Cabrera Catch In 8th Inning Saves Yankees

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Melky Cabrera robbed Manny Ramirez of a tying homer with a leaping catch in the eighth inning, and the Yankees edged the Boston Red Sox 2-1 last night behind a strong start from Chien-Ming Wang.

Bernie Williams homered and Jason Giambi drew a bases-loaded walk to break a seventh-inning tie for New York, which played without ailing captain Derek Jeter (bruised right thumb) for the second consecutive night.

The first-place Yankees (35-22) have won the first two meetings of a fourgame series to move 1 1/2 games in front of Boston in the AL East. They won for the ninth time in 11 games overall and moved a season-high 13 games above .500.

Wang (6-2) gave up only a solo homer to David Ortiz in seven innings. The right-hander was locked in a pitchers’ duel with David Pauley (0-1), who was making his second major league start, when the Yankees came to bat in the seventh.

Pauley retired the first two hitters, but the Yankees loaded the bases on singles by Miguel Cairo and Johnny Damon and a four-pitch walk to Cabrera. With no left-handers in the Boston bullpen, right-hander Rudy Seanez relieved Pauley to face the lefty-swinging Giambi.

The count stretched to 3-2 and then Seanez threw ball four, forcing in the go-ahead run.

Cabrera preserved the lead when he leaped at the 399-foot sign in left-center to rob Ramirez of a homer off Kyle Farnsworth. The rookie tumbled to the ground with the ball for the third out as a smiling Ramirez watched in disbelief and mouthed “Wow!”

Cabrera, filling in nicely in left field for injured Hideki Matsui, got a warm greeting from Farnsworth as he returned to the dugout and came out for a curtain call.

Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances. His 391st save moved him ahead of Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley into sole possession of fourth place on the career list.

The Red Sox took the lead in the third inning when Ortiz hit his 17th home run. With the Yankees playing an exaggerated shift to the right side, Ortiz pulled a 1-0 pitch from Wang off the facing of the upper deck in right field.

Ortiz routinely hits into the shift, refusing to bunt or settle for singles to left field. Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he’s not bothered by the slugger’s refusal to go the other way.

“That’s not why he’s here,” Francona said. “He hits 40 homers and drives in 140.That’s why he’s here.”

Williams tied it for the Yankees leading off the fifth with his third home run on the first pitch from Pauley.

Before Tuesday night, Wang was 0-2 with a 6.04 ERA against the Red Sox. He allowed eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

The Yankees got nine hits, ending their franchise-record streak of reaching double digits at 12 games.

Shortstop Derek Jeter sat out a second consecutive game because of a bruised right thumb.

Jeter, third in the AL with a .344 average,was injured Sunday when he was hit by a pitch in Baltimore by Rodrigo Lopez. He had five hits in his last 11 atbats before he was hit by Lopez.

“It’s better,” Joe Torre said. “Obviously, it’s not good enough to play. When I said he’d be out a couple of days, it was something of a guess.”

With Jeter hurt, Miguel Cairo started at shortstop last night and the Yankees purchased the contract of infielder Nick Green from their Triple-A Columbus affiliate.


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