Yankees May Win in 2005

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BOSTON -- Even the Yankees didn't expect Al Leiter to do this.
Leiter, traded Saturday from the Marlins back to the team that drafted him in 1984, allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings, leading the Yanks to a 5-3 win over the Red Sox on Sunday night.

His performance gave his new ballclub a lift it so desperately needed, slicing Boston's lead in the American League East to just a half-game as the Yankees took three of four from the Red Sox over the weekend.

"Al Leiter knows how to win. He certainly gave us a lift tonight," said manager Joe Torre. "This is far more than we could have expected, to go out there in the seventh inning and get us that far."

Leiter, who struggled with consistency during the first half of the season in Florida, allowed three hits, walked three and struck out a season-high eight in his first start in the AL since 1995.

"It's more of a relief, because I know I've felt good, but I wasn't doing it," Leiter said. "It's really about consistency and making quality pitches through the entire outing. Tonight was more about knowing I could do this."

"He's one of those guys that, when the stakes are high, he rises to the occasion," Gary Sheffield said. "He gave us what we needed tonight."

Boston nearly ruined Leiter's night with a ninth-inning rally against Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera, as the Sox cut a four-run lead to two and had the bases loaded with no outs. But Rivera, who entered the game with 22 consecutive successful save opportunities, got out of the jam with the help of an unusual 5-2-3 double play.

"Mariano Rivera, I don't have to tell you guys or anybody in baseball, is clearly the greatest closer," Leiter said. "I knew something good was going to happen. Certainly, a 5-2-3 double play was in order."

The Yankees belted three home runs against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who has given the Bombers fits over the past few years. Jorge Posada, Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez each took Wakefield deep, as the Yankees won for the 10th time in their last 12 games.

Posada put the Yankees on the board in the second, belting a two-run home run to right field against Wakefield.

Sheffield, who entered the game with seven hits in 12 at-bats in the series, continued to swing a hot bat on Sunday, drilling a two-run shot of his own against Wakefield in the third. That gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead, putting Leiter in a good position in his first Yankees start.

"We said, 'Let's get him some runs early and let him settle down,'" said Sheffield, who played with Leiter in Florida. "Coming in here in the middle of the season and having to pitch in a ballgame like this, it's better to pitch with a lead."

Rodriguez also took Wakefield deep, depositing a solo shot to left field in the eighth inning. The blast was A-Rod's 26th of the year and the third of the series.

The Sox scored a run in the third on an RBI double by David Ortiz, but Leiter shut down Boston's mighty offense after that, retiring nine in a row following the hit.


Red Sox Coverage
• Ninth-inning rally comes up short
• Late charge gets short-circuited
• Molitor makes pitch against cancer
• Notes: Damon's streak reaches 29

July 16 coverage: Sox look to knuckle down for a split Clement's star dimmed by Yanks Baserunning snafu proves costly Red Sox fight back, but fall short Notes: Ortiz unpacks his glove July 15 coverage: Damon looks to keep it going Booming response from Sox's offense Bauman: Resilient Sox bounce back Nixon enjoys his trots around bases Popular Kapler returns to Red Sox Notes: Wells appeals suspension July 14 coverage: Boomer, Boston look to bounce back 'Pen debut leaves ace disappointed Lucky Sox fans pick up their rings Notes: Bradford out to submarine foes Schilling begins life in bullpen More preview coverage: Bauman: Deja-vu all over again, sort of Singer: Sox-Yanks kick-start second half Boston leading division at halfway mark
Yankees Coverage
• Leiter, long balls lift Yankees past Sox
• Yankees' dynamic duo getting it done
• Notes: Small gets the call to rotation

July 16 coverage: Leiter set for second Yankees debut Bauman: As the Yanks rotation turns Yanks acquire Leiter from Marlins A-Rod, Unit lift Yankees past Red Sox Notes: Yanks happy to have Leiter July 15 coverage: Yanks expected to obtain Leiter Yankees, Unit look to rebound Redding, Yanks roughed up by Sox Notes: Yanks ready to deal for hurler? July 14 coverage: Redding to make Yankees debut Vintage Mo fans Sox for 21st save Bauman: Yanks play rotation roulette A-Rod's shot shells Schilling, Sox Notes: Brown could return soon Yankees place Wang on 15-day DL More preview coverage: Bauman: Deja-vu all over again, sort of Singer: Sox-Yanks kick-start second half Yankees hanging tough in AL East
Leiter, who had walked 60 batters while striking out just 52 in 80 innings with the Marlins this season, looked like a completely different pitcher on Sunday night.

"Having not done my job, as disappointing as my Marlins experience was, I had a difficult time accepting that it was the end for me," said Leiter. "Coming in here, I had a feeling that it is what it is, so let it fly and whatever happens, happens."

The left-hander struck out two in the first inning, one in the second, two in both the third and fourth, then another in the sixth, as he finished that inning with 95 pitches.

"Mel [Stottlemyre] asked him if his pitch count had gotten this high before," Torre said. "He said, 'Yeah, in my last start -- but it was the third inning.'"

With one out in the seventh, Leiter walked Doug Mirabelli, the pitcher's third base on balls in the game. That prompted Torre to remove the southpaw in favor of Tanyon Sturtze, who got Bill Mueller to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

"You're looking for help, and in Al's case, hopefully we ran into it," said general manager Brian Cashman. "We sat there with our fingers crossed and hoped it would work, and thankfully, we're talking about a hugely positive game for us."

"He did a great job tonight," said Trot Nixon of Leiter. "You look at that situation and you wonder why the Marlins got rid of him. That's a good pickup for those guys."

Manny Ramirez launched a solo shot off Gordon to open the ninth, then Gordon walked Kevin Millar, bringing Rivera in from the bullpen.

Rivera got Nixon to hit what appeared to be a double-play ball, but Robinson Cano threw the ball away from Derek Jeter and into left field, putting runners on the corners with no outs.

Pinch-hitter Jason Varitek singled to right, scoring Millar to cut the lead to 5-3. Mueller then blooped a single to right, loading the bases for Alex Cora, but he hit a grounder to A-Rod, who threw home to start the 5-2-3 double play.

"It was a blooper here, a blooper there, all of a sudden, bases loaded, no outs," said Rivera, who then got Johnny Damon to ground out on the first pitch to record his 23rd save. "Thank God I was able to make a good pitch and get a double play."

"We're getting out of here just in time, because they were making a run at the end," Sheffield said. "That tells you their bats are waking up, and we don't want to be a part of it."

Leiter will get the ball again in five days, then again five days after that. If he can provide anything close to the performance he gave the Yankees on Sunday night, he may prove to be one of the team's most important acquisitions.

"There's a different feel here, like every pitch matters," Leiter said. "I don't know if it's unfinished business, but I feel the importance of every pitch. If there were ever moments in my career that defined me, it was with the team's back up against the wall. I like those moments, that nervous energy and the need for that concentration and attitude."