YANKEES 6, RED SOX 2: Andy Pettitte overcomes a shaky start as the New York bats wake up in a near must-win game.
By TOM JONES
Published October 10, 2003
NEW YORK - The Empire struck back.
The Yankees, called "the Evil Empire" by rival Red Sox president Larry Lucchino, have won 26 world titles and 38 American League pennants, so you didn't expect them to lie down, roll over or scurry away like skittish squirrels just because they lost the first game of the AL Championship Series, did you?
Thursday's Game 2 wasn't an absolute, unequivocal, irrefutable must-win situation, but it was in the same neighborhood. And the Yankees, of course, responded in such a professional and ruthless manner that one can understand why they get under the skin of their opponents, especially history's underdog, the Red Sox. They blasted Boston 6-2 in front of 56,295 at Yankee Stadium to even the best-of-seven ALCS at 1.
With Boston set to pitch the menacing Pedro Martinez in Saturday's Game 3, a Yankees loss in Game 2 would've put New York in a big-league mess.
"I've told people in the past, it's a must-win game," Yankees manager Joe Torre said before the game. "But if we lose, I'll find a reason why it wasn't a must-win game."
He doesn't have to worry about that.
All that is the Yankees was on display as fans celebrated a victory, albeit one game later than they expected. There were celebrities such as Chris Rock helping to literally shake the old stadium during every Yankees rally. There was announcer John Sterling with his "Yankees win, baa-haa-haa, Yankees win." And the familiar refrain of Frank Sinatra crooning New York, New York over the public address system as the happy fans poured into the streets after the game.
Most of all, though, there was starting pitcher Andy Pettitte, who always seems to be on the mound when the Yankees need a victory. Pettitte allowed two runs over 62/3 innings for the win.
But it wasn't easy. The Red Sox must have felt as if it wasn't their night when they had six hits and a walk in the first two innings but only scored one.
"I did think the game was determined in the first inning when we had a chance to get to Pettitte and we didn't capitalize on our opportunities," Boston manager Grady Little said. "He got into a rhythm after that."
Five of the first six Boston hitters reached, yet the Red Sox left the bases loaded and did not score.
The Red Sox started the second with a double and back-to-back singles, yet scored one.
"That," Torre said, "was a big lift for us."
And for Pettitte.
"I was very fortunate to get through the first two innings," Pettitte said. "It was really tough for me to ever really get back into form. It really was a struggle for me all night."
But that's Pettitte. He bends, but doesn't break. He labors, but survives. He pitches in trouble, but finds a way to win. Even Pettitte, quickly going through the Rolodex of his career, said he is a pitcher who gives up a ton of hits, but not a ton of runs.
"This time of year, it's all about who can get out of jams and who can't," Boston pitcher Derek Lowe said. "He didn't win 21 games by accident."
The best antidote for Pettitte's struggles in Game 2 was a productive New York offense. First baseman Nick Johnson hit a Lowe cutter that didn't cut for a two-run homer in the second, and New York didn't trail after that.
Bernie Williams knocked in a run in the third, Hideki Matsui drove in one in the fifth and Jorge Posada broke the game open with a two-run double in the seventh in a game that really didn't seem in doubt after the Yankees went ahead.
Still, Boston remains in decent shape, having split the first two in New York and going home for three.
"The way it turned out, we go back to Fenway Park with a split here," Little said, "but after being up 1-0, we don't have a choice but to be happy about it right now."
The Sox are happy, sort of. The Yankees, though, have their swagger back.
