It wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox made it two wins in a row against the defending AL Champion New York Yankees. The Yankees bolted out to a 4-0 lead against Pedro Martinez in the first inning but the Sox answered with a three run rally in the bottom of the fourth to get back in the game. The Yankees finished off Pedro and scored another run against Rolando Arrojo to take a commanding 6-3 lead. Trailing 6-5 with two outs in the eighth inning, Shea Hillenbrand hit a 2 run home run off Mariano Rivera to put the Sox ahead. Ugueth Urbina slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox had rallied to beat the Yankees 7-6 at Fenway Park.
The Yankees pounded Pedro in the top of the first as Derek Jeter struck the first pitch he saw into center for a double. Pedro buzzed Nick Johnson after hitting a home run last night before striking him out swinging, but Bernie Williams walked. Jason Giambi was hit in the process of swinging but it was ruled a hit by pitch. Yankees commentator Michael Kay said Jorge Posada was 2 for 29 with 19 strikeouts against Pedro and naturally Jorge hit a gap shot triple past the diving Johnny Damon to clear the bases. Robin Ventura hit a ground ball past the diving Tony Clark to Rey Sanchez who threw the ball 100 feet wide of Pedro for an error to score Posada with another run. Red Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger waddled to the mound to ask Pedro what he thought about the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rondell White popped up to short and John Vander Wal grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-0 and Pedro up to 23 pitches.
Wells got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rickey Henderson led off by beating out a roller to third to start. Damon forced Henderson at second and Nomar Garciaparra hit into a double play to end the inning.
Pedro settled down in the top of the second as Enrique Wilson hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Jeter grounded out to short but Johnson dumped a base hit to right. Johnson swiped second but Williams grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Manny Ramirez flied out to right to start. Tony Clark continued his slump to 0 for 19 by taking strike three on the outside corner before Shea Hillenbrand grounded out to short to end the inning.
Giambi was drilled in the ribs to start the top of the third before taking second on a wild pitch. Posada froze for strike three and Ventura whiffed on a 95 mph fastball. White popped up to Damon to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Jason Varitek grounded out to short to start. Wells threw behind Trot Nixon in retaliation of Giambi getting plunked twice and home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth warned both benches. Yankees manager Joe Torre stormed out and said "how DARE you warn US, we're the YANKEES!" After Culbreth told him to beat it, Nixon grounded out to first and Rey Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.
Vander Wal walked to start the top of the fourth and moved to second on the grounder to second by Wilson. Jeter struck out swinging and Johnson grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Henderson walked to start. Henderson swiped second and Damon dumped a base hit to right to score Rickey. Nomar hit a grounder to Ventura who airmailed the throw to second but Damon tripped over the bag making it just a "single". Ramirez ripped a base hit off the Monster to score Damon and Clark hit a routine grounder to short. Jeter flipped to Wilson who airmailed the throw to first and suddenly there were runners at the corners. Hillenbrand dropped a base hit to left to score Nomar but Varitek banged into a double play to kill the rally. Still, the Sox had clawed back and trailed 4-3.
Pedro dominated the top of the fifth as Williams struck out swinging to start. Pedro froze Giambi for strike three and Posada went down hacking to end the inning. Wells cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Nixon watched strike three go by to start. Sanchez grounded out to first and Henderson looked at strike three on the outside corner to end the inning.
The Yankees finished off Pedro in the top of the sixth as Nixon had to make a sliding catch to rob Ventura of a hit to start. White walked and Sox manager Grady Little had seen enough of Pedro after 105 pitches. Pedro would be charged with 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. Rolando Arrojo came in and Vander Wal dropped a base hit to left. Wilson slapped a base hit down the left field line that scored White but Henderson threw out Vander Wal at third on the play. Wilson moved to second on the throw and he scored on the Jeter seeing eye single to right to increase the lead. Johnson flied out to right to end the inning but things looked bleak for Boston trailing 6-3.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Damon lined out left to start. Nomar popped up to second but Ramirez walked. Clark forced Ramirez at second to end the inning.
Arrojo returned for the top of the seventh and Williams popped up to short to start. Giambi grounded out to short but Posada walked. Ventura drew a walk and Red Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger came out to ask Rolando Arrojo what he thought about the upcoming WWF Backlash pay-per-view and Fieldin Culbreth told Tony to beat it. Tony said he had two words for Culbreth and was thrown out of the park by armed security. White flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.
Hillenbrand dropped a base hit to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Varitek popped up to second. Nixon popped up to first and Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.
Arrojo returned for the top of the eighth and Vander Wal grounded out to short to start.Wilson dropped a base hit in front of Nixon but Jeter popped up to right. Johnson flied out to a stumbling Henderson to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth with Gerald Williams now in right although Henderson popped up to first to start. Damon hit a bullet to deep center and Bernie Williams dropped the ball for a "double" to chase Wells. As the YES announcers proclaimed the Sox didn't deserve any of the runs or hits they got....yes I'm serious, Ramirez dropped a base hit in front of Gerald Williams to score Damon and move Nomar to third. Yankees manager Joe Torre was miffed the Sox had the unmitigated audacity to score runs so he brought in Mariano Rivera. Clark hit a grounder to first to score Nomar and bring up Hillenbrand. Down to his last strike, Shea clubbed a 2 run home run into the net in left to put the Sox on top. Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.
Ugueth Urbina took the mound to close out the top of the ninth and Bernie Williams grounded out to first to start. Giambi also grounded out to first but Posada ripped a base hit to right. Alfonso Soriano pinch ran for Posada but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the game. The Sox had won the game 7-6.
"You're out, you dummy!" - Nomar
Hero Hillenbrand
Rickey Henderson was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Hero of the Night is Shea Hillenbrand. His two run homer with 2 outs put the Sox on top for good.
The Good:
Rickey Henderson was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Johnny Damon was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored.
Manny Ramirez was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis, a walk and a run scored.
Ugueth Urbina pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his fifth save.
The Bad:
Jason Varitek was 0 for 4.
Trot Nixon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Rey Sanchez was 0 for 3.
Pedro Martinez was rocked for 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Tony Clark was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Rolando Arrojo allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 2 2/3 innings but got the win.
Final Thoughts:
It seems every April the Boston Red Sox pull a win out of their collective behinds against the Yankees and today was that one. On the same day last year, Manny Ramirez hit a walkoff against Rivera and today it was Shea Hillenbrand's tour. Not that wins in April guarantee October success but a win is a win. Pedro got rocked again just like Opening Day and Yankee broadcasters were proclaiming he would never be the same. If that's the case, the Sox are in deep trouble this year. Ace pitchers that were as dominant as Pedro was from 1998 to 2001 come once a generation and the Sox would be up the creek without a paddle if Martinez isn't going to be the same. We all saw last year how the Sox fell off a cliff without their ace as the season wore on. The flip side is the Sox beat the Yankees two straight and they're not going to be happy. George Steinbrenner paid a lot of money for Wells, Giambi, Steve Karsay and some of the others brought in to replace Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius and Tino Martinez and so far they haven't blown away the competition yet. The Sox may have the bats to compete with the Yankees this season but if Pedro can't be Pedro, they may need to think about a possible trade. Still the Sox showed some guts to win this game and the Yankees sure don't look invincible anymore. Tomorrow the Sox look to make it three in a row against New York when Tim Wakefield (1-0) gets the ball against Mike Mussina of the Yankees. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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