Doug Mirabelli knew he and the Red Sox were in trouble long before Al Leiter, the 11th starting pitcher used by the Yankees this season, a major league high, left the mound in the seventh inning, having allowed only three Boston hits en route to a 5-3 New York win.
Mirabelli, up in the fourth, fell behind 0 and 2, and Leiter, staring in at catcher Jorge Posada, began to shake off pitch after pitch after pitch. Mirabelli stepped out to collect himself.
''I asked Posada, 'How many pitches does he have?' " Mirabelli said. ''He shook at least six times."
Leiter, starting a day after the Yankees sent $400,000 to Florida for the 39-year-old, punched out Mirabelli on three pitches, all looking, for one of the lefthander's eight strikeouts. Leiter allowed just one run and now enjoys an impeccable official record of 1-0 after going 3-7 with a 6.64 ERA with the Marlins.
The Sox, meanwhile, have lost 11 of 17, most recently three of four to Baltimore and three of four to New York. Ahead 2 games on the Orioles and 2 1/2 on the Yankees at the All-Star break, Boston leads New York by just a half-game and Baltimore by 1 game. As soon as tonight -- the Yankees visit Texas -- New York could be atop the AL East.
''Coming into the second half, these are the guys we wanted," said Gary Sheffield, who tomahawked a two-run homer in the third off Tim Wakefield (complete-game five-hitter) for a 4-0 Yankee lead. ''We got 'em, and we played well when we needed to."
But, Sheffield added, ''I don't want those guys to wake up. We're getting out of here just in time."
For a few fleeting minutes, it appeared as if the Yankees might have stayed one inning too long. Trailing, 5-1, entering the ninth -- which had seminal moment written all over it -- Manny Ramirez led off with a prodigious blast to left-center off Tom Gordon. He finished his swing with an emphatic flourish that seemed to tick off Posada.
Posada followed Ramirez a few steps up the line, then turned for the third base line, perhaps to say something to Ramirez on his way home. But plate umpire Jerry Meals made sure to occupy Posada as Ramirez completed his trot. The two players did not exchange any words, at least not at that moment.
''We try to play the game the right way," Posada said later. ''That's the only thing I have to say. You're down by three runs."
The hit was the first Gordon had allowed in 29 batters, and he followed it by walking Kevin Millar. Joe Torre, at that point, went to Mariano Rivera, who had converted 22 straight saves since blowing two against the Sox April 5 and 6.
Trot Nixon, Rivera's first batter, grounded to rookie second baseman Robinson Cano, who looked set to turn a double play. Yet he threw well right of shortstop Derek Jeter. Millar barreled into third, while Nixon held at first.
