Yankees 4 Devil Rays 3
ST. PETERSBURG – Bernie Williams calls him “El Mejor,” Spanish for “the best.” Roger Clemens is demanding bobble-head dolls in his honor.
And Joe Torre continues to pay him the ultimate respect, saying Luis Sojo, “forces you to believe in him, really.”
Even with the weight of a career-worst 0-for-19 skid on his back, the Sojo mojo clicked again with two outs in the ninth inning last night against the Devil Rays.
The ageless infielder came through with a two-run double that extricated the Yankees from a 3-2 deficit and near-certain defeat. Mariano Rivera worked the bottom of the ninth for his 37th save, and the Bombers took two of three from Tampa Bay with a 4-3 victory at Tropicana Field.
“I guess I’m born for that,” Sojo said of his composure in the clutch. “I’ve been in so many situations in my career and been able to come through.”
With Paul O’Neill on third, Shane Spencer on second, and hard-throwing reliever Esteban Yan on the hill, Sojo’s blast to deep left-center fell in and then bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. The hit capped an improbable three-run Yankee rally that was helped by a Tampa Bay error.
Sojo entered the game at third base in the bottom of the eighth after Chuck Knoblauch pinch hit for starter Clay Bellinger. When he walked past Torre in the dugout during the ninth, Sojo made a determined bat-gripping motion that reassured the Yankee manager he was confident.
“I knew if we were going to get back into it, he was going to have a chance to hit,” Torre said. “Not that I predicted it was going to be that dramatic. . . . I’m not that smart. He starts believing in that magic, which is fine.”
Is it magic, though?
“He’s just a natural,” Williams said. “He’s such a great hitter and he just has a flair to shine in situations like that. He’s the best in that situation.”
Sojo almost didn’t get a chance. Trailing 3-1 in the ninth, the Yankees (69-46) rallied when Tino Martinez singled with one out.
O’Neill followed with a chopper to first, but first baseman Aubrey Huff tried to throw to second. The throw bounced off Martinez’ back and ended up in left field as the runners wound up at second and third. After Spencer was plunked to load the bases, Alfonso Soriano hit an RBI groundout to third to bring home Martinez. That left runners at second and third and brought Sojo to the plate.
“Tonight was a game where we were given an extra out and we needed it,” Torre said.
In his first major league start, Tampa Bay’s Jason Standridge threw 61/3 innings of four-hit, shutout ball. Yan (3-5) couldn’t hold the fort, though, allowing a Soriano homer in the eighth before the meltdown in the ninth.
Ramiro Mendoza (8-3) earned the win in relief of Clemens, who missed out on his 16th victory, but hasn’t lost since May 20.
The Yankees have won Clemens’ last 14 starts, the longest streak in one season since the club won 16 of Ron Guidry’s starts in 1978. They moved 4½ games ahead of the Red Sox (who lost to the A’s), and were sky-high before their red-eye trip to play red-hot Oakland.
“Coming from behind is something great teams do,” Clemens said. “Everybody gets a chuckle out of it, it’s great to be able to smile and laugh about it when Luis does what he does at the end.
“Myself and Mike Stanton were in the trainer’s room and we looked at each other right when it happened. We’re just waiting for Luis Sojo Bobble-head Day now.”