Posted on 04/04/2005 10:13:03 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
NEW YORK (AP) -- The tallest Yankee ever began the big task of putting the Boston Red Sox back in their place.
Randy Johnson shut down Boston in his New York debut, dominating his new team's old rival. He outpitched David Wells, got help from Hideki Matsui and a rejuvenated Jason Giambi and led the Yankees over the World Series champions 9-2 Sunday night in the major league opener.
``I was pretty excited to go out there,'' said Johnson, who remembered how fans cheered him when he walked out to the bullpen to warm up.
Already, there were bad omens for the Red Sox: Matsui leaped in left to rob Kevin Millar of a two-run homer in the third, Giambi stretched to reel in two bad throws by shortstop Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez made a diving stop at third on Edgar Renteria, and Tino Martinez made a backhand dive at first to prevent an extra-base hit by Johnny Damon.
By the time Matsui hit a two-run homer off Matt Mantei for a 8-1 lead in the eighth, it was almost piling on.
``We're not disappointed,'' Damon said. ``We accept the fact that we really weren't that good tonight, We'll get better.''
With Boston taking the field as champions for the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox returned to the scene of their improbable triumph staring directly at the 6-foot-10 Big Unit, brought to the Bronx to help the Yankees win their first title since 2000.
Giambi, back at first base following injury, illness and a reported admission of steroid use, received a pair of standing ovations from the sellout crowd of 54,818 and went 1-for-2 with a single and two hit-by-pitches.
``I had a calm feeling because I knew I did everything I could to get to this point,'' he said. ``They respect a guy who worked hard to get back to where he was.''
Gary Sheffield, back from offseason shoulder surgery, hit a go-ahead single in a three-run third inning against Wells, and Martinez received two huge ovations in his first game in pinstripes since 2001.
``Who wouldn't like this?'' he said.
Since New York moved within three outs of sweeping the Red Sox in the AL championship series last October, the Red Sox had won eight straight, becoming the first major league team to overcome a 3-0 postseason deficit, then blowing out St. Louis in the World Series.
But following an offseason of joy in New England, the Red Sox started with a thud, pitching poorly, making a pair of errors and losing their fifth straight season opener. New York had 15 hits off Wells and six relievers.
``It's the first game we won since Game 3,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said. ``It was a long winter waiting to get on the field again.''
The usual swells and celebrities were on hand to watch the Yankees extend their winning streak in home openers to eight. A sign in left field expressed the hope of New York fans -- ``1918-2004-2090'' -- referring to the years of Boston's last two Series titles and projected date of its next.
``The crowd was ready,'' Damon said.
Johnson was a model of quiet focus hours before the game, putting on a black undershirt, then a gray sweat shirt before sitting in front of his new locker near Torre's office and looking ahead, gathering his thoughts.
Hitting Johnson is, well, a tall order -- the New Yorker's playful front-page cartoon of him on the mound cut off at the neck.
He opened with a 93 mph pitch to Damon, and struck out Renteria and Manny Ramirez looking in the first, the latter on a smoking 97 mph heater. He got in trouble in the second, when Matsui grabbed Millar's fly ball and Jay Payton singled in the season's first run.
Johnson and Red Sox manager Terry Francona called Matsui's catch the turning point.
``They don't play much basketball in Japan,'' Jeter said playfully. ``I didn't know he could jump that high.''
Bernie Williams' sacrifice fly tied the score in the bottom half, and New York took a 4-1 lead in the third on Sheffield's double, Matsui's RBI single and a bases-loaded balk by Wells, who stepped back to start his windup and then stopped.
Rodriguez, vilified by Boston during the offseason and spring training, added a run-scoring single in the sixth off Blaine Neal and scored on Ruben Sierra's double.
Johnson allowed the one run and five hits in six innings and struck out six. Tanyon Sturtze and Tom Gordon followed with one hit relief.
Wells, who pitched a perfect game for New York in 1998 and helped the Yankees win the World Series that year, was starting in place of Curt Schilling, his bloody sock in the Hall of Fame and the ankle it surrounded still recovering from surgery that followed the title.
