Role players do their job and prove to be the key in New York's victory at Fenwway.

08:27 AM EDT on Monday, April 19, 2004

BY PAUL KENYON
Journal Sports Writer

AP photo Umpire Larry Young makes a point with Red Sox slugger David Ortiz during the fourth inning of yesterday's game while Yankees catcher Jorge Posada waits for play to resume.

BOSTON -- If they gave out stars of the game in baseball the way they do in hockey, Travis Lee, Paul Quantrill, Gabe White and Tom Gordon would have been top candidates for an award in the Yankees' 7-3 win at Fenway Park yesterday.

That's not exactly the latest version of Murderers' Row, the power hitters who are the foundation of the new Yankees.

None of those four was even with New York when last season began. Only White was there when the season ended. All have been brought in as role players, supporting actors for the bombers who are supposed to power the Yankees back to the top of Major League Baseball this season.

The offense, which had scored more than three runs in only 4 of New York's first 11 games, finally got going yesterday. But it was the deeper bullpen and Lee's defense that provided the biggest boosts.

The day's best play wasn't one of the Yankees' 10 hits, but rather a fabulous diving stab by Lee. It robbed Jason Varitek of a likely double and allowed the Yankees to escape a difficult situation in the bottom of the third.

Manager Joe Torre, for one, felt it was the play of the game.

The Yankees had just snapped a string of 27 consecutive innings without scoring more than one run. They had knocked out Red Sox starter Derek Lowe with six runs in the top of the third to take a 7-1 lead. But Boston came right back in the bottom of the inning, scored twice, got New York starter Jose Contreras out of the game and was threatening for more.

"You have to stop the bleeding," Torre said. "We score the six runs. That isn't really validated until we can get them out in the next inning."

The Sox had runners on first and second with two outs when Varitek ripped a shot down the first-base line. With Jason Giambi at first base, it almost certainly would have gone into the right-field corner. However, for the first time all season, the slick fielding Lee was at first.

Lee was activated Saturday after being on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury. It was his first appearance as a Yankee. He showed why the Yankees signed him to be Giambi's caddy.

"On that play, Varitek hit a huge one-hopper. I didn't know whether to go get it on the short hop or give with it," Lee said. "I kind of gave with it."

He dived head first and speared it.

"I actually couldn't get it out of my glove. I hit the ground and I'm sitting there trying to get it out of my glove," Lee said. "Paul (Quantrill) limped over and got there. We barely made the play."

Quantrill, who had stopped play seconds before to give his injured right knee a break, hustled over and, going full speed, barely kept his foot on the bag as he made the catch on the flip from Lee.

"They might have scored two runs on that play," Quantrill pointed out. "That was a huge play."

"A couple of defensive plays Travis made were incredible," Torre said. The second was an excellent stop that robbed David Ortiz in the seventh.

The New York lead stood up the rest of the way because the bullpen of Quantrill, White, Gordon and closer Mariano Rivera combined to throw 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball.

Quantrill, a product of the Red Sox farm system who was most recently with the Dodgers, went 2 2/3 innings despite his knee problem. He injured the knee in a collision in the season-opener and has been wearing a brace on it ever since. He had problems with it Friday in the series opener, and again after throwing a few pitches yesterday.

"I get twinges sometimes if I don't get the brace on just right," Quantrill said. "It's like if you sprained your ankle a while ago and you can still feel it. It's something I'm trying to get figured out."

After getting out of the third, the training staff reworked his brace and he was fine the rest of the way. When White, Gordon and Rivera kept the Red Sox under wraps, the Yankees had the victory.

"I thought it was a big win for us," Torre said. "I know it's April. I don't want to make too much of it. But you certainly don't want to come in here and lose three in a row."

"We just need to get going and do what we're capable of doing," Quantrill said. "And we will."