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JON LIEBER |
THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
The Yankees erupt against Derek Lowe
September 18, 2004 ... It was as Derek Lowe bumbled through his shortest outing in 98 starts for the
Sox, retiring only three batters as he steered the team off course in its drive for the division title in a 14-4 rout by the Yankees before 55,153 in the Bronx. Lowe mucked up nearly every challenge he faced before Alex Rodriguez added injury to insult by lining a ball off Lowe's right shin, mercifully knocking him out of the
game with none out in the second inning.
While Yankees starter Jon Lieber didn't allow a hit for 6 2/3 innings, Lowe came and went, submitting his shortest outing since he lasted only one-third of an inning for the Mariners against the Padres July 3, 1997.
After Lowe walked Bernie Williams with the bases loaded to force in the first Yankee run and surrendered a two-run single to Jorge Posada, Lowe aggravated matters by fielding a grounder by John Olerud and firing fruitlessly to third base rather than getting the easy out at first. He deepened
it by failing to properly cover first when the next batter, Ruben Sierra, bounced a potential inning-ending double play ball to Mientkiewicz. After Mientkiewicz fired to second for the first out, Lowe overran first base and Orlando Cabrera's relay throw, with Cabrera effectively getting an
error for Lowe's mistake. Rather than escaping the first with a 3-0 deficit, Lowe's miscues left the Sox trailing, 5-0.
Lowe started the second inning by walking Derek Jeter and taking A-Rod's line drive off his shin before he departed. X-rays on his shin were negative, as were the reviews of his outing.
And Lieber ran with it, handcuffing the Sox until David Ortiz slugged his first opposite-field homer since April 11 with two outs in the seventh inning. |
