ROUND ONE GOES TO THE SOXBoston takes advantage of Yankees weak offense, leaky defenseBy: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
October 1, 2005So much for this greatly anticipated match up. The Boston Red Sox convincingly knocked out the Yankees in the first game of their 3-game series. The Red Sox took advantage of New York’s mistakes to roll to a 5-3 victory in front a packed Fenway Park crowd.
The night started off badly for the Yankees as Boston starter David Wells struck out Derek Jeter to start the game. Afterwards, Wells ran into trouble as he was unable to get his curveball over for a strike. He walked Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. Rodriguez stole third base and with runners on first and third Wells Gary Sheffield on his back foot with a low breaking ball to load the bases. Hideki Matsui got things started for New York by singling to centerfield. Rodriguez scored with Giambi moving up to third and Sheffield taking second base.
The Yankees were poised to have a huge inning, but Jorge Posada struck out and Ruben Sierra flew out to Trot Nixon in right field to end the inning. New York missed a golden opportunity, and Boston made them pay.
In the bottom of the first the ever dangerous Johnny Damon walked to open the Sox half the inning. He stole second and was knocked in by David Ortiz to tie the score at one. Yankees starter Chien Ming Wang, who was starting his first game at Fenway Park, began his night a little shaky, but seemed to settle down. He struck out Manny Ramirez and Trot Nixon to end the inning.
In the second inning the Yankees went quickly in order as Bernie Williams flew out to Manny Ramirez in left field. Ramirez made a sparkling play running the ball down and catching it over his shoulder a few feet short of the Green Monster. Robinson Cano followed by grounding out to second and Jeter flew out to Nixon in right field.
Wang went back to work and the first batter he faced was Jason Varitek. Wang got a sinker over the middle of the plate and Tek deposited the ball over the Green Monster to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. Wang was able to set the next three Sox down in order.
The night didn’t get any better for the Yankees. In the top of the third inning Alex Rodriguez flew out, Jason Giambi struck out looking and Gary Sheffield grounded out. After a rocky first inning David Wells was cruising through the Yankees line up.
Both teams went scoreless in the 4th and 5th innings and the Yankees were blanked in the sixth. In the bottom of the frame the Red Sox got busy with Johnny Damon singling to right field and stealing second again. Edgar Renteria struck out and the Yankees intentionally walked David Ortiz. That brought up Manny Ramirez who, in any other year, would be mentioned right along side of Rodriguez and Ortiz for MVP. Ramirez singled to shallow left field to load the bases. Wang walked Trot Nixon forcing in Damon from third. Jason Varitek hit into a fielder’s choice when he hit a grounder to first baseman Giambi. Giambi made a nice scoop, but threw errantly to home allowing Ortiz to score from third base. Giambi was charged with a throwing error. First baseman John Olerud hit a sacrifice fly to score Ramirez. After a wild pitch that moved Nixon to third the inning mercifully ended when Wang got Bill Mueller to ground out to Giambi at first.
The Yankees finally showed some muscle in the top of the 7th inning when with one out Robinson Cano singled to left field and shortstop Derek Jeter followed up with a blast over the right field wall to close the gap to 5-3. Alex Rodriguez failed to keep the line moving as he struck out and Jason Giambi grounded out to end the inning. That would be all the runs the Yankees would get for the evening.
The Yankees had a miserable night at the plate. Catcher Jorge Posada, DH Ruben Sierra and centerfielder Bernie Williams went a combined 0-12. Posada and Sierra both struck out twice and left six men on base. Both Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield went 0-3, each striking out once. The only player who seemed to have the Red Sox figured out was Hideki Matsui who went 3-4 and knocked in a run in the top of the first inning.
The sad truth is the Yankees actually out hit the Red Sox 7 to 4. However, it was the Red Sox who played small ball, along with timely hitting to beat the Yankees Friday night. Chien Ming Wang matched David Wells, but was deserted by an absent offense and a leaky defense.
As for the head-to-head performances of MVP candidates Ortiz and Rodriguez the advantage definitely went to Ortiz. He was constantly involved in Boston’s scoring situations, whereas Rodriguez failed with his bat. A-Rod also made an error in the third inning when he allowed a ground ball hit by Johnny Damon to go between his legs and into left field. Fortunately, the error didn’t cost the Yankees a run as Damon later made a base running error at second base and was tagged out in a run-down by Derek Jeter to end the inning.
