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Giambi -- goat to hero

By STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Jason Giambi has never won a Gold Glove for his play at first base, and there's no need to clear a space on a shelf in his trophy case for one in the future.

And while he has played passable defense at the position this season since coming off the disabled list, Giambi had a nightmare of a game Friday night at first base, costing New York three runs with various misplays.

But his home run leading off the eighth opened up the floodgates for the Yankees who exploded for six runs and a stunning 8-7 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

"Those plays made me concentrate even more," said Giambi of his blast at the expense of left-hander Hideki Okajima.

"I was excited to get that opportunity to get (the rally) going. I've been playing good over there but tonight I had trouble. I was just glad I had a chance to get it going for us," said Giambi.

His first bobble came in the first inning when he couldn't scoop a short-hop throw from Derek Jeter. Jeter got the error, but Giambi should have saved him.

That didn't hurt New York. But with two outs and a runner on third in the third inning, J.D. Drew's hard grounder somehow found its way through Giambi's big body, gift-wrapping a run for Boston.

In the sixth, Mike Lowell hit a liner to right with one out and runners taking off from first and second on the 3-and-2 pitch. David Ortiz was a dead duck to be doubled up at first, but Giambi had trouble seeing the throw from right fielder Bobby Abreu and decided to try to short-hop the throw rather than go get it and then come back to the bag.

The ball clanged off Giambi's glove and rolled away, with Giambi looking a fish out of water flopping in the dirt trying to retrieve it before Big Papi returned. Giambi wasn't successful, and when Kevin Youkilis and Drew followed with hits, that misplay meant two extra runs and a seemingly comfortable 7-2 lead.

But in the eighth, Giambi got one run back, and ignited the Yanks' game-winning surge.

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 1:03 AM | Permalink