As for the game, if the Sox thought they could hang with the repeat World Champion New York Yankees, this game certainly proved they can't. The Yankees pounced on Brian Rose (3-4, 5.72 ERA) for 5 runs in 5 innings. If that wasn't bad enough, the floodgates opened in the final two innings as scared call-up Rob Stanifer and lame duck Tim Wakefield coughed up a combined SIXTEEN runs. Combine that with a run given up by the returning Bryce Florie, it added to an 18 hit, 22 run attack. Ramiro Mendoza held the Sox to just 1 run in a 7 inning start as the Yankees put their foot on the Sox throat with a 22-1 win at Fenway Park.
At first Rose cruised in the top of the first inning. Chuck Knoblauch whiffed before Derek Jeter flied out to center. Paul O'Neill lined out to first to end the inning. Jose Offerman tried to start a rally off Mendoza in the bottom of the first but he was thrown out trying to steal. Jeff Frye hit one up the elevator shaft and Trot Nixon grounded out to second to end the inning.
Rose got Bernie Williams to ground out to first to start the top of the second before Tino Martinez grounded out to second. Jorge Posada took strike three to end the inning. Nomar Garciaparra doubled off the Monster to begin the bottom of the second but Carl Everett popped up to third. Brian Daubach grounded back to the mound and Jason Varitek lined out to Mendoza to end the inning.
Shane Spencer looked to put the Yankees on top with a triple to open the top of the third. Rose somehow got Ricky Ledee to pop up to third before Scott Brosius hit one up the elevator shaft. Knoblauch lined out to short to end the inning, good work by Rose. Mendoza cruised in the bottom of the third as Darren Lewis flied out to left to begin. Wilton Veras grounded out to short and Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Yankees broke through in the top of the fourth as Jeter doubled to right to begin. O'Neill flied out to left and Williams whiffed, but Martinez singled home Jeter to give New York the lead. Posada then iced the game with a 970,000 foot home run. Spencer grounded out to short to end the inning but the Yankees were ahead 3-1.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth inning as Frye grounded out to third to start. Nixon watched strike three go by before Nomar flied out to right to end the inning.
The Yankees finally wiped out Rose in the top of the fifth inning although Ledee grounded out to first to start. Brosius got a base hit to right but Knoblauch flied out to center. Jeter crushed a 14,000 foot home run to add to the lead. O'Neill walked and swiped second before Williams popped up to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-0. Rose sucked again, allowing 5 runs in 5 innings. Strangely he wouldn't be the worst pitcher in the game as it turned out.
The Sox did nothing against Mendoza in the bottom of the fifth as Everett whiffed to start. Somehow Daubach tripled into the triangle but Varitek struck out swinging. Lewis flied out to left to end the inning.
Bryce Florie made his first appearance since April 8th in the top of the sixth and the Yankees lit him up too. Martinez grounded out to second but Posada walked. Spencer doubled and Ledee was intentionally walked. The gamble failed as Brosius singled home Posada to increase the lead. Knoblauch forced Spencer at home on a grounder before Jeter grounded to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 6-0.
Clay Bellinger took over at second for the bottom of the sixth and the Sox bungled that too. Veras hit a grounder to Jeter who threw the ball away, allowing Wilton to reach second. Veras then made the boo-boo by getting thrown out at third on the Offerman grounder. The mental error hurt as Frye and Nixon stroked back to back singles to load the bases...but Nomar hit a bullet to Jeter who doubled off Offerman to end the inning. What a waste.
Florie made the Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh inning as O'Neill grounded out to short to start. Williams grounded out to short and Martinez grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox FINALLY got on the board in the bottom of the seventh as Everett doubled to left to begin. Carl moved to third on the Daubach fly ball and scored on the Varitek grounder. Lewis grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox would not be shutout 6-1.
Rob Stanifer was called up from Pawtucket in the afternoon and he got steamrolled in the top of the eighth inning. Posada singled to right and Spencer hit a double play ball to Nomar.....that he booted for an error. Ledee forced Spencer at second which would have been the third out if Nomar turned the DP. The floodgates opened as Brosius walked to load the bases and Bellinger doubled home Posada and Ledee. Jeter hit a routine grounder to Veras and he bobbled it for another error that scored Brosius. O'Neill singled home Bellinger and Williams singled home Jeter. Felix Jose came in to run for O'Neill and Martinez doubled him home. Posada grounded out to first but Spencer capped the inning with a 3 run bomb into the Atlantic Ocean. Ledee singled and Sox manager Jimy Williams woke up from his nap to finally take the beaten Stanifer out of there. Rob was charged with 9 runs but because of the errors, only one of them was earned. Brosius flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 15-1.
Jeff Nelson laughed at the Sox as he came in for the bottom of the eighth with Bellinger now at first with Wilson Delgado now at second. Veras walked to start before Offerman flied out to left. A wild pitch moved Veras to second and Wilton moved to third on the grounder by Frye but Nixon took strike three to end the inning.
The Yankees poured it on in the top of the ninth with Scott Hatteberg now behind the plate, Manny Alexander at short and Curtis Pride now in center. Bellinger walked to start but Jeter flied out to center. To add insult to injury, Jose blasted a 2 run bomb all the way into the Nile River. Williams singled to center before taking second on a wild pitch. Delgado and Posada drew back to back walks to load the bases and Spencer scored Williams with a sac fly. Ledee singled home Delgado and Brosius put the final nail in the coffin with a 3 run moonshot into the Gulf of Mexico. Bellinger struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees head 22-1.
Mike Stanton had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth. Alexander popped up to third, Pride whiffed and Daubach struck out swinging to end the game. The Yankees ripped out the Sox throat with a 22-1 massacre.
Jackass of the Night is Brian Rose. He lasted just 5 innings and allowed 5 runs, putting the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.
The Good:
Carl Everett was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
The Bad:
Manny Alexander was 0 for 1.
Curtis Pride struck out in his only plate appearance.
Darren Lewis was 0 for 3.
Rob Stanifer was charged with 9 runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Tim Wakefield gave up 7 runs in 1 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Jose Offerman was just 1 for 4.
Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4.
Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 but his error opened the floodgates in the 8th.
Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Brian Daubach was just 1 for 4.
Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.
Wilton Veras was 0 for 2 with an error but walked.
Bryce Florie allowed a run in 2 innings of work.
Honorable Mention:
Scott Hatteberg caught the last inning.
Final Thoughts:
That has got to be one of the most embarrassing losses to the Yankees in history. Not just this season, but all time. Its one thing to lose big, its another to be completely embarrassed. This makes Dave Righetti's no hitter look like a random Sunday game in May. The repeat Champions came to Fenway Park and set it on fire more or less. How do you come back from this? You get embarrassed on your home field and drop out of first place, now what? Forget the pitching imploding, the Sox offense has been a mess lately. If the starters don't pick it up, this team is going to go down the tubes real fast. The Sox do have a chance to make things right with Pedro Martinez going tomorrow night. They're going to have to take a stand now or live with the embarrassment. The loss drops the Sox to 35-30, a half game behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to Pedro Martinez (9-2) to save them and put the Sox back in first, the Yankees counter with Andy Pettite at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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