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Late notes -- Sox-Yanks, Sept. 16 »
September 17, 2007
INSIDE THE GAME
By Steven Krasner
BOSTON -- Somehow, there was no other way to wind up yet another intense Red Sox-Yankees series.
David Ortiz versus Mariano Rivera.
One run already in against Rivera. The bases loaded. Bottom of the ninth. Two outs. New York leading, 4-3. The sellout crowd of 36,533 at Fenway Park roaring as Ortiz stepped into the batter's box.
It was a classic confrontation between, as Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia put it, "the best clutch hitter in baseball, bottom line, facing the best closer of all-time."
Ortiz knew what to expect. One 90-mph-plus cut fastball after another. That's Rivera's bread-and-butter pitch. His placid attitude on the mound belies the nastiness of the pitch. Here it is, try and hit it, says the right-hander's demeanor and delivery.
Rivera's first one zipped in at 94 mph. Ortiz, a left-handed hitter, fouled it back. The next one came in at 91 and was outside. The third one, at 92, was high, giving Ortiz the advantage in the duel at 2-and-1. Rivera's next pitch, at 93, cut in on Ortiz's hands. Ortiz made contact, hitting a weak bouncer foul down the first-base line.
The next pitch, on a 2-and-2 count, also was at 93. This one also cut in on Ortiz's hands. He took his usual mighty cut -- but the ball was in on him, and Ortiz only managed a weak popup into shallow center that was caught by Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, the hero in New York's victory because of his two-out, three-run homer in the eighth off Curt Schilling.
"I went out there and fought like I normally do," said Ortiz of the at-bat. "Obviously he made some good pitches and won the battle."
"The man we wanted at the plate was David. But he's human," said third baseman Mike Lowell, who went 3-for-4, including a homer, and knocked in two runs.
Pedroia preceded Ortiz and had a battle of his own with Rivera, a confrontation the rookie won, earning an eight-pitch walk that brought Big Papi to the plate with a chance for another one of his patented walkoff hits.
Pedroia, a right-handed hitter, was down in the count at 0-and-2 after cutters of 93 and 94 mph, respectively. The others ranged from 91 to 94 as Rivera pitched him away for most of the at-bat before missing inside with the last two pitches, filling the bases.
"When I got to two strikes I was trying to move it to the next guy. I wasn't trying to hit a homer. I wasn't trying to do anything. I was trying to get David to the plate. I had to fight my way on," said Pedroia.
Pedroia was struck by the crowd's reaction as he neared first base after drawing the free pass.
"I remember they announced David's name and the ground was shaking (because of the fans' roar). That was pretty awesome," said Pedroia. "Mariano versus David. That's fun. But Mariano's tough."
Tough enough to get the better of Ortiz and the Red Sox this time.
Posted by Steven Krasner 
at 12:18 AM | Permalink
