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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE April 24, 2004 ... A day after the Sox pounded their way to an 11-2 triumph, they zapped the Empire for the fifth time in six tries with pitching. Nasty pitching. First, Bronson Arroyo breezed through six-plus innings before he departed amid a 2-2 deadlock. Then four Sox relievers - Scott Williamson, Alan Embree, Keith Foulke, and Mike Timlin - combined to pitch six hitless innings as they extended the pen's scoreless streak to 22 2/3 innings. By outlasting Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera, the two most feared arms in the Yankee pen, the Sox relief corps cleared the way for the winning rally in the 12th inning of the four-hour, five-minute standoff. Manny Ramirez set the table when he doubled to right-center leading off against Paul Quantrill. Ramirez motored to third when Jason Varitek grounded out to extend the hitless streak with runners in scoring position to 19 at-bats. And Ramirez scored when Bellhorn whistled a sac fly to center off Quantrill. Ramirez had knocked in Damon with a sac fly in the first inning and Pokey Reese had done the honors in the second to drive in Kevin Millar with the other Sox run. The Yankees scored only on Alex Rodriguez's homer in the fourth inning and Gary Sheffield's RBI single in the seventh. It paid off thanks to Arroyo, who matched Yankee ace Kevin Brown for the second time in five days. And thanks to Williamson, who rescued Arroyo with runners at first and second with none out amid the 2-2 tie in the seventh. Then manager Terry Francona summoned his closer, Foulke, to handle the 10th and 11th. Francona opted against holding Foulke for a possible save situation. So it was that Timlin pitched a perfect 12th to post his first save, also since June 23. And it all came as little surprise to the relievers involved. It also eased the pressure on the Sox offense, which remains erratic, especially late in games. Without Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon, two of their top hitters, especially in the clutch, the Sox are batting only .212 this season after the sixth inning. |
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