Damon Delivers KO to Yanks
By Joe Davis
It looked like it was going to be a long night for Lowe in the first inning. Kenny "Charlie Hustle" Lofton legged out a double as Johnny Damon didn't hustle to grab the ball that went up the middle. Jeter played some small ball and forced Lofton to third on a sacrifice bunt.
Then Gary Sheffield hit a routine fly ball to center field and Damon made another mental error as he allowed Gabe Kapler to try to make the catch. But Kapler couldn't come up with the ball. Damon isn't known for his arm and Kapler has a slightly better throwing arm. Lofton scored on the play. Later on, Hideki Matsui hit a sac fly to score Sheffield. The Red Sox got out of the inning by a play made effortlessly by Manny Ramirez that made the Fenway Faithful stomach's lurch.
It wasn't so easy for Jose Contreras, either. As Johnny Damon legged out an infield single, the ball hit Damon's side because Contreras couldn't make the catch. Later on in the inning, Kevin Millar hit a single that scored David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
In the bottom of the second, Damon just barely hit a home run of the "Pesky" pole in right field. It was a three-run shot. Mark Bellhorn followed with a home run for a back-to-back jacks.
Everything was calm until the bottom of the fifth, Kevin Millar came up to bat. He hit a home run off the CokeŠ bottles over the Green Monster.
The Red Sox added 2 more in bottom of the 6th, as Ortiz and Millar both drove in runs.
The Yankees woke up in the top of the 7th when Hideki Matsui hit a grand slam to center field. The Yankees were trailing 9-6 at this point.
The Fenway Faithful were again nervous in the bottom of the 8th, when newly acquired Terry Adams got in a jam. He struck out Clark for the 4th time Sunday night. After Enrique Wilson walked and Lofton doubled, Francona had enough of Adams. He called for his closer, Keith Foulke. The next play was controversial. Derek Jeter hit a liner back to Foulke, off his shin, to Doug Mirabelli (catcher), and Mirabelli threw to 1st base and his Jeter in the back. Millar begged for interference. Home plate umpire called Jeter out and a dead ball. Enrique Wilson went back to 3rd, and Lofton had to go back to 2nd. Sheffield lined out for the final out. Foulke then retired the side in the top of 9th. 1,2,3.
W: Derek Lowe (9-9)
L: Jose Contreras (8-4)
S: Keith Foulke (16)
Who's hot? Kevin Millar: 4 Home runs , 10 for 12, 8 RBI in the series.
Who's not? Derek Jeter: 1 for 13 in the series
