Yankees edge Sox, 3-2
Giambi helps stave off Sox sweep in Stadium finale
The Olde Towne Team did all they could to make an overpowering statement in the final Sox-Yankees series played at the Stadium, but the Sons of Steinbrenner had one last blast.
Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi clocked a two-run homer in the seventh inning to tie the game, and then he smacked a game-winning RBI single to center in the bottom of the ninth for the 3-2 win.
Despite the setback, the Sox ended their last lengthy road trip of the regular season with a sparkling 6-3 record and all but buried the Yanks’ faint playoff hopes in the process.
“We have to keep playing good baseball and play the game the way we’ve been playing it,” said Sox catcher Jason Varitek. “We’re not going to let anything from today take away from the fact that we’re playing good baseball.”
Lester was on his game from the very start — as he has been so many times in this breakout season — and it was crucial that Boston’s 24-year-old southpaw was nearly flawless. Yankees righty Mike Mussina was also at his crafty, cagey best in a classic pitcher’s duel. Mussina’s only clunker was in the fifth frame when the Sox offense touched up the veteran for two runs.
With one down, Jed Lowrie singled and Alex Cora took a pitch off the elbow to put runners on first and second. Varitek drove in Lowrie from third with a sharp single to right and snapped the scoreless affair. Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a fielder’s choice grounder that scored Cora and built up a two-run lead that was nearly enough.
Lester tossed up zeroes, and actually left after 6 2/3 innings with a 15-inning scoreless streak going at Yankee Stadium. Unfortunately, the lefty exited with a runner on second, and pinch-hitter Giambi greeted lefty Hideki Okajima with a two-run meteoric blast to the blacked-out centerfield section of Yankee Stadium.
The inherited run allowed by Okie stained an otherwise pristine outing from Lester, who fanned eight Yankees over 6 2/3 innings of work and allowed only a single run.