 10/19/2003 11:03 PM ET
WS Score Tracker: Game 2
BOT 1st: NYY 3, FLA 0: Millions of Japanese baseball fans received some
pleasant news as they arrived at work Monday morning. On the other side of the globe
their native son, Hideki Matsui, had given the Yankees an early lead in Game 2 of the
World Series against the Florida Marlins. Normally free-swinging second baseman
Alfonso Soriano started the inning with a leadoff walk against Marlins starter Mark
Redman, but was caught stealing by the Marlins right-hander when he broke too early on a stolen base attempt for the first out of the inning. Things appeared grim for the Bombers when
Derek Jeter struck out, but Jason Giambi started a two-out rally when he was hit by a
pitch. Bernie Williams put runners at the corners with a single to center and Matsui
took three straight balls from Redman before crushing a Redman pitch over the wall in
straightaway center field.
BOT 2nd: NYY 4, FLA 0: New York took a page out of Florida's Game 1 playbook to
add a run in the next frame. Nick Johnson took advantage of Marlins third baseman Mike Lowell
playing deep by dropping a bunt single with one out and came all the way around when
Juan Rivera drilled a double into left field. After a relay throw from Florida
shortstop Alex Gonzalez went wide of the plate, Rivera was thrown out at third by
catcher Ivan Rodriguez for the second out and Soriano struck out swinging to end the
inning.
BOT 4th: NYY 6, FLA 0: Johnson notched his second hit of the game with a
one-out single to center against Marlins reliever Rick Helling in the fourth and
Soriano redeemed his baserunning blunder and strikeout with one mighty cut. After two
swinging strikes, the slugging second baseman laid off a pitch in the dirt before
drilling a two-run homer into the left-field bleachers for a six-run Yankee advantage.
TOP 7th: NYY 6, FLA 0: Things went from bad to worse for Florida in this one.
After managing just two hits and one walk through the first six innings against
Yankees starter Andy Pettitte, the Marlins were hoping to start one of their signature
late-inning comebacks when Rodriguez ripped a leadoff single back through the box. Two
pitches later, however, the Yankees turned a foul ball into a pair of easy outs.
Florida's cleanup hitter Miguel Cabrera fouled a Pettitte pitch off his left ankle,
but none of the umpires saw it. The ball rolled right to Yankees third baseman Aaron
Boone, who took advantage of the situation by starting a rally-killing 5-4-3 double
play. Pettitte finished off the inning by getting Derrek Lee to hit a deep fly out to
right-center field.
TOP 9th: NYY 6, FLA 1: The Marlins finally pushed across a run in their final
turn at the plate. Luis Castillo lined a one-out single to center and Cabrera followed
a Mike Redman fly out by reaching on Boone's second error of the game. Lee ended Pettitte's
night (not to mention his bid for a shutout) by looping an RBI single into right
field, but Jose Contreras sealed the win by getting Lowell to ground into a
game-ending forceout to tie the Fall Classic at one game apiece as the series heads to
Pro Player Stadium for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Todd Lorenz is an editorial producer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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