Amazin’ Night for New York

The New York Yankee-Boston Red Sox rivalry, relatively dormant for some 20 years, erupted into a ninth-inning volcano of flying debris and angry words Sunday night, marring the Yankees’ 9-2 victory in Game 4 of the American League championship series in Fenway Park.

A crowd of 33,586, flushed with the frustration of two controversial calls that didn’t go their way and the inevitability of the Yankees taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, littered the field with plastic water bottles and other trash after Nomar Garciaparra was called out on a close play at first to lead off the bottom of the ninth.

As Red Sox Manager Jimy Williams kicked up a dirt storm and was ejected for arguing the call, home-plate umpire Al Clark pulled both teams from the field, causing an eight-minute delay.

“That was ridiculous,” Yankee reliever Jeff Nelson said. “The [Red Sox] will be better off losing [Game 5 tonight], because I don’t think 57,000 fans in Yankee Stadium [for Game 6 Wednesday] are going to appreciate what they did to us. It’s a shame. That shouldn’t happen in New York or Boston.”

What may have upset the Yankees even more than being pelted by garbage was a security guard who, according to Nelson, Manager Joe Torre and other players, was yelling obscenities at the Yankees in front of their dugout during the delay.

“He started cussing at us, and I was going to go after him,” Nelson said. “Torre went up to talk to him and asked, ‘Why are you saying that? You’re here to protect us.’ I mean, New York fans aren’t even that bad.”

Torre said the incident detracted from a victory that included big-game pitcher Andy Pettitte’s outstanding 7 1/3-inning, two-run, eight-hit effort, several superb Yankee defensive plays and Ricky Ledee’s pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth, which capped a six-run outburst that turned a 3-2 game into a blowout.

“Yeah, it took quite a bit away from the win,” Torre said. “Plus, this security guard was screaming at my players about staying in the dugout. That showed no class whatsoever.”

What did the security guard say?

“I can’t describe it because too many kids are going to be watching it,” Torre said. “I think you can get from that that the language wasn’t very pretty. I thought it was uncalled for.”

The incident was reminiscent of many in the late 1970s, when the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry was most heated and outfielders from both teams had to wear helmets on defense to protect them from objects such as smoke bombs, batteries and fishing weights.

Boston Police Department Capt. Charles Cellucci, who has been working games at Fenway for 15 years, said he has “seen worse incidents, but not this widespread.”

Said Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, whose fans can be as hostile as any: “It’s too bad that happened. We went through this 20 years ago, and [former Red Sox owner Haywood Sullivan] and I found a way to work it out. We’ve been treated very well here since.”

The Yankees agreed with Clark’s decision to stop the game and clear the field.

“Man, people were animals out there,” Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter said. “It was like a war zone. They were throwing water bottles, magazines, game programs, anything they could find. You don’t want to get injured out there. It wasn’t a good scene.”

Fanning the flames of discontent for Red Sox fans was yet another costly call that an umpire admitted he blew. Trailing, 3-2, with one out and one on in the eighth, John Valentin sent a check-swing grounder to Yankee second baseman Chuck Knoblauch.

Knoblauch charged and fielded the ball and tried unsuccessfully to swipe a tag on Jose Offerman, who was running from first to second. Second-base umpire Tim Tschida ruled Offerman out--at first it appeared he called Offerman out of the baseline--and Knoblauch tossed to first to complete the Yankees’ third inning-ending double play of the game.

“The umpire said he tagged me at first, and then he said I was out of the baseline,” Offerman said. “When somebody hits you with a glove you feel it, and I didn’t.”

Umpire Rick Reed admitted he blew a 10th-inning call in Game 1. After Sunday night’s game, Tschida, who works on a regular-season crew with Reed, said: “I didn’t make the right call.”

After the top of the ninth, the call was moot. Knoblauch and Jeter each singled with one out, Knoblauch scored when Garciaparra couldn’t catch Offerman’s throw on a potential forceout, Bernie Williams singled in a run, Tino Martinez was intentionally walked, and Ledee blasted a grand slam to straight-away center off reliever Rod Beck.

Until the ninth, the difference in the game was defense--the Yankees’ ability to make big plays and the Red Sox’s inability to make the routine ones. Four Boston errors paved the way for the Yankees to score three unearned runs, while the Yankees cut down a run at the plate with a perfect relay--center fielder Williams to shortstop Jeter to catcher Joe Girardi in the third inning--and turned three double plays.

“We made some big plays when we needed them, and that shouldn’t be overlooked,” Yankee third baseman Scott Brosius said. “We’ve said all along, the backbone of our team is pitching and defense. Offense gets a lot of press, but defense and pitching wins these games.”

Pettitte rewarded the faith Torre showed in him by urging the front office not to trade him in July, blanking the Red Sox from the fourth through seventh innings.

Mariano Rivera relieved Pettitte with one out and one on in the eighth and, after the controversial double play ended the inning, retired the Red Sox in the ninth.

Wasted by the Red Sox was a solid start by Bret Saberhagen, who gave up three runs--one earned--on five hits and struck out five in six innings. But his own error, along with Garciaparra’s miscue, led to a two-run fourth inning that pushed the Yankees in front for good.