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.
Tek goes yard on Rivera i the 9th! Stinky Yanks could blow this.
Aaaarg..
Lil' Jeter gets lucky...
Mariano's on his last legs as a dominant reliever, I suspect.
He still killed against the rest of the league last year; it's only the Red Sox that really got to him Some say that it's because the two teams play so often, and that the Red Sox have figured him out, but I also think Mariano may have some sort of mental block when pitching to the Sox, sad to say.
Yep, he still had an amazing 1.94 ERA last year. But it seems he's lost a few mph off that fastball, and his cutter just isn't cutting like it used to.
He needs a save tomorrow in the worst way. ....for his confidence.
Yep. He'll make me nervous every game. He'll be fine as a set-up, but I think the days of an automatic win to close are over.
And he's going to get his chance right now -- Bottom of the 9th, Yanks lead 3 - 2.
The crowd didn't take too kindly to Jeter getting beaned by Timlin. Unintentional, but there will be revenge (although probably not in this game).
Tino coming through with the game-tying HR was outstanding.
Damn, a lead-off walk.
It's way too early for the Yanks and Red Sox to be playing each other.
Single. ....two on, none out. Rivera's going to have to go Houdini here for a save.
They're going at it 3 times next week as well.
What is it with Rivera against the Sox? They own him.
Although he just got a big KO (of Trot Nixon).
1 out.
Ramirez and Ortiz coming up.
Lock stock and barrel. LoL!
A-Rod makes had a DP opportunity to win the game but made an error instead. Mariano then gives up yet another hit, and the Sox now have a 6 - 3 lead.
Pathetic.
Strike that, 7 - 3 now (after a wild pitch. ....or past ball).
7 - 3 game over. Yanks can't sweep. :)
And yeah -- if NOT for a botched play by A-Rod on a Manny Ramirez, Mo may have gotten out of trouble.
Too bad -- we had a sweep, d@mmit!
If I were pitching, David Ortiz would have been drilled long ago -- and I don't mean a brush-back. ALL the Bosox are waaay to confortable at the plate.
Yankee pitchers have been p*ssies about retaliating for too long now.
And Mo had better drill somebody NEXT time, or he may never save another game against Boston again. (That FOUR STRAIGHT BLOWN SAVES against this team)
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.