The Yankees won`t be intimidated, not by Roger Clemens or anyone else. The Boston pitching ace, in an effort to bury New York, knocked down two batters and buzzed the chins of two others Thursday night, but wound up the loser as the Yankees soared to a 5-3 victory in the opener of a four-game showdown for the flag in the American League East.
The win was the third in a row for the Yankees, sliced the Boston lead to 3 1/2 games and went to Rick Rhoden. In response to Clemens` knockdown pitches, Rhoden hit Todd Benzinger in the Boston second.
”The whole thing stopped right there when we hit their guy,” said Yankee slugger Jack Clark, who was among Clemens` knockout victims. ”If they pitch inside, we`ll pitch inside, too.”
Mike Pagliarulo, with three hits-a home run, a double and a single-led a 12-hit New York assault.
Pagliarulo, who had been in a severe slump, delivered the big hit, a double off the wall in left-center that keyed the Yankees` decisive fourth-inning rally against Clemens and broke a 1-1 tie. Clark, who had singled, scored the winning run, coming in from third on Willie Randolph`s infield out. Clemens was knocked out in the seventh, one inning after Rhoden had departed. A squad of four relievers, including Dave Righetti, who earned his 22d save, helped protect Rhoden`s 11th victory.
A partisan crowd of 35,320-the 50th consecutive Fenway Park gate in excess of 30,000-had little to cheer about except for the first inning. After Clemens retired the first three Yankee batters in order, some of the fans began chanting ”Sweep! Sweep!”
In the second inning, Pagliarulo broke Clemens` service with his 13th homer of the season, a drive that cleared the bullpen wall in right-center. The Red Sox tied the game in the third on Dwight Evans` bases-loaded sacrifice fly, but the Yankees went ahead to stay with their decisive two-run fourth.
In the fifth, Claudell Washington stole home-the first Red Sox foe to do it in 16 years-to increase the lead to 4-1. Red Sox manager Joe Morgan engaged in a long and futile beef with plate umpire Dale Ford, insisting that pitch had ticked Pagliarulo`s bat.
Pagliarulo, who had gone into a bunting stance, said he was unaware Washington would be stealing. ”I was just trying to block the catcher`s vision,” Pagliarulo insisted. ”I missed the pitch by about a foot.”
Morgan stopped play in the fourth and charged that Rhoden was scuffing the ball. Rhoden claimed innocence. ”I pitched terrible,” he said. ”Anyway, the umpire didn`t say anything to me about it.”
Rhoden also denied he purposely hit Benzinger. ”They were pitching inside against our guys. So I thought I`d pitch inside, too,” he said.
