MLB
  Scores
  Schedules
  Standings
  Statistics
  Transactions
  Injuries: AL | NL
  Players
  Weekly Lineup
  Message Board
  Minor Leagues
  MLB Stat Search

Clubhouses

Sport Sections
  Sunday, Sep. 10 1:05pm ET
Keisler flying high after winning debut
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

BOSTON (AP) -- Just what the American League needs: another successful Yankees starter.

Randy Keisler, making his major league debut, became the third straight Yankees pitcher to shut down the light-hitting Boston Red Sox, leading New York to a 6-2 victory Sunday that completed its first three-game sweep at Fenway Park in nine years.

Red Sox catcher Scott Hatteberg tries in vain to tag out Derek Jeter, who scores on Bernie Williams' single in the third inning.

"It's probably the most excited I've been in my life right now," Keisler said. "I'm not to the level of those two guys yet, but, hopefully, I can get there."

Keisler allowed one run and four hits in five innings, and Dwight Gooden got his second save in two chances by holding Boston to one run and three hits in four innings.

Scott Brosius' 16th homer and Tino Martinez's double each drove in two runs. The Yankees outhomered the Red Sox 14-0 at Fenway this season.

New York won for the ninth time in 11 games and increased its AL East lead to a season-high 8½ games over Toronto. Boston trails by nine and fell to fourth in the wild-card race, 3½ games behind Cleveland.

"This was a big series, and we wanted to have a good showing, and we didn't," Boston's Scott Hatteberg said. "The kid threw the ball pretty well, but we didn't swing the bats well."

Keisler, a 24-year-old left-hander, was called up from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday after David Cone separated his left shoulder in Kansas City. Cone had won three of four decisions after losing eight in a row.

Roger Clemens, who pitched eight innings in Friday night's 4-0 win, is 8-0 in the last three months. Andy Pettitte, who allowed one run in eight innings in Saturday's 5-3 victory, has won nine of his last 10 decisions.

Orlando Hernandez and Denny Neagle also have been pitching well.

"You only go as far as your pitching staff," Derek Jeter said. "Pitching wins championships."

The Yankees have won three of the last four and have the AL's best record since July 1 at 44-22.

They got Bernie Williams back Sunday, when he returned to center field after missing five games with a strained right ribcage. Williams went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

"We have a lot of confidence right now, and we're flying real high," New York manager Joe Torre said.

Boston's clubhouse was quiet after the Red Sox lost their first three-game series to the Yankees at Fenway Park since June 25-27, 1991.

"It's not necessarily the right time to go through a stretch like this," Boston manager Jimy Williams said. "But it only takes one good game to turn it around."

The Red Sox -- held to five runs and 21 hits in the series -- get their chance Monday night in Yankee Stadium when the teams meet again to make up a rainout.

Keisler (1-0) was a combined 14-5 with a 2.89 ERA this year in 28 starts with Columbus and Double-A Norwich. He struck out two and walked three, including his first two batters, Darren Lewis and Jose Offerman.

Lewis was thrown out trying to steal third as Offerman took second, Carl Everett popped out and Nomar Garciaparra hit an RBI single.

"I felt butterflies all day long," said Keisler, who admitted he was aiming the ball early. "I told myself on the mound, 'You can do this. You belong.' "

Brosius' second homer in as many games gave New York a 2-1 lead in the second. He connected after Pete Schourek (3-10) hit Jorge Posada with a pitch.

The Yankees made it 3-1 in the third. Jeter led off with a triple, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, and scored on Williams' grounder to second, just sliding under Hatteberg's attempted tag after Offerman's high throw.

"Today was pretty ugly," Boston's Jason Varitek said. "You can't make many mistakes against the Yankees."

Jose Canseco hit a run-scoring single in the seventh and scored on Martinez's two-run double.

Keisler allowed a runner in each of his innings, but the Red Sox scored only once.

Troy O'Leary led off the second with a single, but Lou Merloni struck out and Hatteberg grounded into a double play. In the third, Offerman was stranded after a two-out single.

Garciaparra led off the fourth with a double, but Keisler retired the next three batters. Hatteberg started the fifth with a walk but was caught stealing

Garciaparra tripled in the ninth and scored on O'Leary's groundout.

Game notes
Keisler became the third Yankees pitcher to make his first major league start this season, following Jake Westbrook on June 17 and Ben Ford on June 23, both against the Chicago White Sox. ... Monday's makeup game will mark the first time the teams have met in different stadiums on consecutive days since July 8 and 9, 1959, when they played in New York first, then Boston. ... The Red Sox obtained RHP Hector Carrasco from Minnesota for Class-A outfielder Lew Ford. ... New York's Chuck Knoblauch broke an 0-for-13 slump with a seventh-inning single and went 1-for-3.
 


ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard

NY Yankees Clubhouse

Boston Clubhouse


Boston acquires Carrasco for bullpen help

Outlook for reasonable vision for Florie 'guarded'

Bad shoulder forces Yanks to 'shut down' Mendoza


RECAPS
NY Yankees 6
Boston 2

Chi. White Sox 0
Cleveland 0

Toronto 6
Detroit 2

Kansas City 13
Texas 8

Oakland 11
Tampa Bay 0

Seattle 8
Minnesota 1

Anaheim 2
Baltimore 1

Montreal 4
Atlanta 0

NY Mets 3
Philadelphia 0

Cincinnati 6
Pittsburgh 4

Milwaukee 4
St. Louis 3

Houston 7
Chicago Cubs 6

Los Angeles 12
Colorado 1

Florida 4
Arizona 3

San Francisco 10
San Diego 2