'Leary chased him with a single. Jeff Nelson was brought in to slam the door. Stanley flied out and Varitek bounced into a double play to end the inning. Ramon came back briefly for the bottom of the eighth to get Ledee to pop up. Lance Johnson pinch hit for Delgado and struck out. O'Neil then doubled to chase Martinez. With a 4 run lead and 109 pitches on his arm, Sox manager Jimy Williams felt Ramon had done enough. Rich Garces came in and struck out Williams to end the inning.
Alfonso Soriano replaced Johnson at short in the top of the ninth as Nelson struck out Sadler to begin the inning. Frye flied out and Valentin grounded out to end the inning. Sox closer Derek Lowe got the call to finish off the Yankees in the bottom of the ninth. Martinez flied out and Posada struck out, but Brosius doubled. Jim Leyritz pinch hit for Turner and grounded out to end the game. The Sox had taken Game 1 of the series 4-1.
Hero of the night is Ramon Martinez. He put together his best start for the Red Sox by allowing just 1 run in 7 2/3 innings, scattering 7 hits while striking out 5.
The Good:
Jeff Frye was 2 for 4. Troy O'Leary was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Jason Varitek walked twice in four plate appearances. Rich Garces struck out the only man he faced. Derek Lowe notched his 10th save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Donnie Sadler was 0 for 3 with a strikeout. Nomar Garciaparra can't come back fast enough.
The Ugly:
John Valentin was just 1 for 5 but scored a run. Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4. Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 but scored a run. Carl Everett was just 1 for 4 but made the one hit count, driving 2 runs with a single. Mike Stanley was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count, driving in 2 runs by launching his 9th homer of the year.
Final Thoughts:
A win is a win despite the fact the Yankees were resting Derek Jeter and Chuck Knoblauch. Then again the Sox were resting Jose Offerman, not to mention Nomar Garciaparra is out. The good news is Nomar comes back tomorrow night. Its about damn time. The win improved the Sox to 27-17, one game ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Brian Rose takes the hill opposite Jason Grimsley.
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