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.
Francesa won't be kind tomorrow.
Boston's beating up on Tampa again.
Mount Steinbrenner rarely erupts this early in the year, but I suspect it'll happen soon.
So, even our only dependable pitching hope failed? Sheesh! This staff is brutal.
Still, bringing the kerosene-soaked Flash Gordon into tight spot is never a good thing, is it?
Lol, Francesa's critique oughta be a riot! He is mucho p*ssed enough at the Yanks' horrendous performance thus far (Is Joe's job in jeopardy?) The Boss might explode with one more loss tomorrow on national TV.
Boston's got TB's number -- that's not surprising.
Yanks get Tampa for two in the Bronx early next week. The boo-birds will be out in force.
He's now 3 - 0.
2 - 0.
6 - 0.
Answer: 0
Very soon:
BALTIMORE (AP) -- George Steinbrenner isn't paying $200 million in player salaries to watch his New York Yankees sputter along in last place.
The outspoken owner waited all of two weeks before demanding that his team start winning -- or else.
"Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed as I'm sure all Yankee fans are by the lack of performance by our team,'' Steinbrenner said in a statement issued immediately after the game.
"It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around.''
Torre, who held a brief team meeting after the game, did not take Steinbrenner's comments lightly.
"He's right. What are you going to say? I'm not going to dispute that,'' the manager said. ``If I try to defend what we've been doing, you'd have to check my sanity. This stuff out here is not pretty. We have to make it better. No question.''
"What did you expect him to say, we're playing great? Keep up the good work?'' Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. ``We haven't been playing well. It's easy to see. We just have to turn it around. That's basically it.''
"Kevin Brown's first inning of work this year: gave up a homer, two doubles, and a single.... 2 - 0."
Didn't see the early meltdown NOR the game (thankfully) but I see Brown was it again.
Can the guy get by just inning two of a game without burying the Yankees in an early 6-0 hole?
He's horsesh*t. Had he any postgame excuse this time??
"Mount Steinbrenner rarely erupts this early in the year, but I suspect it'll happen soon."
Me yesterday:
" The Boss might explode with one more loss tomorrow on national TV."
Steinbrenner today:
"Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed as I'm sure all Yankee fans are by the lack of performance by our team....
"It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around."
Lol, do we know our Steinbrenner??
And I wonder what the vibe in the clubhouse is? This is why they shouldn't have unloaded Cairo and Lieber -- two real positive forces in the clubhouse as opposed to A-Rod and Brown's poison.
Do you think Torre will survive if the Yanks fall 10 games off the pace?
This pitching staff can't keep on giving up 7-8 runs a game. Mussina actually should have 2 wins that the pen blew for him.
No way a guy as respected as Torre gets the mid-season axe. ....no matter how far behind they are. But the players are far from safe. ....with the exception of Jeter and Matsui.
That contract would be impossible to unload.
Tino just hit a grand slam to make it 13 - 0 in the second inning, and everyone in the starting lineup already has at least one hit. ....even Posada.
15 - 8 in the 6th.
Wright's line: 5.1 in., 11 hits, 8 runs.
If they lose this game.......
You're right. Torre ain't goin' no way no how before the end of the year. And yeah, Jeter and Matsui are the ONLY untouchables.
Heh -- a 13-run rally tonight? So who cares that they bludgeoned a sickly Tampa Bay team?
Of course people will attribute Boss Steinbrenner's rant as being exactly the fire under the Yanks' @ss that they required. Tonight Susyn Waldman (calling Yankee radio games with John Sterlig) laughed at the notion.
The buzz with Mike and the Mad Dog today? They were finding the Yankee players' and Torre's arduous task of handling awkward media questions about their constant losing quite humorous....
...AND also began drawing parallels with the Yankees 1964-1965 teams that went from first to old and uncompetitive in ONE year.
Still, he got the win, and unbelievably is 2-1.
A bit before my time, but I clearly remember the Yanks losing four straight (after winning the first two) to the Dodgers in the '81 Series and then completely self-destucting the following year, going 79 - 83 and commencing a 15 year World Series appearance drought during which time Steinbrenner went Krakatoa every other minute while seaching for the right formula.
Tonight's 13-run 2nd was their biggest inning ever at Yankee Stadium, btw.
Another disaster tonight. Johnson coughing up gopher balls like he's pitching BP. Gordon comes in and both inherited runners immediately score charged to the Unit. Mo might be hurt (hand hit with come-backer).
Post-game comments by Kaat and Kay: "Shocking" performance by Johnson. "Yanks had their chances."
I just read that the fans "booed Gordon heartily."
Lol, heard it on the radio.
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