NEW YORK, 8 October 2004 — Japan’s Hideki Matsui drove in the winning run with a 12-inning sacrifice fly here Wednesday, giving the New York Yankees a 7-6 triumph over Minnesota that evened their Major League Baseball playoff series.
Alex Rodriguez leveled the game with his fourth hit of the game to set the stage for Matsui’s critical fly ball as the Yankees equalized the American League best-of-five first round series and one victory each.
“It was a war out there,” Rodriguez said. “It was a game we needed.” The series, matching a record $183 million Yankees lineup against a Twins team with a $53 million payroll, continues today and tomorrow at Minneapolis with a fifth game back here on Sunday if necessary.
The Yankees’ arch rivals, the Boston Red Sox, reached the brink of advancing by routing host Anaheim 8-3 to seize a 2-0 series edge with a chance to sweep out the Angels today in game three at Boston’s Fenway Park.
The Yankees were two outs away from trailing their series two games to none before Miguel Cairo and Derek Jeter drew walks off Twins relief pitcher Joe Nathan and “A-Rod” hit a ground-rule double to produce the tying run.
Rodriguez recorded the only hit allowed in 5 1 3 innings by four Minnesota relief pitchers.
After Gary Sheffield was walked intentionally to load the bases, Matsui lined out to Twins rightfielder Jacque Jones. Jeter slid in ahead of the throw to home plate and the Yankees completed a dramatic comeback victory.
New York led the major leagues during the regular season with 61 come-from-behind victories. Torre rated the dramatic triumph above a game seven AL final victory over Boston that put the Yanks in the 2003 World Series.
The Twins took the lead in the top of the 12th on Torii Hunter’s two-out solo homer off tiring Yankees reliever Tanyon Sturtze. Rodriguez rescued Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera, the most successful closing relief pitcher in playoff history.
Panama’s Rivera suffered only his third blown save in 35 chances by allowing run-scoring hits to Justin Morneau and Corey Koskie in the eighth as Minnesota erased a 5-3 deficit. The Twins grabbed the lead in the top of the first, but Jeter tied the score with a leadoff homer in the bottom half of the inning. The blast into the black seats beyond centerfield ended New York’s 18-inning playoff scoring drought. Sheffield and Rodriguez also homered for the Yankees.
At Anaheim, the Red Sox broke open a tight game with four runs in the ninth inning to put the Angels, 2002 World Series champions, on the brink of elimination. Boston scored 17 runs on 23 hits over two games in California.
Manny Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly that scored Johnny Damon from third base to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead with two out in the seventh inning and scored on a Trot Nixon single in the ninth inning to give Boston an 5-3 edge.
Orlando Cabrera followed Nixon with a bases-loaded triple to score three runs, lift the Red Sox lead to 8-3 and end any dreams of an Angels rally.
Vladimir Guerrero’s two-run single in the fifth gave the Angels a 3-1 edge but Jason Varitek blasted a two-run homer off Bartolo Colon with two out in the sixth inning to level the game 3-3. Boston took a 1-0 lead when Ramirez was issued a bases-loaded walk to force home Bill Mueller in the second inning, but Anaheim leveled on Dallas McPherson’s run-scoring single later in the inning.
Astros Rip Braves in Playoff Series Opener
In Atlanta, Georgia, Roger Clemens won a playoff series opener for the first time in his fabled pitching career and the Houston Astros beat Atlanta 9-3 here Wednesday to start their Major League Baseball playoff series.
The 42-year-old right-hander, who ditched retirement plans to pitch this season, struck out seven and won despite allowing six hits and walking six batters, his most in a game since May of 1998, in seven innings.
Houston grabbed a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five National League division series, which continues here yesterday with southpaw Mike Hampton throwing for the Braves against Houston’s Roy Oswalt, the league’s only 20-game winner.
The other National League series continues with St. Louis leading host Los Angeles 1-0 after an 8-3 romp in Tuesday’s opener. Los Angeles right-hander Jeff Weaver goes against St. Louis right-hander Jason Marquis. The Astros won 36 of their final 46 games to grab the wild-card playoff spot including 18 in a row at home. But Houston batters proved powerful on the road as well, smashing four homers and staking toughman Clemens to a 7-1 edge. Clemens retired from the New York Yankees but returned to pitch with pal Andy Pettite in Houston. Now his friend is hurt and Clemens is a leader.
Houston’s Carlos Beltran went 3-for-3 with a home run before leaving with an injury. He hit a two-run blast in the fifth to give Houston a 6-1 advantage but he was hit in the ribs in the seventh inning and departed later in the inning.
Brad Ausmus erased a 1-0 deficit with a solo homer in the third inning. Lance Berkman added a two-run homer later in the third.
Atlanta’s Jaret Wright, tagged for six runs and eight hits in 4 1 3 innings, took the loss. Wright, who last started a playoff game in 1998, had not allowed more than three homers in any month this season.
The Braves did not help by going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position during the game and stranding 12 runners on the bases.
