NEW YORK, 15 October 2004 — Jon Lieber pitched seven shutout innings and John Olerud cracked a two-run homer as the New York Yankees dumped the Boston Red Sox 3-1 on Wednesday to take command of the American League Championship Series.
The Yankees victory sends the Red Sox limping back to Boston for Game Three of the best-of-seven series today trailing 2-0 and facing the prospect of being without ace right-hander Curt Schilling.
The news was all bad for the Red Sox.
Teams down 0-2 have lost the last 13 championship series and if Boston is to mount a comeback they may have to do it without Schilling after the 21-game winner aggravated an ankle injury in Boston’s Game One loss when he was pounded for six runs on three innings. Boston’s other ace, three-time Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez did not fare much better in Game Two as he battled Yankee batters and a raucous New York crowd the entire evening. Lieber, who gave up one run on three hits, received a kinder ovation for his sparkling effort.
A Yankee reclamation project after missing a year and a half with Tommy John elbow surgery, Lieber took a shutout into the eighth inning before giving up a lead-off single to Trot Nixon who scored on a Jason Varitek double to cut the lead to 3-1.
It was the second consecutive night the Yankees received a superb effort from their starters, Mike Mussina taking a perfect game into the seventh inning of Game One.
For the second consecutive night Mariano Rivera came on to nail down the win striking out David Ortiz and Kevin Millar to spark another party in the Bronx.
The Yankees drew first blood when Gary Sheffield singled to centre bringing in Derek Jeter who led off the first inning with a walk.
The score remained 1-0 until the sixth, when Martinez issued Jorge Posada a lead-off walk and Olerud hammered a homer over the right field fence to extend the lead to three runs.
Cardinals Outslug Astros to Take Opening Game
Jim Edmonds hit a three-run double to key a six-run sixth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 10-7 in the opening game of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium on Wednesday.
Larry Walker added three hits and scored three runs for the Cardinals, who trailed 4-2 after four innings but scored eight runs in the next two frames to blow the game open.
Woody Williams allowed four runs on four hits over six innings, striking out five and walking one, to pick up the victory.
He also doubled and scored a run for the Cards, who had the best record in the major leagues (105-67) while winning the NL Central title and then beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games in the Division Series.
Brandon Backe started the for the wild card Astros and went 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks, leaving with the scored tied 4-4.
Chad Qualls took the loss, charged with five runs on five hits with one strikeout and one walk, as the Astros bullpen failed to hold the lead.
Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals and also scored two runs and had two hits. Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent and Lance Berkman all hit two-run home runs for the Astros, with Beltran’s homer putting Houston up 2-0 in the top of the first.
