Bronx, N.Y., August 28, 2002 — Who could have scripted this one any better? OK. Perhaps a “cleaner” win would have had the Yanks scratching a run in the first on Robin’s hard single, rather than the two-base Hillenbrand error, Jeter bunt base hit and Giambi double-play grounder. Perhaps Mike’s outing could be considered even more dominating if the Red Sox had come out like the team that blew the world away in May, rather than the Keystone Kops who booted three balls in the first two innings.

Many Yankee fans were hoping that the matchup vs. Pedro would bring out the real Moose, the one who had a great run in Baltimore, who threw an amost perfect game in this same ballpark last September 2, and who won the biggest postseason victory the Yanks had last year in early October in a win-or-go-home battle with current Cy Young candidate Barry Zito of the Oakland A’s (with a little help from shortstop Derek Jeter). The pressure was off for much of the fan base, as David Wells guaranteed a split in the series and at least a seven-game lead by shutting the Sox out the night before, with last-inning help from Steve Karsay. But no Yankee fan would be comfortable moving on to the postseason with Mussina throwing as he has for most of this season’s second half, and a contest vs. Pedro Martinez, and in Boston, always gets the Yankee fan juices flowing.

Mike had pitched OK in besting the Oakland A’s August 11, and very well in a follow-up win over Seattle. But the four-homers-surrendered loss to the Texas Rangers last time out, when considered with a mediocre outing August 6 vs. Kansas City and a three-inning disaster the start before that vs. the same last-place Rangers, had restored all the concern that has permeated his second half. Yes, the late Samuel Goldwyn, who would have been 120 yesterday, could have told you. This is a Hollywood story.

The superlatives that dot Mike’s performance dominate my scorecard. The starkest and most obvious number is three, as in three hits, against a good hitting team, in a hitter’s ballpark. At roughly 100 pitches (I had the count at 102), he threw only 31 balls the whole night (3.45 per inning). He threw more than four only twice, in one of his three two-strike-out innings (the seventh), and in the third, when four of the six he threw represented the unintentional intentional walk to lefty slap hitter Johnny Damon with Carlos Baerga standing on third as the tying run. That walk to Damon was the only time one of the first six batters in the order (including, of course, Nomar and Manny) reached base all night. After the walk he faced the minimum 16 batters in the next 5.3 innings, as Baerga was removed after his second base hit on a double play grounder to Derek. Mike ordered from every section of the baseball outs menu, with nine strike outs, seven ground balls, seven fly outs, two liners to infielders and two foul pops.

Some call the best umpires the ones whose names you hear the least. The defense was superb in the same way. It just did its job (in strong contrast to that of the Red Sox). Jeter reached base four times, with three rbi and a run scored. Alfonso reached once less, but he managed to tie Bob Meusel (from 1927) for the all-time season lead in doubles for a Yankee right-handed hitter. I had to laugh as the radio guys worried about Bernie’s hitting streak being in danger against Pedro, only to see Martinez removed before Bernie’s fourth ab. Bernie greeted Alan Embree with a three run bomb on his third pitch. Rondell continues to contribute, with a huge steal of third and two runs (if no hits), and Giambi (believe it or not) has to be congratulated for getting Alfonso home in the first, even if it was on a double play grounder. As a group, finally, the lineup deserves a round of applause for getting Pedro’s pitch count well over 100 in the seventh.

August 28 is a huge day in Yankee history, at least for fans of the team that landed back-to-back World Championships in 1977 and 1978. Both “Sweet Lou” Piniella and Ron “Louisiana Lightning” Guidry were born this day, the former in 1943, and 1978’s Cy Young winner in 1950. And “Gator” (the beloved Guidry’s other great nickname) apparently liked pitching on his birthday too, as he faced just 28 men in beating the Texas Rangers 1-0 on his 27th in 1977.

And this unrepentant Child of the Sixties (something I share with Lou and Ron, by the way) can’t let the day pass without pointing out some of the critical historic moments that happened this day (at least until 9/11 put a whole different spin on things). Before I even knew (or cared) what was going on in this country, 45 years ago Senator Strom Thurmond (still serving today!) was beginning a 24-hour filibuster in the Senate to stop a civil rights bill. And six years later, again on August 28, Martin Luther King was imprinting himself on the hearts and minds of a generation with his “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Chicago served as the scene for the violent clash between police and antiwar demonstrators five years later at the the 1968 Democratic Convention on August 28.

But Mr. Goldwyn could tell you. When all is said and done, tonight’s game is the story of a star pitcher. In a neat paraphrase of the Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Finds Girl screenplay that has served as the background of so many Hollywood movies over the years (including baseball movies like The Natural, by the way), Mike has refound his “groove.” In some ways he is the opposite of the guy who dominated the Sox the night before. David is out of shape and disheveled. Mike is lean and neat. David loves a party and loud music. Moose craves quiet moments alone. And they pitch so differently too. After all, David pitched went 19-10 in first-pitch strikes Tuesday night. Mike’s a whole different story. He went 19-11.

BTW,TYW

YANKEE BASEBALL!!!