NEW YORK – Dangerously close to getting swept, the New York Yankees woke up just in time to save their season and perhaps Joe Torre’s job.
Johnny Damon lofted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning, rookies Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain rescued Roger Clemens and the Yankees rallied past the Cleveland Indians 8-4 on Sunday night, closing within 2-1 in their first-round AL division series.
“I don’t think we’re ready to see Roger Clemens’ last steps off the mound, or Joe Torre’s last game,” Damon said. “We have a lot to play for.”
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner blustered Saturday that Torre’s run as manager was in jeopardy of ending after 12 seasons – all concluding with postseason appearances.
“I don’t think we’d take him back if we don’t win this series,” he told The Record of New Jersey.
And it looked grim for Torre when the Indians chased an injured Clemens (hamstring) in the third inning, building a 3-0 lead as Trot Nixon homered, and Ryan Garko and Jhonny Peralta drove in runs.
Damon had three hits, drove in four runs and started the comeback with an RBI single in the third off former Yankees starter Jake Westbrook. New York, which hadn’t gotten back-to-back hits in the series, then got three consecutive opposite-field hits from Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera for a run in the fifth.
Damon worked the count to 2-0 against Westbrook and hit the ball on a high arc to right to put the Yankees ahead 5-3.
“We know what we have to do. We know who’s the boss around here, and we know how much we love Joe Torre,” Damon said. “We battled, we got some big hits, and a big pitching performance from Philip Hughes.”
In a game that mirrored the Yankees’ comeback from a 21-29 start, Cano added a bases-loaded RBI single in the sixth off Aaron Fultz. When a charging Nixon overran the ball in right field for an error, two more runs scored.
Chamberlain combined with Hughes and Mariano Rivera for 6 2/3 innings of one-run relief.
