FENWAY PARK, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- To pinpoint one game as the most memorable in the history of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is an impossible task. To pick out the most bizarre game? That's pretty easy.
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Starters: Roger Clemens vs. Pedro Martinez.
WP: Roger Clemens (1-0) LP: Pedro Martinez (0-1).
S: Mariano Rivera (1).
HR: Jeter (1).
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Game 3 of the 2003 American League Championship Series saw Roger Clemens vs. Pedro Martinez in a matchup for the ages, as the Rocket took the mound at Fenway Park for the final time. With the series tied at one game apiece, this contest was crucial for both teams' hopes of advancing to the World Series.
Boston took an early lead by hitting Clemens for a pair of runs in the first inning, courtesy of a two-run single by Manny Ramirez. But the Yankees chipped away at Martinez, scoring runs in the second and third to tie the game, 2-2.
The Yankees took a lead in the fourth on Hideki Matsui's RBI double, but things were just starting to get interesting.
Martinez hit Karim Garcia in the back with a pitch, prompting home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez to warn both benches. New York tacked on another run on a bases-loaded double play by Alfonso Soriano, as the Yankees increased their lead to 4-2. On the play, Garcia slid hard into second baseman Todd Walker, resulting in words between the two and causing a stir in both dugouts.
Ramirez led off the bottom of the inning, falling behind Clemens, 1-2. Clemens' next pitch was high and over the plate, but Ramirez backed off as if it were headed directly for him. Ramirez took a step toward the mound, yelling at Clemens, who yelled back. Both benches cleared as David Ortiz struggled to restrain Ramirez near the first-base line.
But the most surreal moment came away from the action, where Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer ran aggressively toward Martinez. The pitcher grabbed the 72-year-old by his head and threw him to the ground in front of Boston's dugout. Zimmer was attended to, heading back to the bench with a cut on his nose, as order was restored after a 13-minute delay.
Clemens and Martinez used the energy to their advantage, each retiring the side in the next two frames. The Red Sox threatened in the sixth, putting two men on with no outs, but Clemens responded by striking out Nomar Garciaparra and getting Ramirez to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, maintaining the two-run lead. It would be the last inning for Clemens, who allowed two runs on five hits and a walk, striking out seven in six innings.
Yankees manager Joe Torre turned to Mariano Rivera, his trusted closer, for a two-inning save. Rivera retired the Sox in order on eight pitches in the eighth and closed out the game with a scoreless ninth for the 4-3 win, moving the Yankees within two games of the Fall Classic. New York went on to win the series in a memorable seventh game, but this classic at Fenway will go down as one of the landmark games in this storied rivalry.
"Great theater, whatever you want to call it," Clemens said. "I think everybody got their money's worth."
Copyright 2003 by the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball
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| Game 1 - October 8, 2003 |
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| Game 2 - October 9, 2003 |
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| Game 4 - October 13, 2003 |
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| Game 5 - October 14, 2003 |
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| Game 6 - October 15, 2003 |
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