09:37 AM EDT on Monday, April 19, 2004

BOSTON -- Thursday morning, he was sitting in a hotel room in Rochester, "just minding my business," and preparing to make his start that night for the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Yesterday, in the sixth inning at Fenway Park, he was summoned from the Boston bullpen and asked to get out Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui. And that was just for starters.

Don't think things can change in a hurry in baseball? Meet Phil Seibel.

"Yeah, the last few days have been a little . . . crazy," said Seibel, unable to suppress a smile.

There wasn't much reason for cheer in the Red Sox clubhouse following a 7-3 loss to the New York Yankees. Derek Lowe was chased from the game in the third inning. After the third, the Red Sox managed just four hits.

But the news wasn't all bad. First, Mark Malaska bailed out Lowe and turned in 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Then, Seibel followed with 3 2/3 innings without allowing a hit or a run.

"They did what they had to do," said pitching coach Dave Wallace of the two relievers. "They kept us in the ballgame and gave us a chance."

That Red Sox hitters didn't take advantage of their opportunities didn't lessen what Malaska and Seibel accomplished. The two have fairly similar career paths. Both are left-handed. Both were claimed on waivers from other organizations -- Malaska from Tampa Bay, and Seibel from the New York Mets -- by the Red Sox over the winter. Both impressed the Sox during spring training, though neither started the season with the parent club.

It's a safe assumption, however, that neither expected to be playing much of a role in this Yankee-Red Sox series. That was work for the bigger names on the pitching staff.

But there they were, stepping in when Lowe stumbled.

Malaska had his major-league baptism last year with the Devil Rays, appearing in 22 games. Seibel didn't make his debut until the extra innings of the Sox' loss to Baltimore Thursday night.

Upon arriving at Fenway Thursday, Seibel found himself lost. He wasn't sure how to find the home clubhouse. After Saturday's game, he asked traveling secretary Jack McCormick for a restaurant recommendation.

Yesterday, there was no time for questions. When the bullpen phone rang, he made sure he was ready.

"When things weren't going well for us early," said Seibel, "I started to think, 'This may be an opporunity to get in there.' I kept telling myself, 'Be prepared. Be prepared.' "

And yet, there's not much to prepare you for your first involvement in the ongoing tug of war between the Red Sox and Yankees. Seated in the bullpen, Seibel could hear the fans, savor the atmosphere and experience for himself the white-hot intensity of the rivalry.

Triple A was never like this.

"It's unlike anything else I've ever been a part of," Seibel said.

Still, there was work to be done. He plunked Giambi, his first hitter, but then got three straight outs to close out the sixth. After two were out in the seventh, he issued back-to-back walks to Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams before retiring Alex Rodriguez on a groundout.

He cruised through a 1-2-3 eighth, then sandwiched two more walks around two outs in the ninth before being lifted. He left to a nice ovation from the fans who were still in the ballpark.

"It was important to hold (the score) there and give guys like Scott (Williamson) and Mike (Timlin) a break," said Seibel.

"We were fortunate to stay away from those guys," agreed manager Terry Francona. "(If) those guys get knocked around after (Lowe) comes out, then you've got to use guys you don't want to use just to get outs, not to win the game."

Over the course of his 3 2/3 innings, Seibel concentrated on getting out the All-Stars who dot the Yankee lineup, trying not to lose his focus.

"You have to think about them as hitters and what you have to do to get them out," said Seibel. "You can't be thinking, 'Wow -- this is Alex Rodriguez!' Or, 'Wow, this is Jason Giambi!' "

That, Seibel sheepishly admitted, would come later, when he looked back on the day with his parents who are visiting from Texas.

"Probably later tonight, my dad will say, 'Do you realize what happened today?' " said Seibel. "Maybe it will dawn on me in my hotel room tonight -- that was pretty cool."