Baseball
ALCS: Bosox ensure a classic finish
RED SOX 9, YANKS 6: Boston relentlessly overcomes two deficits to force Game 7.
By TOM JONES, Times Staff Writer
Published October 16, 2003
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[AP photo]
Nomar Garciaparra, who had four hits, triples in the seventh and scores on Hideki Matsui's throwing error.
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NEW YORK - If this were a movie, this would be the only suitable ending. This is Thelma and Louise driving off the cliff. This is Roy Hobbs hitting the homer. This is Rocky going the distance.
This is how the best rivalry in baseball is supposed to play out. After fighting, brawling and clawing at each other for 100 years, tonight they will play one game for the right to go to the World Series.
This is the only possible conclusion, isn't it? Two historic teams. One game. A legendary stadium. Two of the greatest pitchers ever. The winner gets a ticket to the Fall Classic.
Tonight the Red Sox with Pedro Martinez and Yankees with Roger Clemens will play Game 7 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium because of a magical Wednesday evening in New York.
The Red Sox climbed off the ropes, chased away the dreaded "Curse of the Bambino" and sent this remarkable ALCS to a seventh game with a wild and improbable 9-6 victory in front of 56,277 at Yankee Stadium.
"I guess it's supposed to come down to seven games," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "You really have to do a good job of making yourself believe it's just another baseball game. At least we know (today) will be the last day."
Maybe not. The way these teams play each other, tonight's Game 7 might carry into the weekend. They meet for the 26th time this season with the Yankees holding a 13-12 advantage.
The way the teams settled into Game 6, tonight's one-game showdown seemed unlikely.
The Yankees, flying high after a Game 5 victory in Fenway, were pitching Andy Pettitte, a tested postseason starter. The Red Sox, facing the uphill task of having to win two in hostile Yankee Stadium, were pitching fourth starter John Burkett.
But in a game reminiscent of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, when Carlton Fisk turned hero, the Red Sox fell behind, took the lead, fell behind again and finally mounted a seventh-inning comeback few outside of New England thought they were capable of.
"I've never been around a ballclub quite like this," Boston manager Grady Little said. "The way the game went down out there typified our whole season."
The Red Sox had plenty of chances to give in to the curse and accept that they just aren't supposed to win the World Series. They could've packed it in when the Yankees' Jason Giambi opened the scoring with a homer in the first. They could've run screaming for the exits when star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra booted a routine grounder that helped the Yankees overcome a 4-1 deficit and take a 5-4 lead in the fourth.
By the time Jorge Posada homered to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead in the fifth, one half expected Babe Ruth to come out on the on-deck circle.
"But they battled back like we've battled all year," Torre said. "We battled back, they battled back, and there just was no quitting on either ballclub."
Each time the Yankees seemed to deliver a knockout blow, the Red Sox wobbled, gathered their senses, then came back harder to erase the nightmares of Bucky Dent, Bill Buckner and every other monster that has frightened children in New England since 1918.
Garciaparra, who had two hits in the first five games, had four hits. David Ortiz, who had driven in two, had three RBIs. Jason Varitek and Trot Nixon hit homers.
And the Sox bullpen, their weak link all season, used five pitchers to patch their way through 52/3 innings.
The seventh was Boston's big inning. Garciaparra hit a triple that turned into a run when the Yankees' Hideki Matsui whipped the ball into the stands. Ortiz knocked in a run and Johnny Damon drew a walk with the bases loaded to score the ultimate winning run.
That set up tonight.
"This is what baseball is all about, really," Varitek said. "You didn't expect anything else."
Baseball fans deserve nothing less.
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