Giambi finds sweet spot to hit
It is after nights like this when you wonder if Jason Giambi might eventually play up to his exorbitant contract and be a big factor in the Yankees' lineup once more.
Giambi went 2 for 4 hitting seventh in a revamped Yankees lineup, stroking the tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning against Curt Schilling in a 5-2 Yankee win.
While Giambi could have had reason to gloat given some of the derogatory things he's heard from Red Sox fans, he instead took the high road and put another notch in his belt toward what would be a pretty extraordinary comeback from a serious parasite illness last year and newspaper reports that he told a grand jury he had used steroids.
"Sox fans have been fine," said Giambi. "They're not saying anything that I haven't heard before. I love playing here. I love playing in New York. They love their sports teams here. It's not a problem," Giambi said.
Not a problem when he puts what Joe Torre described as a "nice level swing" on a ball, which is what he did in stroking what he described as a 2-1 cutter from Schilling over the fence.
"It got up a little bit and didn't do very much and left it over the middle of the plate. I'm just trying to put the bat head on the ball. I'm just trying to hit the ball hard. [Yankees hitting coach] Donny [Mattingly] and I have been working really hard together and it's starting to pay off," said Giambi, who was mesmerized by Tim Wakefield in the opener here Monday.
"I've been taking great at-bats except for Wakefield and with him you just throw your hands up in the air because he was filthy. Other than that I've been taking good ABs, taking my walks and getting back in the swing of things," Giambi said, who raised his average to .240.
Giambi said that Schilling was certainly "pumped up" in the first few innings.
"He was throwing the ball hard," said Giambi. "Early in the game, he did a great job of pitching, working in and out and really painted the strike zone. We took a few at-bats and made a few mistakes. If you're gonna beat Curt Schilling, you've got to beat those mistakes. Luckily tonight we hit a few of them.
The Yankee lineup certainly looked different at the outset.
Second baseman Tony Womack was elevated to the leadoff spot, Derek Jeter dropped to second. Alex Rodriguez went from second to fifth, and Bernie Williams went to ninth.
Williams went 3 for 4 and also homered off Schilling in the sixth.
Rodriguez continued to struggle, going 0 for 5, but Torre said it was "one of the best bad days" he's seen Rodriguez have.
Rodriguez said he liked the new lineup because, "I think it presents a dilemma for the other manager where you have a lot of right-left, right-left down the order and it presents the other manager with having to make some tough decisions out of his bullpen."
Despite going hitless, Rodriguez said, "I thought I had some good swings. I feel pretty good at the plate."
Giambi thought while it was too early for any panic, he did think the lineup juggling had a positive effect.
"[Torre] just wanted to switch it up a little bit and it paid off tonight. It's great to make a difference in the game. That's what I came over here to do. Last year I thought I was playing well up until the All-Star break and then I got sick. It's nice to come back and contribute and come up with the big hit off a guy like Curt Schilling."
