Thursday, October 21, 2004
WELL SCRIPTED PART II
The Red Sox were down 3-0 to the Y*nkees. No team in baseball history had ever come from 3-0 down in a best of 7 playoff series to even force a 7th game, let alone win the series. The Red Sox had sent Derek Lowe to the bullpen at the outset of the postseason and now he would get the ball in what may have been the Red Sox last game of the season and his last Red Sox game. He went up against a man who seemed to be touched by the Y*nkee Magic. Orlando Hernandez was retired at the beginning of the season but was signed by New York only to become their most consistent starter. A man who the Red Sox traded for but had the trade vetoed by the MLBPA office in New York, Alex Rodriguez, hit a homer to give New York a 2 run lead in the 3rd. In the 5th the Sox scored 3 to take only their second lead of the series. The Y*nkees responded with 2 in the 6th, one of them knocked in by Tony Clark who replaced the injured Olerud and played terribly for the Sox a couple of years back. After Worcester's own Tanyan Sturtze pitched 2 brilliant innings, the Y*nkees brought in the best closer ever. 32 postseason saves in 34 opportunities. Then Bill Mueller gets a basehit up the middle and past the glove of Rivera and knocks in speedster Dave Roberts who was acquired at the deadline and stole second base by maybe 3 inches.
The game was tied and went to 12 innings. The Y*nkees sent out high priced free-agents Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill. The Sox sent relatively cheap players like Leskanic and Myers out to pitch. David Ortiz stepped to the plate in the 12th with Manny Ramirez on base in front of him. He crushed a ball to right field and out of the ballpark. The Red Sox lived to see another day.
The very same day, about 18 hours later, the Sox again hosted the Y*nkees. The game was between Mike Mussina, who owned the Red Sox in Game 1, and Pedro Martinez who called the Y*nkees his daddy during the season. Mussina outpitched the Red Sox 2nd Ace and it was 4-2 after 6. The teams each went to their bullpen. New York went to Sturtze, Gordon, and Rivera. The Sox went to Timlin and Foulke. The Sox needed a pair of runs in the 8th and/or 9th against Gordon and then Rivera. In the 7th, the Red Sox squandered a huge opportunity with Ramirez at the plate. Ortiz led off the 8th with a HR. The deficit was cut in half. With runners on the corners Torre went to Rivera. Jason Varitek, the unofficial captain of the Red Sox, hit a sacrifice fly to score Dave Roberts from third. The game once again went to extra innings because of a Rivera blown save. In one day, Rivera had doubled his postseason blown save count from 2 to 4.
The 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th innings were all scoreless. After several releivers from each side pitched an inning here and there, both managers put in starting pitchers. Tim Wakefield who gave up the Aaron Boone HR last year in New York faced Esteban Loaiza, a mid-season pickup that was traded from Chicago for Jose Contreras, a Cuban pitcher who the Red Sox and Y*nkees desperately tried to sign with the Y*nkees coming out on top. Johnny Damon finally got on base in the 14th. Manny then walked advancing Damon to second. In walked David Ortiz. In what was perhaps the weakest hit ball he has hit in October, a bloop single dropped in front of Bernie Williams, who was almost signed by Boston, and scored Johnny Damon from 2nd. The Red Sox won 5-4.
The series would go to New York where no team had beaten the Y*nkees in Games 6 and 7 since the 1926 Cardinals.
to be continued...
SOX ROTATION SET
Game 1 vs. STL/HOU: Tim Wakefield - last pitched Monday
Game 2 vs. STL/HOU: Curt Schilling - last pitched Tuesday
Game 3 @ HOU/STL: Pedro Martinez - last pitched Wednesday
Game 4 @ HOU/STL: Derek Lowe - last pitched Wednesday
Houston @ St. Louis tonight. Two former Sox pitchers, Suppan vs. Clemens.
The Red Sox were down 3-0 to the Y*nkees. No team in baseball history had ever come from 3-0 down in a best of 7 playoff series to even force a 7th game, let alone win the series. The Red Sox had sent Derek Lowe to the bullpen at the outset of the postseason and now he would get the ball in what may have been the Red Sox last game of the season and his last Red Sox game. He went up against a man who seemed to be touched by the Y*nkee Magic. Orlando Hernandez was retired at the beginning of the season but was signed by New York only to become their most consistent starter. A man who the Red Sox traded for but had the trade vetoed by the MLBPA office in New York, Alex Rodriguez, hit a homer to give New York a 2 run lead in the 3rd. In the 5th the Sox scored 3 to take only their second lead of the series. The Y*nkees responded with 2 in the 6th, one of them knocked in by Tony Clark who replaced the injured Olerud and played terribly for the Sox a couple of years back. After Worcester's own Tanyan Sturtze pitched 2 brilliant innings, the Y*nkees brought in the best closer ever. 32 postseason saves in 34 opportunities. Then Bill Mueller gets a basehit up the middle and past the glove of Rivera and knocks in speedster Dave Roberts who was acquired at the deadline and stole second base by maybe 3 inches.
The game was tied and went to 12 innings. The Y*nkees sent out high priced free-agents Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill. The Sox sent relatively cheap players like Leskanic and Myers out to pitch. David Ortiz stepped to the plate in the 12th with Manny Ramirez on base in front of him. He crushed a ball to right field and out of the ballpark. The Red Sox lived to see another day.
The very same day, about 18 hours later, the Sox again hosted the Y*nkees. The game was between Mike Mussina, who owned the Red Sox in Game 1, and Pedro Martinez who called the Y*nkees his daddy during the season. Mussina outpitched the Red Sox 2nd Ace and it was 4-2 after 6. The teams each went to their bullpen. New York went to Sturtze, Gordon, and Rivera. The Sox went to Timlin and Foulke. The Sox needed a pair of runs in the 8th and/or 9th against Gordon and then Rivera. In the 7th, the Red Sox squandered a huge opportunity with Ramirez at the plate. Ortiz led off the 8th with a HR. The deficit was cut in half. With runners on the corners Torre went to Rivera. Jason Varitek, the unofficial captain of the Red Sox, hit a sacrifice fly to score Dave Roberts from third. The game once again went to extra innings because of a Rivera blown save. In one day, Rivera had doubled his postseason blown save count from 2 to 4.
The 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th innings were all scoreless. After several releivers from each side pitched an inning here and there, both managers put in starting pitchers. Tim Wakefield who gave up the Aaron Boone HR last year in New York faced Esteban Loaiza, a mid-season pickup that was traded from Chicago for Jose Contreras, a Cuban pitcher who the Red Sox and Y*nkees desperately tried to sign with the Y*nkees coming out on top. Johnny Damon finally got on base in the 14th. Manny then walked advancing Damon to second. In walked David Ortiz. In what was perhaps the weakest hit ball he has hit in October, a bloop single dropped in front of Bernie Williams, who was almost signed by Boston, and scored Johnny Damon from 2nd. The Red Sox won 5-4.
The series would go to New York where no team had beaten the Y*nkees in Games 6 and 7 since the 1926 Cardinals.
to be continued...
SOX ROTATION SET
Game 1 vs. STL/HOU: Tim Wakefield - last pitched Monday
Game 2 vs. STL/HOU: Curt Schilling - last pitched Tuesday
Game 3 @ HOU/STL: Pedro Martinez - last pitched Wednesday
Game 4 @ HOU/STL: Derek Lowe - last pitched Wednesday
Houston @ St. Louis tonight. Two former Sox pitchers, Suppan vs. Clemens.
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