NEW YORK (REUTERS) — Johnny Damon’s bases-loaded walk with two outs in the seventh inning brought in the go-ahead run as the Boston Red Sox forced a seventh game in the American League Championship Series with a 9-6 win over the New York Yankees Wednesday.
The best-of-seven series is tied 3-3 with the deciding game scheduled for Yankee Stadium Thursday, when Roger Clemens opposes Pedro Martinez.
Boston’s vaunted offense had been struggling for most of the series, but the Red Sox pounded out 16 hits in a game they had to win.
“I’ve never been around a club quite like this,” said Boston manager Grady Little.
“The way the game went down out there, it typified our whole season. The majority of our season was played just like that.”
“We were glad to come out on top,” he said.
With the Yankees leading 6-4 going into the seventh, Nomar Garciaparra tripled and scored on Hideki Matsui’s error.
David Ortiz then drove in his third run of the game with a single off the first-base bag, scoring Manny Ramirez, who had doubled.
The Red Sox later loaded the bases in the inning, and Damon’s bases-loaded walk forced in the go-ahead run.
Trot Nixon added a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to complete the scoring.
The scene is now set for Game Seven, with the Yankees looking for their record 39th AL pennant and fifth in six years.
“Tomorrow two great teams are going to go out there and do their best and see what happens,” Garciaparra said.
Boston has gone 85 years without a World Series triumph. The Red Sox last won an AL pennant in 1986 and have been plagued by the supposed “Curse of the Bambino” since selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920.
New York and Boston will play for the 26th time this season Thursday, setting a record for the most meetings between two teams in a season. New York has won 13 of the 25 games to date.
This year marks the first time the championship series in both leagues will go to a seventh and deciding game.
“I guess it was supposed to come down to seven games, as much as you hate to think about it,” Yankee manager Joe Torre said.
“We’ve battled each other all year … there’s no quit in either ball club. At least we know tomorrow will be the last day.”
Alan Embree got the win in relief for the Red Sox, going one and two-thirds shutout innings while allowing just one hit.
Jose Contreras allowed three runs on four hits in one and one-thirds innings and took the loss.
Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada both homered for the Yankees, who at one point trailed 4-1, rallied to lead 6-4 and then saw the Red Sox take the lead with three runs in the seventh inning.
Alfonso Soriano had two hits, and his two-run double keyed a four-run fourth inning for New York, while Nick Johnson had three hits and drove in a run.
Jason Varitek hit a solo homerun and Ortiz had a two-run single in the third inning for Boston.
Garciaparra had four hits for the Red Sox, while Bill Mueller added three hits.