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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE September 17, 2004 ... Johnny Damon singled off Mariano Rivera with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Sox to an electrifying 3-2 victory before the lingering diehards in a sellout crowd of 55,128 at Yankee Stadium. Damon's game-winner capped a two-run rally that lifted the Sox out of a 2-1 hole in a last-gasp bid to sustain one of the most remarkable stretch drives in franchise history. Trot Nixon ignited the rally by drawing a walk leading off. As Rivera fanned Jason Varitek for the first out, Dave Roberts, running for Nixon, stole second. Rivera than drilled Kevin Millar with a pitch before Orlando Cabrera denied Rivera his 50th save of the season by shooting a single to right to knock in Roberts and force a 2-2 deadlock. With Gabe Kapler, running for Millar, at second with two outs, Damon flared a single to right-center, much like Jorge Posada's crippling hit in Game 7 of last year's American League Championship Series. Keith Foulke then finished off the Yankees in the ninth for his 30th save and 16th straight. It marked the second time in as many tries the Sox have come from behind against Rivera (Bill Mueller touched him for a walkoff homer July 24 at Fenway Park). Before the rousing finish, the taut thriller first turned on John Olerud's tiebreaking solo homer off Bronson Arroyo leading off the fifth inning. The shot came as a cruel twist for the cornrowed Arroyo, who outlasted Yankees starter Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez in their struggle against the elements. Arroyo submitted an otherwise fine outing, allowing only two runs on four hits and a walk in his rain-bedeviled six-inning outing.
Until the ninth, Hernandez and the Yankee bullpen all but silenced the vaunted Sox offense, which leads the majors in a number of categories, including the one that counts most (runs). The undefeated Hernandez (8-0) surrendered one run on three hits, including a solo shot by Damon, over three innings in his rain- shortened outing before he handed the torch to Tanyon Sturtze. As for Arroyo, he held the Yankees hitless for two innings before the delays, then allowed a run in the fourth before Olerud's shot broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth. Two pitches after Olerud's blast, Manny Ramirez made the play of the game, leaping above the left-field wall to rob Miguel Cairo of a home run. Cairo was so sure it was a home run that he rounded the bases before he learned to his consternation from plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt of Ramirez's magnificent catch. Barry Bonds hit the milestone 700th home run in front of family, friends, and godfather Willie Mays in SBC Park. He is up to 43 homers on the season. He hit 46 in 2002 and 45 last season, which would suggest that he won't break Hank Aaron's record of 755 next season, but he isn't that far removed from the record-setting 73 he hit in 2001. |
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