By BRIAN COSTELLO
May 25, 2008
As both New York baseball stadiums prepare to close, The Post looks back at the 25 most memorable moments in the history of Yankee and Shea stadiums. This week: No. 18:
Oct. 20, 2004
On this night, the curse may not have died, but it officially could be placed on life support. The Red Sox completed their unprecedented comeback with a 10-3 victory in Game 7 of the ALCS, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to eliminate the Yankees and advance to the World Series.
The Curse of the Bambino haunted Boston for decades, but the Sox reversed the curse in 2004 with this victory and their subsequent sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series.
Boston bludgeoned the Yankees on this night playing a game Ruth would have loved, four homers, all to the short porch in right field where Ruth did his best work.
"There's no curse," said Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. "The curse, in my opinion, was just being outplayed. That team outplayed us over the years."
The loss was devastating for the Yankees who had the highest payroll in baseball, then took a three-game lead in the best-of-seven series, a lead no team had ever blown.
In Game 7, Derek Lowe stifled the Bombers' bats, allowing one hit over six innings despite pitching on two days rest. Johnny Damon did the rest, hitting two homers and driving in six runs.
Kevin Brown started the game for the Yankees and he was awful. David Ortiz, the series MVP, hit a two-run home run in the first inning. Then, Brown loaded the bases in the second inning on a single and two walks. Yankees manager Joe Torre had seen enough and replaced Brown with Javier Vazquez.
Vazquez was worse. Damon was the first batter Vazquez faced. The right-hander gave Damon a fastball right over the middle that Damon crushed into the right field stands for a grand slam and a 6-0 Sox lead.
"When you're coming out of the 'pen, the hitter's probably looking for a first-pitch fastball, especially in that location," Vazquez said. "Just a terrible pitch."
Damon added another home run in the fourth inning off Vazquez to give Boston an 8-1 lead. The Yankees fans got a little to cheer about when Pedro Martinez gave up two runs in relief but it was Boston's night.
Shortly after midnight, Ruben Sierra hit a grounder to second baseman Pokey Reese who threw to first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to complete the most stunning collapse in postseason history.
