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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE ALL STARS
& PEDRO'S HISTORIC YEAR October 6, 1999 ... The balance of power between the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians was supposed to hinge on Pedro Martinez's slender right shoulder, but no one anticipated that his back would give out four innings into this American League Division Series. In the absence of the Sox ace, who was unable to continue because of a muscle he strained on a 96-mile-per-hour fastball to Jim Thome, the Indians seized the advantage against Derek Lowe, who gave up just one hit in four innings but couldn't dodge the loss in a 3-2 decision that left not only Pedro hurting in the aftermath. Lowe had retired 31 Indians batters in a row, including the regular season, until John Valentin threw away Ramirez's two-out grounder in the sixth. Thome followed by blasting a 434-foot home run over the right- center field fence to tie the score. Thome's home run was the only ball Lowe allowed out of the infield. It was his misfortune that it left the outfield, too. But it didn't cost the Sox the game, it only tied it on a night when the only offense Boston generated was when the Indians gave Nomar Garciaparra a chance to swing the bat. Nomar, playing for the first time in eight days because of a bruised tendon in his right wrist, homered in his first at-bat off Bartolo Colon to open the second inning. He doubled and scored on Mike Stanley's single in the fourth, one of Stanley's three hits on the night. The sellout crowd of 45,182 at Jacobs Field roared its approval when Colon walked Nomar in the sixth, after which he was doubled off first on Troy O'Leary's liner that was grabbed at the fence by left fielder David Justice. Nomar, with the play in front of him, was around second base when Justice made the catch and was doubled up easily. Colon squashed what little aggression the Sox mounted against him, striking out a season-high 11 batters before giving way to Paul Shuey to start the ninth. Shuey then did what Colon was unable to do, he got Nomar out to start the inning, thrusting his arms skyward after Nomar went down swinging on a fastball. The Sox finished with five hits, all by two players -- Nomar's double and home run and Stanley's three singles. Rookie Brian Daubach, last seen here whiffing four times on Sept. 15, struck out three more times. So did Jason Varitek. And Lowe, coming out for a fifth inning of work for the first time this season, could not afford the mistake he made in the ninth, when he hit Ramirez. Jimy Williams then summoned lefthander Rheal Cormier, who retired old hunting buddy Thome on a liner to left, then gave up a single to pinch hitter Wilfredo Cordero. Two years ago, Cordero was cast as the villain in a Boston morality play involving domestic abuse, but has come back as No. 1 on the scorecards of Cleveland fans, if not in their hearts. Garces entered and walked another pinch hitter, Richie Sexson, on four pitches, before Fryman rifled his winning single on a line to left. Pedro, who gave up three singles in his four innings, decided he could do no more after pitching a 1-2-3 fourth, the only inning in which he retired the Indians in order. He hurt his back whiffing Thome, the first batter of the fourth, but retired Harold Baines on a pop and Justice on a bouncer to first before informing Williams and Kerrigan of his injury. Kerrigan wouldn't even guess as to when Pedro would pitch. |
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