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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE July 23, 2004 ... After the Sox staged a rousing comeback from a 7-4 deficit powered by a memorable three-homer game by Kevin Millar, the Yankees ended the streak as Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez cracked consecutive hits off the Green Monster against recently embattled closer Keith Foulke in the ninth inning to break a 7-7 deadlock and steal an 8-7 victory before 34,933 at Fenway Park. The defeat dropped the Sox 9 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading Yankees, dangerously close to the largest deficit they have overcome to win the division, 10 games in 1988. The loss also overshadowed an impressive night of redemption for Millar, who scored a measure of revenge against his nagging critics with his first three-homer game. Millar, who mustered only five homers in his first 85 games, has hit five in his last three. He became only the second Sox player to homer three times in a game against the Yankees, joining Mo Vaughn, who accomplished the feat May 30, 1997. But he was left to marvel at the Yankees. Foulke, who had blown four of his previous seven save opportunities, was unable to extend the 7-7 standoff as he surrendered a one-out double high off the Wall on a changeup to Sheffield and a single off the bottom of the scoreboard on a fastball to A-Rod. Never mind that both balls may have been outs in many other parks. Foulke has surrendered runs in four of his last six appearances and is 1-3 with as many blown saves (five) as saves since he started the season 1-0 with 10 straight saves. But he made no excuses. After the Sox were jarred by the go-ahead run in the ninth, they were unable to counter against Yankees super closer Mariano Rivera as Manny Ramirez flied out, Nomar Garciaparra (who turned 31 today) grounded out, and Trot Nixon popped out in foul territory. The defeat dropped the Sox to 37-38 over their last 75 games after they started the season 15-6. The final drama unfolded after Schilling endured his worst outing in the Hub since he returned to the Sox. No opponent had scored more than four runs against him at Fenway until the Yankees safely touched the plate seven times on 10 hits and a pair of walks over 5 1/3 innings. After Schilling breezed through the first four innings and started the fifth with a 4-1 lead, the Yankees wore him down with their tenacity, forcing him to throw 56 pitches to secure four outs. They scored once in the fifth and chased him with a barrage of seeing-eye grounders before he could record a second out in the sixth inning on their way to scoring five more times, sticking the Sox in a 7-4 hole. Trailing, 7-5, after Millar's second blast of the game, the Sox rallied in the seventh inning. Millar scorched the first pitch of the eighth inning, a 94-mile-per-hour heater from Gordon, off the Sports Authority sign above the Monster to force the tie. Moments later, the Sox seemed poised to seize the lead when they put runners at second and third with one out as Bill Mueller reached on a throwing error by first baseman Tony Clark, Mark Bellhorn bounced into a fielder's choice, and Damon doubled. But Gordon slammed the door by striking out Varitek and Ortiz, clearing the way for New York's decisive rally in the ninth. Kevin Millar's three-homer game was the first by a Sox player since Mueller last July 29 in Texas. The last Sox player to homer three times in a game at Fenway was Garciaparra two years to the day earlier . |
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