Andy Pettitte and Nick Johnson showed the Boston Red Sox the grit that makes the New York Yankees so tough in October.
Pettitte fought off early struggles to hold down Boston’s bashing batters, and the slumping Johnson hit a go-ahead, two-run homer that powered New York to a 6-2 victory Thursday night and tied the AL Championship Series.
Seven of Boston’s first nine batters reached base, but the Red Sox failed to score after loading the bases in the first and got only one run in the opening two innings despite having six hits.
“It really was a struggle for me all night,” Pettitte said. “I had to make a lot of big pitches tonight. I was very fortunate tonight to get through the first two innings.”
New York, coming off a 5-2 loss in the opener, went ahead on Johnson’s two-run homer in the second off Derek Lowe and opened a 4-1 lead by the fifth. Pettitte made it stand up, tying Tom Glavine for second on the all-time list with his 12th postseason win, one behind John Smoltz.
Jose Contreras pitched 11 1/43 innings and Mariano Rivera got the final three outs, combining with Pettitte to hold the Red Sox to four hits over the final seven innings.
“The game was determined in the first two innings,” Boston manager Grady Little said. “[Pettitte] got into a rhythm, and the rest was history.”
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Boston CF Johnny Damon, still sidelined by a concussion sustained Monday, hopes to return Saturday.
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Edited by the Sports staff of RedEye