1999 Yankees Diary, September 11: Red Sox crush Irabu, bullpen to inch closer in standings

Irabu Falters in Bronx Homecoming as Red Sox Narrow Wild Card Deficit

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Hideki Irabu's return to the Bronx turned out to be anything but the homecoming he had hoped for on Saturday. The struggling right-hander was chased out in the third inning after surrendering six runs, with the Boston Red Sox capitalizing on the opportunity to inch closer to the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card race. The Red Sox, who had lost two straight to the Yankees coming into the series, exploded for five runs off Irabu in the third inning after collecting just one hit over the first two frames. The rally was aided by a pair of walks and two hit batters, which helped to load the bases for Carl Everett, who delivered a bases-clearing double off the Green Monster. Irabu, who entered the game with a 12.00 ERA in his last three starts, recorded only two outs in the third inning before being pulled from the game. The implosion raised his ERA to 5.93 on the season, and his record fell to 8-0 in his return to the Bronx. The Red Sox, meanwhile, saw their Wild Card deficit shrink to just one game as they improved to 87-63 on the season. The Yankees, who entered the day with a magic number of three to clinch a playoff berth, now sit at 88-62 with nine games remaining in the regular season.

Boston Bullpen Shines as Yankees Bats Go Quiet

The Boston bullpen played a significant role in preserving the early lead, as they combined to allow just one run over the final six innings of the game. Tim Wakefield, who entered the game in the fourth inning, was particularly impressive, as he retired the first 11 batters he faced and allowed just two hits over 4 1/3 innings of work. The Yankees' offense, which had been held in check for much of the game, finally came to life in the ninth inning when Derek Jeter and Paul O'Neill both singled off reliever Derek Lowe to put runners on the corners with one out. However, Lowe was able to induce a groundout from Chuck Knoblauch and a flyout from Jorge Posada to end the threat and secure the victory for the Red Sox.

Yankees Aim to Regroup as Red Sox Loom

The loss snapped the Yankees' four-game winning streak and dropped their record to 8-10 against the Red Sox this season. The two teams will face off again on Sunday in the Bronx, with the Yankees looking to avenge Saturday's defeat and further distance themselves in the Wild Card race. With the Red Sox hot on their heels, the Yankees will need to find a way to turn things around quickly if they want to secure a playoff berth. The team has struggled to maintain consistency in recent weeks, and they will need to find a way to win some big games down the stretch if they want to make it back to the postseason.