AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Next up is Pedro vs. the Rocket

Andy Pettitte pitched the Yankees past Boston 6-2 in Game 2 Thursday.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Giddy after Andy Pettitte helped them even the AL championship series, Yankees fans serenaded Boston with a chorus of "1918" during the ninth inning. Then they chanted, "We want Pedro!"
They won't have to wait very long.
Following New York's 6-2 win in Game 2 Thursday night, the series resumes Saturday in Fenway Park, where former Red Sox standout Roger Clemens pitches in Boston for the final time, opposed by Martinez, the current Red Sox ace.
"That's the ultimate right there," Boston's Kevin Millar said.
The fight for the AL pennant will slide to the background Saturday, when Clemens returns to the park where he became famous for one final start. On Aug. 31, when he made his final regular season outing there, fans gave him a standing ovation when he walked off the mound.
Saturday's meeting will be a rematch of Game 3 of the 1999 ALCS, when Martinez defeated Clemens 13-1, Boston's only victory in a series the Yankees won in five games. This time, Martinez can put the Red Sox ahead.
The Yankees' Jason Giambi already is looking forward to the game as a fan.
"Two of the most dominating pitchers this league has ever seen," he said.
After laboring through his first two innings Thursday, Pettitte commanded the Red Sox. Nick Johnson gave him a lead when he fought through his big slump with a go-ahead, two-run homer.
"It was a struggle for me all night," Pettitte said. "I had to make a lot of big pitches tonight. I was very fortunate tonight to get through the first two innings."
Seven of Boston's first nine batters reached base, but the Red Sox failed to score after loading the bases in the first and got only one run in the opening two innings despite six hits.
New York, coming off a 5-2 loss in the opener, went ahead on Johnson's homer in the second off loser Derek Lowe and opened a 4-1 lead by the fifth. Pettitte made it stand up, tying Tom Glavine for second on the all-time list with his 12th postseason win, one behind John Smoltz.
"He really came up big when they were on the bases and made some tough pitches when he was behind in the count," said Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who added a two-run double in the seventh off Scott Sauerbeck.
Bullpen help
Jose Contreras followed Pettitte with four straight outs, and Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth. The three combined to hold the Red Sox to four hits over the final seven innings.
"The game was determined there in the first two innings," Boston manager Grady Little said. "[Pettitte] got into a rhythm after that, and the rest is history."
Pettitte fell behind in the count to five of his first six batters, but worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first when Millar popped out.
"He was really wound up," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "He was overthrowing the ball."
Jason Varitek doubled leading off the second and scored on singles by Trot Nixon and Damian Jackson. Then, after pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre visited the mound, Gabe Kapler bounced into a double play and Bill Mueller grounded out. That started a run in which Pettitte retired 10 of 11 batters.
Contreras relieved with a runner on first and two outs in the seventh and got Nomar Garciaparra to pop out on his first pitch.
Johnson sparked offense
Johnson, meanwhile, woke up an offense that was flustered a night earlier by Tim Wakefield's knuckleballs. After Posada walked leading off the second and Hideki Matsui hit into a forceout, Johnson hit a long drive over the right-field wall.
Johnson had been in a 1-for-33 slump dating to the regular season, which included a 1-for-16 (.063) skid in the playoffs. He also had been 2-for-14 against Lowe, whose relief performance at Oakland on Monday night preserved a lead and got Boston to the ALCS.
"He's got a great sinker," Johnson said. "I was looking for a pitch down the middle, I got a little cutter and put a swing on it."
Bernie Williams had an RBI single for the Yankees in the third, then hit a double in the fifth and scored on a single by Matsui for a 4-1 lead. Varitek hit a solo homer for Boston in the sixth. The Red Sox felt like a chance had slipped away.
"Satisfied with one win?" Varitek asked out loud. "One win does us nothing. We still have a long way to go."
BOSTONNEW YORK
abrhbiabrhbi
Kapler cf4010ASrano 2b4000
McCty ph1000Jeter ss5110
Mueller 3b4010JaGbi dh3020
Grcprr ss4020Dllucci dh0100
MRmrz lf4010BWllms cf3221
DOrtiz dh3000Posada c3012
Millar 1b4000Matsui lf3111
Varitek c4221NJhnsn 1b4112
Nixon rf3010ABoone 3b3000
DJcksn 2b3011KGarca rf4000
TWalkr ph1010
Totals352102Totals32686
Boston010001000--2
New York02101020x--6
E--DJackson (1). DP--New York 2. LOB--Boston 8, New York 8. 2B--Varitek (1), BWilliams (1), Posada (2). HR--Varitek (1), NJohnson (1). SB--Nixon (1), ABoone (1). CS--Kapler (1).
IPHRERBBSO
Boston
DLowe L,0-16 2-376632
Sauerbeck1-310010
Arroyo100002
New York
Pettitte W,1-06 2-392225
Contreras1 1-300001
MRivera110002
HBP--by Arroyo (ASoriano), by DLowe (ABoone). PB--Varitek. Umpires--Home, Terry Craft; First, Alfonso Marquez; Second, Derryl Cousins; Third, Joe West; Left, Angel Hernandez; Right, Tim McClelland. T--3:05. A--56,295.