
10-10-2003, 12:31 PM
Taken from today's (Oct 10, 03) LA Times Sports pages:
American League Playoff Game Capsules
(Thursday, October 9th)
Final Score: New York 6, Boston 2
Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Andy Pettitte pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and Nick Johnson hit a two-run homer, as the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox, 6-2, to even their best-of-seven American League Championship Series at one game apiece.
Boston won the opener of the series, 5-2, at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday behind a masterful performance by knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. The series now moves to Boston on Saturday with an attractive pitching matchup of Pedro Martinez for the Red Sox and Roger Clemens for New York.
Pettitte (2-0) came up big once again for New York, giving up just two runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and two walks. This was the second big win in as many tries for Pettitte in this year's postseason, as he also won Game 2 of the American League Division Series against Minnesota with a solid effort. The Yankees also lost the opener of that series at home before rallying back with three straight wins to advance.
Jose Contreras tossed 1 1/3 perfect innings before Mariano Rivera closed out the contest with a scoreless ninth.
Jorge Posada added insurance runs with a two-run double in the seventh for New York, which defeated the Red Sox in five games in the 1999 ALCS. That was the only other postseason meeting between these two storied franchises and fierce rivals.
Derek Lowe (0-2) suffered the loss after giving up six runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings of work. Lowe, pitching for the fourth time in nine days, was the hero of Boston's ALDS series-clinching win over Oakland. He also pitched well in his Game 3 start and struck out the final two batters in Game 5 to help the Red Sox complete a comeback from two games down in the series.
Jason Varitek had two hits, including a solo homer, in the losing effort for Boston, which has lost 13 of its last 15 ALCS games.
10/10 00:29:34 ET
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