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Posted: Monday October 18, 1999 01:36 AM
BOSTON (Ticker) -- Without Pedro Martinez on the mound, the Boston Red Sox just can't quite catch the New York Yankees.
Red Sox pitcher Bret Saberhagen's fielding error allowed the go-ahead run to score and the Yankees went on to a crucial 9-2 victory in Game Four of the American League Championship Series.
Andy Pettitte pitched 7 1/3 solid innings for the Yankees, who have a 3-1 series lead and can advance to the World Series for the third time in four years with a win in Game Five on Monday.
"We're one win away from the World Series," Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez said. "We know the task at hand."
"It's the first one to win four, and it's not over yet," said frustrated Red Sox manager Jimy Williams, who was ejected in the ninth inning following a series of questionable calls against his team.
In each of its three losses, Boston has been a play or two away from tying or beating the defending world champions. But the only game the Red Sox won was Saturday's 13-1 rout behind Martinez, their ace and the probable Cy Young Award winner.
New York rebounded nicely behind Pettitte, who allowed a pair of early runs before settling down. The lefthander gave up eight hits and two walks, striking out five as he improved to 8-3 all-time in the postseason. In his last three October starts, Pettitte is 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA.
"I feel great," Pettitte said. "We were able to get the win and it's big, going up 3-1 in the series. I felt I was in trouble every inning, or it just felt like that. To keep them from going 2-2 with us, it was huge. I think we feel confident about tomorrow."
Mariano Rivera relieved with one on and one out in the eighth and slammed the door as usual for his second save of the series. Rivera closed the season with 30 2/3 scoreless innings and has added 7 2/3 more in the playoffs.
Rivera and the Yankees got some help in the eighth as second base umpire Tim Tschida ruled a double play on a grounder hit to second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, who missed a tag and threw to first. Tschida claimed Jose Offerman left the baseline to avoid the tag.
"Whether I made the tag or not, I don't know," Knoblauch said. "My job is to react as quickly as I could and just try to make a play."
"I got the best position I could, and that play itself, when the second baseman comes into the baseline and the runner is there, it's very difficult to get the angle you want without getting in the way," Tschida said. "The only position was when I got to the locker room and saw it on television. I did not make the right call."
Williams was ejected for arguing an out call at first base in the ninth. Frustrated Fenway fans, who are one loss away from their 81st year without a title, pelted the field with debris and the game was briefly halted.
"No matter if he (Tschida) missed the call or not, there's no excuse for us to lose our cool, and I don't think we did," Red Sox first baseman Mike Stanley said. "But there's no excuse for what the fans did. It's embarrassing and inexcusable. It was a very ugly situation out there."
"It's pretty scary what happened in the night, dodging bottles, magazines and programs," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "There was lots of stuff ending up on the field. It was a pretty good idea to get us off the field."
Saberhagen, who won a pair of Cy Young Awards with Kansas City early in his career, made his third and best postseason start. The righthander went six innings, allowing three runs and five hits, walking one and striking out five. Two of the runs were unearned, but one was Saberhagen's fault.
With one out in the fourth, Bernie Williams bounced an infield hit that shortstop Nomar Garciaparra threw away. Martinez doubled home Williams for a 2-2 tie and Darryl Strawberry -- who hit a homer in the second inning -- was intentionally walked.
Scott Brosius struck out and Saberhagen got Chad Curtis to hit a two-hopper behind first base. Stanley gloved it and his throw to Saberhagen covering was a bit low but catchable. The pitcher booted it and Martinez came around with the go-ahead run.
Second baseman Offerman's error on a potential double-play ball opened the gates for a six-run ninth capped by Ricky Ledee's pinch grand slam off Rod Beck. The Red Sox committed four errors in the game.
"We're trying to go out there and fight, and it seems the umpires are getting the calls wrong, taking away from us the opportunity to fight," Boston outfielder Darren Lewis said. "It's like we're being cheated out there."
The Yankees jumped in front with one out in the second on Strawberry's second homer of the postseason, a high curling shot that bounced off "Pesky's pole" in short right field.
The Red Sox answered in the bottom half. With one out, Butch Huskey doubled off the "Green Monster" and scored on a single by Troy O'Leary.
Boston took the lead in the third as Pettitte appeared to be in trouble before getting help from his defense. Damon Buford singled with one out, stole second and scored on a single by Offerman. John Valentin followed with a double to left but the Yankees got Offerman at the plate with a terrific relay from Curtis to Jeter to catcher Joe Girardi.
Pettitte walked the dangerous Garciaparra but struck out Stanley and settled down, allowing no one to reach second thereafter. He got a double play in the fifth.
It came apart for Boston in the ninth. With one out, Knoblauch and Jeter singled and Offerman threw away Paul O'Neill's grounder, allowing a run to score. Williams had an RBI single and took second on Lewis' error in right before Martinez was intentionally walked.
Beck relieved Rich Garces and immediately surrendered Ledee's blast to deep center. It marked the second time in the series Beck allowed a homer to the first batter he faced. He also gave up Williams' game-winning homer that opened the bottom of the 10th in Game Two.
Williams had three hits for the Yankees, who have won 13 of their last 14 postseason games.
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