BOSTON – In case you haven’t noticed, Gary Sheffield cannot be intimidated.
Matt Clement threw an 88-mph pitch behind Sheffield in the third inning yesterday, and the Yankee right fielder responded by sparking a two-out, six-run rally that knocked Clement from the game.
“I’m from the old school,” Sheffield said. “They used to knock me down all the time.
“Nolan Ryan used to put me on my can at least two or three times an at-bat. So I’m used to that. Nolan Ryan was the best at it, and I can’t see nobody doing it better than him.”
When Clement chucked a 2-and-1 pitch that buzzed the “11” on the back of Sheffield’s uniform, Sheffield briefly glared at the mound and pulled down the brim of his helmet.
He also spoke with Boston catcher Jason Varitek.
“I was just asking him, ‘What are we doing for Christmas?’ ” Sheffield quipped.
The next pitch, Sheffield ripped a 91-mph fastball off the Green Monster in left-center. In another park, it would’ve probably carried over the fence.
At Fenway, it was good enough for a double, and Alex Rodriguez drove him in with his second homer in three games.
Sheffield harbored no bitterness towards Clement, whom he knows through mutual former teammates in Florida.
“He’s a guy with a lot of class,” Sheffield said. “It seems like his control got away from him. We benefited from his wildness. Alex got a pitch to drive and set the tone of the game.”
Clement had experienced wildness throughout his brief start. He walked two men in the second and fell behind Bernie Williams 3-0 before recovering to strike out Williams, Tino Martinez and John Flaherty to end the inning.
After A-Rod’s homer in the third, he walked Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi and allowed an RBI single to Williams. He walked Martinez, and Flaherty followed with a two-run double off the Monster that chased Clement.
“I don’t know if shaken is the right word,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “When you do something like that, I think it’s human nature – because he airmailed that ball. You don’t see that too often. I don’t think that certainly helped him one bit.”
Sheffield ripped another base hit off the Monster in the eighth off Mike Timlin, but he had to settle for a single after tattooing the wall towards the left-field line. Once again, he probably would’ve managed a homer in another park.
The Yankee right fielder has been ferocious against the Red Sox this season, batting .452 (19-for-42) with eight runs, six doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs.
In this series, he’s now 7-for-12 with a homer, four doubles, three runs and three RBIs.
Asked about his status as a Fenway villain because of his performance and an April altercation with a fan, Sheffield answered, “That’s a strong word. What have I done to be a villain?”