Signed to fill the gap created by the departures of Pedro Martinez and Matt Clement, Wells made a shaky debut, allowing four runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings. With the temperature 43 degrees, he had trouble gripping the ball.
Fans gave him the loudest boos.
``Out in the bullpen, they rode me pretty good,'' Wells said. ``That's all right.''
It was a night of milestones -- the first night opener at Yankee Stadium, the first time the Red Sox played as defending champions since 1919, when they opened with a 10-0 win over New York at the Polo Grounds behind a Babe Ruth home run.
Johnson made his 13th opening-day start, tying Roger Clemens for the lead among active pitchers.
New York, with the first $200 million payroll in baseball history, had a former All-Star in every spot in its starting lineup, the first time that happened in the major leagues since the Yankees did it on July, 24, 2003, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In all, it added up to 53 All-Star appearances.
Notes
Flags were at half-staff and a moment of silence was observed one day after the death of Pope John Paul II, who celebrated mass at Yankee Stadium in 1979.
Some drunk chick tossed beer at him too.
Time to earn his quarter billion dollar contract.
Hooo-hooo! A-Rod 3-run yard. Is it possible??
The fan has been arrested.
Quarter-Billion-dollar tease!
A-Rod missed a few pitches...Foulke's NOT sharp. Dings could happen if they leave him in.
And here's Posada swinging at ball 4 and 5. He stinks.
Could've been based juiced with only one out.
Giambi's our last chance.
Giambi...missed his pitch!
Another 2 months before these two teams meet again.
No, we can't blame Matsui. Everyone else...The Unit was hammered. Gordon is waste in pressure situations. Posada's bat is s-l-o-w...A-Rod...In contrast to last night's "good" win, tonight was a "bad" loss.
A-Rod was 0 - 4. He'll get a nice reception when they return to the Bronx.
I turned the game on in the 4th...and didn't see a Yankee hit until the 9th.
In the meantime yeah -- Pavano was lit up like the Rockfeller Center christmas tree. Lol, but you did mention the word, "hammer," didn't you? (why did we get rid of Lieber and El Duque again?) It was brutal. No cheapies. Maybe you DID see it, eh?
Doesn't seem to matter WHO pitches -- they're ALL getting punished. And the Yankee bats can barely break a pane of glass these days...
Heh -- A-Rod went 0-4?? He's close to getting run outta town already, ain't he? Somebody's gonna have to be the scapegoat, and right now HE'S the Poster Boy.
Btw, check out how Indian Aaron Boone's doing? .121 last I looked.
Thankfully not -- I just took a quick look at the box score. You actually sat there and watched it?
why did we get rid of Lieber and El Duque again?
Because they Yankee brass is now making moves just for the sake of making moves. (Lieber is 2 - 0 for the Phils, btw).
Giants gonna get a new stadium?
Lieber's 2-0? What's Pavano again? 0-2?? How 'bout El Duque? And have you noticed the Mets have won 5 straight after dropping their first 5?
"Giants gonna get a new stadium?"
News to me just recently. And it'll "only" cost taxpayer $30m to upgrade access roads. Why's that MY responsibility? The Giants don't need no stinkin' new stadium anyway.
El Duque is 1 - 1 with a 3.75 ERA. (Lieber's ERA is 3.29).
I shoulda stuck with my original predictions (before I started this thread loaded with unfounded enthusiasm right after a big opening day win) -- the Yanks could very well not make the playoffs. I know it's ridiculously early, but I just have a bad feeling about this year. ....and the signs are there.
I know it looks bad now, but there are too many horses on this team. And don't forget Yankee Pride.
Flash Gordon coughs up a 3-run HR in the 7th to lose the game to the Orioles 7-6.
Matsui K's on a 3-2 count with the bags jammed and 2-out in the 8th; In the 9th the Yanks manage 1st and 2nd, but Flaherty pinch hitting lines out.
Of note: Jorge Posada's bat is now officially best suited to swatting flies, and the Bombers have their worst record after 11 games since 1992.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.