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Gardner, Ransom lead as Yankees rout Red Sox

Sep 27, 2008 - 6:29 AM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The New York Yankees had one final say in the postseason.

Cody Ransom homered twice and Brett Gardner drove in a career-high four runs as the Yankees routed the Boston Red Sox, 19-8, at water-logged Fenway Park on Friday.

The Red Sox's loss clinched the first American League East title for the Tampa Bay Rays, who were beaten, 6-4, in Detroit. As a result, the Red Sox will open the playoffs next week in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels while the Rays will host either the Minnesota Twins or the Chicago White Sox.

"I guess I didn't really think about it much tonight," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We were trying to get through the night and weren't really doing a very good job of that. The important thing for us is to get our house in order, be healthy, and try to get everybody enough at-bats (but) not too many. We'll move some guys around, probably play (Mark) Kotsay at first (Saturday). Just trying to get as ready as we can be moving forward."

"We're in the postseason, that's the bottom line," Red Sox first baseman Sean Casey added. "It was one of those things where we had to get three and (Tampa Bay) had to lose three, sometimes that's a long shot. Yankees beat us tonight and now we'll go play the Angels."

The Red Sox found out after the game that the Angels had chosen to start their series on Wednesday so that is when Game 1 of the ALDS will be played at Angel Stadium.

"I would have liked to have knocked them out of the playoffs and put us in. That would have meant something," Yankee manager Joe Girardi said.

In a coincidence, the 19 runs were the most allowed by Boston since the Yankees beat the Red Sox by the identical 19-8 score in Game Three of the 2004 American League Championship Series.

With two RBI, Bobby Abreu reached the 100-RBI plateau for the sixth straight season, joining teammate Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols as the only players to accomplish the feat.

"It was a long game, with the rain delay, four hours. It was crazy, but we went out there and did our thing and won the game," Abreu said.

Robinson Cano added five RBI for the Yankees, who will finish in third place in the AL East for the first time since 1984.

The game was played despite a heavy rain that dumped nearly two inches on Boston. Both teams pulled most of their regulars from the contest, which was delayed at the start one hour, 31 minutes and then again for 38 minutes in the fifth inning.

"You never want to tell somebody to pull back, you just can't do that but we're a little banged up and we're trying to stay away from being banged up," Francona said. "Even though it's September, the guys left out there are guys that won't play (Saturday). We tried to mix and match the best we could but sometimes you just have to sit there and take it."

After falling behind 1-0 on an RBI single by Rodriguez in the first, the Red Sox got to Alfredo Aceves for three runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Kevin Youkilis' team-leading 29th homer, a two-run blow to the "Green Monster" seats in left.

Aceves got out of the jam by getting Casey to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was originally scheduled to start for Boston but was scratched due to the wet field conditions. His replacement, David Pauley, could not hold the lead, as Johnny Damon put the Yankees on top for good with a two-run homer to right field off Pauley in the second.

New York scored three runs in each the second and third to take control before blowing the game open with a five-run fourth.

Pauley (0-1) was tagged for seven runs - six earned - and six hits over 2 2/3 innings. Aceves went four innings because of the rain delay in the top of the fifth, allowing five hits and four runs.

David Robertson (4-0) remained unbeaten, entering the game in the seventh for New York and allowed one hit over two innings of scoreless relief.

Ransom came into the game in the third as Derek Jeter left with continuing soreness in his left hand. The injury is not considered serious and Jeter is listed as day-to-day.

The Red Sox also pulled several of their regulars due to the wet field, including Mike Lowell, who has been battling a hip injury. David Ortiz was originally in the lineup playing first base but was pulled because of the field conditions.

"To know definitely, we can sort of set things up," Casey said. "You hate to have those days on the last weekend, when you're battling the rain, and losing isn't fun either. Just a long night."