Yankees pummel Red Sox, extend lead to 41/2 games
Sunday, August 20, 2006 The Orioles gave Daniel Cabrera a 15-run cushion. He only needed one. ASSOCIATED PRESS BOSTON — Randy Johnson couldn't stay awake long enough to watch the New York Yankees sweep the rival Red Sox in a doubleheader to open a rare five-game series. It wasn't until he woke up on Saturday morning that he realized his team needed something extra from him. "He sucked it up," manager Joe Torre said after Johnson overcame midgame wildness to beat Boston 13-5, lasting seven innings to rescue the Yankees bullpen after a successful, but exhausting, sweep. "It was enormously important. Especially considering how dry we were in the bullpen." In an unwelcome replay of the 1978 "Boston Massacre," the Yankees scored at least 12 runs in winning each of the first three of the five-game series and extending their lead in the AL East to a season-high 41/2 games. Twenty-eight years ago, New York swept four at Fenway in September to erase the rest of what had been a 14-game deficit; the Yankees won the division that year on Bucky Dent's popup homer in a one-game tiebreaker. "We'll find a way to regroup," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We dug ourselves a pretty big hole and we'll find a way to dig out of it." Longest nine-inning game Johnson (14-9) went to bed Friday night with the Yankees losing 10-7 in the second game of a day-night doubleheader. New York came back to win 14-11 and complete the sweep in a 4 hour, 45 minute epic that was the longest nine-inning game in major league history. "When I got to the ballpark, everybody was pretty banged up and pretty sore," Johnson said. The 6-foot-10 left-hander took a no-hitter into the fourth before allowing all four of his hits in a temporary lapse of control that preceded Manny Ramirez's three-run homer. But Johnson allowed just one more run over the next three innings; in all, he gave up five runs on six walks and a hit batter. Boston wasn't so lucky. Josh Beckett (13-8) walked a career-high nine batters in 52/3 innings, allowing nine runs on seven hits and striking out two to remain winless in his last five starts. "I knew our bullpen was tired," he said after throwing a season-high 121 pitches. "For me to make them go to the well in the sixth inning again is unacceptable." Johnny Damon again punished his former team, hitting three doubles and sparking a five-run, tie-breaking rally in the sixth. Bernie Williams homered in the second — the major league-leading 32nd home run allowed by Beckett — and Robinson Cano adder a three-run shot in the eighth off Jermaine Van Buren, who was called up as a reinforcement after nine Red Sox pitchers threw 432 pitches on Friday. NEW YORKBOSTON abrhbiabrhbi Damon dh6131Yukilis 1b4000 Jeter ss4100Loretta 2b1100 BAbreu rf4210DOrtiz dh2101 Guiel rf0000MRmrz lf1113 Giambi 1b2210Hinske lf1000 CWlson 1b1100JvLopz c4110 ARod 3b3212Lowell 3b4020 NGreen 3b0000WPena rf4011 Cano 2b3225Kapler cf4000 Posada c4014Cora ss3100 Fasano c0000 BWllms cf4111 MeCbr lf4100 Totals35131013Totals28555 New York021025030—13 Boston000410000—5 DP—New York 2, Boston 1. LOB—New York 9, Boston 5. 2B—Damon 3 (29), BAbreu (7), Giambi (18), ARodriguez (22). 3B—Posada (2). HR—Cano (8), BWilliams (9), MRamirez (34). SB—BAbreu (7), Posada (2), MeCabrera (10). S—Jeter, Loretta. SF—DOrtiz. IPHRERBBSO New York RaJohnson W,14-9745563 JSWright110001 Beam100000 Boston Beckett L,13-85 2-379992 Delcarmen1-311110 Van Buren1 1-323322 Snyder1 2-300013 HBP—by RaJohnson (Cora). PB—JvLopez. Umpires—Home, Joe West; First, Ed Rapuano; Second, Tony Randazzo; Third, Jim Wolf. T—3:41. A—35,738. Orioles 15, Blue Jays 0 BALTIMORE — Daniel Cabrera pitched a five-hitter for his second career shutout, Kevin Millar drove in five runs, and the Baltimore Orioles became the last major league team this season to win a fourth straight game. Nick Markakis homered to ignite a seven-run first inning, and Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts also connected for the Orioles, who previously failed four times to extend a three-game winning streak. The victory also assured Baltimore of winning a second straight series for the first time since June 23-29. The Orioles are 2-0 in the three-game series with Toronto after taking two of three against the New York Yankees. Cabrera (6-8) struck out 10, and walked two. The right-hander's lack of control led to his demotion to the minor leagues last month, but he was exceptionally sharp in beating the Blue Jays for the second time in 12 days. TORONTOBALTIMORE abrhbiabrhbi Jhnson cf3000BRbrts 2b4111 Ctlnotto lf4010Tatis 2b1000 Ovrbay 1b2000Mrkkis rf4211 JPhllps 1b2000Mora 3b3200 Glaus 3b2000Tejada ss4223 Hattig 3b2000Fahey ss1000 BMolna dh3010Gbbons dh2210 Zaun c4010Widger dh1000 Rios rf3010Conine lf4220 AHill 2b2000CPttson cf4212 Roberts 2b1000Millar 1b4225 JMcDld ss3010RaHrdz c4022 Totals31050Totals36151214 Toronto000000000—0 Baltimore70002150x—15 E—JMcDonald (6). DP—Toronto 1, Baltimore 1. LOB—Toronto 6, Baltimore 2. 2B—Tejada (31), Gibbons (15), Millar 2 (16), RaHernandez (23). HR—BRoberts (6), Markakis (8), Tejada (21). IPHRERBBSO Toronto Marcum L,1-34 1-379935 McGowan246512 Tallet1 2-310001 Baltimore DCabrera W,6-89500210 HBP—by McGowan (Gibbons). Umpires—Home, Eric Cooper; First, Chad Fairchild; Second, Brian Gorman; Third, Bill Miller. T—2:34. A—25,380. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.