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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
BOSTON (AP) -- Pedro Martinez and the Boston Red Sox turned the
most anticipated pitching matchup ever at Fenway Park into a
historic trashing of the New York Yankees.
Martinez dominated for seven shutout innings while the Red Sox
roughed up Roger Clemens in sending the Yankees to their most
lopsided loss in postseason history, 13-1 Saturday in Game 3 of the
AL Championship Series.
| | Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez exchange high-fives during the fifth inning. |
"You never let up against the Yankees," Red Sox manager Jimy
Williams said.
Boston, beaten in two tense, one-run decisions at Yankee
Stadium, returned home to a delirious crowd and cut New York's edge
in the best-of-7 series to 2-1.
"I had no doubt we would shift and have a carryover coming back
here," Martinez said.
"I didn't feel well at all coming out of the bullpen," he
said. "I just hoped for my team to protect me."
The Red Sox ended their 10-game ALCS losing streak and their
fans reveled, chanting "Where is Roger?" New York had its
postseason winning streak stopped at 12, tying its own record set
by the Murderers' Row teams of 1927, 1928 and 1932.
"This is not the way we play Yankee baseball," owner George
Steinbrenner said in the clubhouse. "We've got to get this out of
our system."
Clemens was equally dissatisfied.
"I knew what I was up against. I'm disappointed," the former
Red Sox star said. "Obviously, I hoped for a better performance."
Game 4 will be Sunday night with Bret Saberhagen starting
against New York's Andy Pettitte.
Martinez set a Red Sox postseason record by striking out 12 and
allowed just two singles. Baseball's top pitcher in 1999, he nearly
reprised his effort at New York on Sept. 10 when he struck out a
record 17 Yankees in a one-hitter.
"He's an artist out there," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "He has a baseball instead of a paint brush."
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GAME 3 AT A GLANCE
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Every game a hero
Fenway Park. Hey, who says we can't make an inanimate object the hero? In their previous game at Fenway, the Red Sox scored a postseason record 23 runs while thrashing the Indians. After scoring just five runs in two games at Yankees Stadium the Sox pounded out an ALCS-record 21 hits.
Key number
.291 and .265. During the regular season, Boston hit 26 points higher at Fenway than on the road. In the postseason, they've hit .225 in four road games and .448 in three home games.
Last word
"He's an artist out there. He has a baseball instead of a paint brush."
-- Yankees manager Joe Torre on Pedro Martinez, who has pitched 17 scoreless inning in the playoffs. In his last 14 1/3 innings, hitters are 2-for-45 against him.
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Rather than "Cy Old vs Cy Young" -- as the bumper stickers
billed it -- the only duel that developed was between the Boston
batters, seeing which one could connect the best against Clemens
and the Yankees.
The Red Sox finished with an ALCS-record 21 hits, 10 for extra
bases. John Valentin homered and drove in five runs and Nomar
Garciaparra and Brian Daubach also homered.
Garciaparra went 4-for-5 with a home run and a double, driving
in three runs. It was as if Boston took out nearly a whole century
of frustration against the New Yorkers in one afternoon.
The Yankees' most lopsided loss in postseason play had been to
Atlanta 12-1 in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series. Only Scott
Brosius' homer off Tom Gordon in the eighth averted a shutout this
time.
Jose Offerman hit The Rocket's second pitch for a triple,
Valentin followed by lining a 96-mph fastball into the screen above
the Green Monster in left-center, and the Red Sox were on their way.
Once the most popular player at Fenway, The Rocket was hooted
off the mound by the 33,190 fans after Mike Stanley singled to
start the third. Hideki Irabu relieved and promptly served up a
two-run homer to Brian Daubach that made it 6-0.
While Clemens showed signs of strain, sweating and shaking off
his catcher, Martinez appeared perfectly at ease with the pressure
of a big game. Sitting back in the dugout, he tapped his feet to
the music played over the sound system.
Martinez was forced to leave Game 1 of the Division Series
against Cleveland because of a strained muscle in the shoulder
area, but came back to pitch six hitless innings in the clinching
Game 5.
Facing the Yankees, he did not have his best fastball, topping
out around 91 mph. But he mixed in extraordinary breaking pitches
and got into an early groove, striking out Tino Martinez, Chili
Davis and Ricky Ledee on 15 pitches in the second inning.
Martinez walked two and did not permit a runner past first base,
earning "MVP! MVP!" cheers from the crowd.
Clemens, whose 192 victories for the Red Sox are tied with Cy
Young for the most in team history, never was in control. The
Yankees were fearful that his emotions would get the best of him,
and he never displayed the control he had in winning Game 3 of the
Division Series sweep over Texas.
Clemens dropped to 2-3 lifetime in 11 career starts in the
postseason.
Though he pitched for Boston from 1984-96, his departure as a
free agent created ill will. And the Red Sox fans were glad to
hound him, serenading him with chants of "Ro-ger, Ro-ger" from
the start.
Boston also liked its friendly field. The last time the Red Sox
had played in their park, they set a postseason record for runs in
beating Cleveland 23-7 in Game 7.
Trot Nixon and Nomar Garciaparra hit doubles in the second off
Clemens as Boston made it 4-0 and got Irabu warming up. Bullpen
coach Tony Cloninger could be seen urging Irabu to hurry.
Stanley singled into the left-field corner in the third and
Clemens was pulled after one pitch to Daubach, once Irabu was
ready.
Earlier, Clemens could be seen grimacing in the dugout. It was
the score, rather than an injury, that seemed to be bothering him.
Clemens was charged with five runs, six hits and two walks in
two-plus innings.
Clemens surely did not like his day, but it was well worth it to
the fans. Certainly it was enjoyable for a local doctor who bought
four prime box seats for a total of $12,100 in an internet
auction.
Notes
Former Red Sox outfielder Dom DiMaggio threw out the first
ball. ... A contestant who could have won $2 million by throwing a
pitch from the mound into a small net behind the plate missed the
entire target. ... The Red Sox left tickets for former Yankees
pitcher David Wells, now with Toronto.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
NY Yankees Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
Yankees vs. Red Sox series page
Boston bursting at seams for Sox-Yankees
Clemens says emotions were under control
Home, sweet Fenway: Sox thrive at home
Less hype for this matchup
RECAPS
Boston 13 NY Yankees 1
NY Mets 3 Atlanta 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
Pedro Martinez is ready to go again.
wav: 100 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Roger Clemens hopes he tired the Red Sox out.
wav: 82 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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