Yankees win the EAST AGAIN!!!!!!!!
Unit, big bats deliver Yanks AL East title
Sheffield, Matsui, A-Rod homer in clinching win over Red Sox
BOSTON -- Randy Johnson was brought to New York to help deliver the Yankees' first World Series championship since 2000. He took a step in the right direction on Saturday, leading the Yanks to an 8-4 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
The win, combined with the Indians' loss to the White Sox, locked up the Yankees' eighth consecutive American League East title.
Not bad for a team that was 11-19 and nine games out of first place just 30 games into the season.
The Yankees won't know their Division Series opponent until Sunday -- or Monday -- as the Red Sox and Indians continue to battle for the Wild Card.
The Big Unit allowed three runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings, striking out eight batters. Johnson earned his 17th win of the season, improving to 5-0 against the Red Sox.
The Yankees, who had a .157 batting average against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield this season, scored seven runs on seven hits in five innings against the veteran, who was pitching on three days' rest.
New York struck for three runs in the first inning, two on Gary Sheffield's 34th home run of the season. Boston answered back with a monster shot of its own, as Manny Ramirez crushed an 0-2 fastball from Johnson out of the park, cutting the lead to 3-2.
The Yankees added two more in the second, using a Tino Martinez single, a Bernie Williams double and a pair of sacrifice flies by John Flaherty and Derek Jeter to boost the lead back to three runs.
Matsui drilled a solo shot to dead center field in the third on an 0-2 pitch from Wakefield, making it a four-run game. Alex Rodriguez added a solo homer, his 48th, in the fifth, also mashing an 0-2 Wakefield pitch.
Johnson loaded the bases after walking Johnny Damon with two outs in the second, but he struck out Edgar Renteria with a 94 mph fastball, stranding all three runners.
The left-hander settled in after the second, allowing two hits over his next four innings, striking out the side in the sixth. Tony Graffanino, who had three of Boston's five hits against Johnson, launched a solo homer in the seventh, but Johnson got the next two batters to maintain a 7-3 lead.
Up 8-3 after seven, Johnson got the first out in the eighth, retiring David Ortiz on his 123rd pitch of the day. Tom Gordon replaced Johnson, promptly allowing Ramirez's second homer of the game, but the reliever got the next two batters to move the game to the ninth.
Mariano Rivera closed out the win in a non-save situation, slamming the door with a scoreless ninth.
AI
