October 15, 2003
BASEBALL: The Upside
Well, Burkett was Burkett, failing to last four innings or hold the Yankees to one run per inning pitched, which would have been a modest victory by Burkett standards. The only good news: Pettitte has thrown 92 pitches through five innings, so he may not make it all the way to Rivera.
UPDATE: The Red Sox get to Contreras. Will we see Rivera in the 7th, a la Goose Gossage in the Bucky Dent game?
UPDATE: Ortiz ties the game. Do you run for him here, 0 out and representing the tying run at 1st?
UPDATE: Jon Miller on Mueller's single: "Jeter made a dive to his left and can't get to it!" How often we hear that.
UPDATE: Torre has Varitek walked to load the bases for Damon. Why do that with two outs?
UPDATE: Platoon player no more: Grady lets Todd Walker hit with the bases loaded and two outs against the lefty.
UPDATE: Red Sox leave the bases loaded. They're gonna need those runs they left on the table.
UPDATE: Gabe White comes in to tie up Trot Nixon with a man on second in the ninth. I assume after that we'll see Rivera. Keeping the lead at 1 is huge here, so Torre can ill afford to save Rivera for tomorrow.
UPDATE: Well, that didn't work. Nixon goes very deep off of White. It will now require a first-class piece of Red Sox history to blow this one, not that that's all that improbable.
UPDATE: First pitch strike to Giambi. Good sign.
LAST UPDATE: Well, I was right at the outset: the key to this game was running up Pettitte's pitch count so the Sox got to see the Yankee middle relievers. On to Game Seven.