BOSTON — Don Zimmer lived in Joe Torre’s ear about no lead ever being safe in hitter-friendly Fenway Park.
However, the way the Yankees pitched last night they couldn’t have won a game played in Central Park.
On a wonderful spring night to open the season, the World Champions flushed a three-run lead in the sixth and a two-run bulge in the seventh and watched the Red Sox stumble out of New England’s living room with a 9-7 victory that was witnessed by 37,440.
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Considering the Yankees hung five runs and eight hits on Red Sox ace Josh Beckett in 4 1/3 innings, spitting out the lead irritated CC Sabathia.
“Big time,” Sabathia said of being ticked about letting the lead go in the sixth, when a leadoff walk to Dustin Pedroia led to a three-run frame. “It was the season-opener and we got five runs off Beckett. It just got away from me.”
And from David Robertson, Chan Ho Park, Damaso Marte and Joba Chamberlain.
Robertson replaced Sabathia to face Adrian Beltre in the sixth and his first pitch went for an RBI single that tied the score, 5-5. Park gave up two-run homer to Pedroia in the seventh that tied the score, 7-7. Marte uncorked a wild pitch and another pitch that Posada was charged with a passed ball on while working to David Ortiz in the seventh. The passed ball led to Kevin Youkilis scoring the game-winning run. Chamberlain gave up two hits and a run in 1 1/3 innings.
“It’s one game, you don’t make too much out of it one way or the other,” Girardi said of his leaky pen. “It’s one game. It’s a long season.”
Back-to-back homers by Posada and Curtis Granderson in the second off Beckett staked Sabathia to a 2-0 lead. After the Red Sox scored one in the second, the Yankees plated three in the fourth when Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter each singled in a run and teamed to pull off a double steal that resulted in Gardner swiping home.
Sabathia gave a run back in the fifth when he surrendered three straight two-out singles to the seven, eight and nine hitters. Yet, with a three-run edge and the sixth inning about to start you had to like the Yankees’ chances. Even if it was Fenway.
The initial sign of danger was Pedroia drawing a leadoff walk in front of Victor Martinez’ double to left. Youkilis hit a line drive past right-fielder Nick Swisher for a two-run triple and scored on Adrian Beltre’s single off Robertson’s first pitch.Robinson Cano’s ground out scored a run in the seventh. Posada ripped an RBI single to center that put the Yankees ahead, 7-5. But Park allowed a leadoff single to Marco Scutaro, the No. 9 hitter, and a one-out homer to Pedroia.
“You can’t worry about it, it’s the first game and you learn from it,” Park said.
Sabathia passed up a chance to watch his beloved Cavaliers play the Celtics in the afternoon because he wanted to relax in the hours leading to the start. In retrospect, he should have gone to the game.
“I felt great and had good stuff, but I nibbled too much,” Sabathia said. “I got behind and got into hitter’s counts. That’s a tough lineup to pitch to when you are in hitter’s counts. It was one of those days where I lost focus.”
Sabathia is armed with a mid-90s fastball but is more than a thrower and often negotiates the two very well.
“It’s a fine line and I screwed it up,” Sabathia said.
He wasn’t alone.