TheDOCTORdre
05-23-2006, 10:21 AM
BOSTON (AP) - Curt Schilling looked down the Yankees lineup and had a feeling this would not be like the last time he faced them.
"That's a distinctly different team," he said Monday night after pitching eight strong innings to beat New York 9-5 and earn his 199th career victory. "That's not a knock against any of the players they're running out there, but you're talking about All-Star caliber players they're replacing."
Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz each drove in three runs, and Alex Cora added three hits and good defense for the Red Sox, who led 9-1 with two outs in the ninth before the Yankees staged a rally.
Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada hit back-to-back homers off Keith Foulke, then Robinson Cano and Bernie Williams added consecutive doubles. But Terrence Long, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A on Sunday because of injuries to all three regular outfielders, flied out to center to end the game.
"This is a team that's been wracked with some real significant injuries," said Schilling (7-2), who allowed one run and five hits with no walks and six strikeouts. "I'm sure it's a different lineup than we're going to see next time we see them."
Chien-Ming Wang (4-2) allowed seven runs and nine hits in six-plus innings for his first loss since April 21. With outfielders Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield out and regular center fielder Johnny Damon was the designated hitter because of a foot injury, the Yankees dropped the series opener and their third in four games.
"I think we're playing at a pretty good level right now, but we're shorthanded," said manager Joe Torre, whose team came back from 9-0 and 4-0 deficits for wins last week. "You never know. This ballclub, even though we're that far behind, they're still going to go up there and take their whacks. They're not going to phone it in. We just have to keep the score a little closer for it to work."
Since winning his first four starts - with an ERA of 1.61 - Schilling won just two of his next five, including a May 10 loss at Yankee Stadium in which he gave up three homers. But he rebounded at Fenway and left the injured Yankees looking for reinforcements as they dropped to 1-4 against Boston this season.
Damon and Sheffield are expected to return to the field on Tuesday night, when Jaret Wright pitches against Boston's Tim Wakefield.
"We're a little banged up, but we're going to be there to the end," Damon said. "And we're going to be very solid."
Melky Cabrera doubled and scored on Damon's single to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the third. But Boston scored four in the bottom half, thanks to Ortiz and Ramirez.
Kevin Youkilis walked, Mark Loretta singled and they moved up on Wang's wild pitch. Ortiz drove them both in with a single, then Ramirez homered to straightaway center to make it 4-1.
It was the 443rd homer of Ramirez's career, moving him past Dave Kingman and into 32nd on baseball's all-time list. It was his 43rd career homer against the Yankees.
Boston added three runs in the seventh when Willie Harris singled and Cora beat out a drag bunt, then Youkilis doubled to score one run. Ortiz singled to score Youkilis and Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly to make it 7-1.
"That's a distinctly different team," he said Monday night after pitching eight strong innings to beat New York 9-5 and earn his 199th career victory. "That's not a knock against any of the players they're running out there, but you're talking about All-Star caliber players they're replacing."
Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz each drove in three runs, and Alex Cora added three hits and good defense for the Red Sox, who led 9-1 with two outs in the ninth before the Yankees staged a rally.
Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada hit back-to-back homers off Keith Foulke, then Robinson Cano and Bernie Williams added consecutive doubles. But Terrence Long, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A on Sunday because of injuries to all three regular outfielders, flied out to center to end the game.
"This is a team that's been wracked with some real significant injuries," said Schilling (7-2), who allowed one run and five hits with no walks and six strikeouts. "I'm sure it's a different lineup than we're going to see next time we see them."
Chien-Ming Wang (4-2) allowed seven runs and nine hits in six-plus innings for his first loss since April 21. With outfielders Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield out and regular center fielder Johnny Damon was the designated hitter because of a foot injury, the Yankees dropped the series opener and their third in four games.
"I think we're playing at a pretty good level right now, but we're shorthanded," said manager Joe Torre, whose team came back from 9-0 and 4-0 deficits for wins last week. "You never know. This ballclub, even though we're that far behind, they're still going to go up there and take their whacks. They're not going to phone it in. We just have to keep the score a little closer for it to work."
Since winning his first four starts - with an ERA of 1.61 - Schilling won just two of his next five, including a May 10 loss at Yankee Stadium in which he gave up three homers. But he rebounded at Fenway and left the injured Yankees looking for reinforcements as they dropped to 1-4 against Boston this season.
Damon and Sheffield are expected to return to the field on Tuesday night, when Jaret Wright pitches against Boston's Tim Wakefield.
"We're a little banged up, but we're going to be there to the end," Damon said. "And we're going to be very solid."
Melky Cabrera doubled and scored on Damon's single to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the third. But Boston scored four in the bottom half, thanks to Ortiz and Ramirez.
Kevin Youkilis walked, Mark Loretta singled and they moved up on Wang's wild pitch. Ortiz drove them both in with a single, then Ramirez homered to straightaway center to make it 4-1.
It was the 443rd homer of Ramirez's career, moving him past Dave Kingman and into 32nd on baseball's all-time list. It was his 43rd career homer against the Yankees.
Boston added three runs in the seventh when Willie Harris singled and Cora beat out a drag bunt, then Youkilis doubled to score one run. Ortiz singled to score Youkilis and Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly to make it 7-1.