BOSTON – Mike Timlin doesn’t think this weekend’s games between his Red Sox and the Yankees rival the intensity of a World Series. Believe him: He’s been there, done that.
“They’re not playoff games, they’re not World Series games,” Timlin said before recording the final four outs of Boston’s 5-3 victory over the Yankees. “If you’ve been in that level of competition at any time, you know it’s not the same.”
The Red Sox closer is hoping to earn a fourth World Series ring this fall, and last night he brought his team one step closer to the postseason.
He recorded three strikeouts and allowed a lone single to Robinson Cano with two outs in the ninth before retiring Derek Jeter on a game-ending groundout. Timlin recorded his 13th save, finishing off a staff-deep pitching gem begun by starter David Wells.
The Red Sox bullpen was depleted because rookie phenom Jonathan Papelbon had worked 22/3 innings on Thursday night, but side-winding reliever Chad Bradford retired Gary Sheffield on one pitch to start the eighth and lefty specialist Mike Myers then won an 11-pitch confrontation with Hideki Matsui, striking him out.
Timlin entered with two outs in the eighth and froze Jorge Posada on a nasty breaking pitch before the scoreless ninth.
“It looks good,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “It worked well because guys made effective pitches.”
Timlin, who tied a single-season club record by working in his 80th game yesterday, has filled two different roles this year. Earlier this season, he was a setup man for Keith Foulke and then Curt Schilling.
“I don’t think Mike cares when he gets the ball,” Francona said. “He’s just a really good pitcher.”
Yesterday afternoon, Timlin doled out some nice compliments about his counterpart Mariano Rivera.
“I admire what he does,” Timlin said. “He’s a quality individual. He’s a Hall of Fame pitcher. . . . He’s a tremendous man of God, and it shows in what he’s done. . . . In the middle of a storm, He’s given him a peace about what he does.”
Timlin feels that’s a trait he shares with Rivera.
“Most of the time if you’re levelheaded about what you’re doing, things are going to be fine,” he said.
