Well, the 1996 regular season has finally come to an end. The Yankees lost to the Red Sox this afternoon on a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth at Fenway Park.
Ricky Bones started for New York, and the regulars got a few at-bats before being removed from the game. Bones went four innings, giving up four runs on seven hits. He gave way to five relievers – Billy Brewer, Graeme Lloyd, David Weathers, Dale Polley and Dave Pavlas – who combined to toss five innings, allowing two runs.
Four separate Yankees drove in a run – Ruben Rivera, Tino Martinez, Derek Jeter and Mariano Duncan. Paul O’Neill grounded into a double play in the first which scored the first New York run.
In the sixth with the Yankees down 4-3, Duncan connected on an RBI single and Rivera drove him in with double. The Yankees took a 5-4 lead, but it was short-lived. In the bottom of the sixth, Brewer allowed an RBI double to Arquimedez Pozo and the Red Sox tied the game at five.
In the bottom of the ninth, Polley gave up a lead-off single and was immediately replaced by Pavlas. After securing two outs, defensive interference was called in the infield, allowing the Red Sox to put runners on first and second. Reggie Jefferson stepped up, and delivered a walk-off single to right field.
The Yankees finish the 1996 season with a 92-70 record. After a workout day tomorrow at Yankee Stadium, they’ll welcome in the Texas Rangers for game one of the ALDS.
Box score and final season stats:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Yankees 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 5 11 0
Red Sox 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 6 14 0
Batting AB R H RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG
Raines LF 1 1 1 0 0 0 .284 .383 .468
Rivera LF-RF 4 0 2 1 0 0 .284 .381 .443
Boggs 3B 2 0 1 0 1 0 .311 .389 .389
Fox PH-3B 2 0 0 0 0 0 .196 .276 .265
ONeill RF 2 1 0 0 1 0 .302 .411 .474
Aldrete LF 1 0 0 0 1 0 .213 .301 .435
Fielder DH 4 0 1 0 0 0 .252 .350 .484
Strawberry PH 0 0 0 0 1 0 .262 .359 .490
Martinez 1B 3 0 1 1 0 0 .292 .364 .466
Leyritz 1B 2 0 1 0 0 0 .264 .355 .381
Williams CF 4 1 1 0 0 0 .305 .391 .535
Duncan 2B 3 1 1 1 0 0 .340 .352 .500
Sojo 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0 .220 .250 .272
Girardi C 2 0 1 0 0 1 .294 .346 .374
Posada C 1 0 0 0 1 0 .071 .133 .071
Jeter SS 4 1 1 1 0 2 .314 .370 .430
Pitching IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Bones 4 7 4 4 1 1 6.22
Brewer 2 3 1 1 0 2 9.53
Lloyd 0.1 2 0 0 0 1 4.29
Weathers 1 0 0 0 0 0 5.48
Polley L (1-3) 0.2 1 1 1 0 0 7.89
Pavlas 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 2.35