It was the Yankees who appeared tentative from the outset of the game. They laid back and waited for things to happen, but nothing did until it was too late to do any real damage.
Tomorrow Boston’s Tim Wakefield (16-11) goes against Randy Johnson (16-8) in a 1:15 p.m. start. The game will be part of FOX Sports national game. Johnson beat Wakefield 1-0 at Yankee Stadium on September 11th. New York is hoping for another strong performance from the Unit, otherwise it will be the Yankees whose backs will be against the wall. Both teams are now even-Steven with two to play. As they say in television, “stay tuned.”
PLAY BALL!
© 2005 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com
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EMPIRE VERSUS NATIONAL East, MVP champions likely to be decided this weekendBy: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
September 30, 2005After nearly six months and 159 games of playing baseball the season has come down to a three-game, winner-take-all series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Take all the previous meetings between the most heated and storied rivalry in sports and throw them out the window. The fortunes of these two teams have been reduced to the final three games of this long campaign. This last series, and possibly a one-game playoff at Yankee Stadium will decide the 2005 East Division champion.
However, that’s not the only outcome that will be decided this weekend. There is also the matter of the Most Valuable Player award and to whom the trophy should be awarded. That race has come down to two men. David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox and Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees are not only trying to win for their team, but they are also trying to win something for themselves.
No need to go into the history of the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry. Anybody who has followed these two clubs knows what’s at stake here. It’s for the honor of a state, the honor of a city, the honor of a team and the honor of its fans. Since 1920 the Yankees and their fans had been lording it over the Red Sox Nation. Since the trade of Babe Ruth from the Sox to the Yankees the City of Boston has had to endure countless heartbreak seasons. To be a Red Sox fan was akin to being a masochist. The Sox would always give their fans hope, and then at the last moment the team would rip their hearts out. Time and again the Sox would always come up just a little bit short. It was kind of like climbing Mount Everest only to die a foot short of the summit.
However, as everyone knows the Red Sox finally kicked the Babe and the Curse to the curb last year. The Sox became the first team in professional sports to come back from a three games to none deficit in a seven game series to win the ALCS. They did it on the home field of their most hated rivals. Oh how Boston celebrated that night. There were a lot of people calling in sick the next day.
Most of 2005 has belonged to the Red Sox. Somehow the Yankees kept chipping away and overcame Boston’s 5-1/2 game lead on August 10th to take a one-game lead going into this weekend’s final showdown. In order for the Red Sox to win the division outright they will have to sweep the Yankees. With all of the pitching woes they’ve gone through it is hard to imagine the Yankees couldn’t take at least one game to force a one-game playoff in the Bronx on Monday. But, then again, nobody imagined the Yankees dropping the final four games in last year’s ALCS either.
New York’s mission is simple. Don’t let Boston sweep. The Bombers have to win at least one of this weekend’s games to force a playoff in front of the home crowd. Take two games and the division championship is theirs. It is important for the Yankees not to depend on winning the final game of the series. Going into Boston and taking the first game would be huge for the Bombers and disastrous for the Sox. It will give the Yankees momentum and put the Red Sox backs against the wall. The last thing the New Yorkers want to do is repeat last year’s performance. The Yanks would like nothing better than to repay last year’s humiliation by beating the Sox at Fenway and sending them home for the winter.
If that isn’t enough excitement for you there is another battle on a smaller scale going on. That battle will be waged by Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Boston’s designated hitter David Ortiz. The winner will take home some individual hardware with the words “Most Valuable Player” etched on it.
Usually, when the argument of a designated hitter versus a full-time player arises in regards to an MVP trophy the full-time player gets the nod. This time the voting won’t be so easy. David Ortiz is no ordinary DH. He is a one-man wrecking ball. Ortiz, for the season, is batting .298 with 47 home runs and 146 RBI. He has a SLG% of .600 and an OBP of .392. Without Ortiz the Boston Red Sox would be nowhere. He has carried the team on his back for most of the year. Twenty of Ortiz’ 47 home runs have either helped his team tie the score or take a lead in the game. That is a phenomenal stat. David Ortiz has truly been the most valuable player on his team.
Alex Rodriguez has also had an extraordinary season in 2005. After feeling the slings and arrows of the New York press and Yankees’ fans for not delivering in key scoring situations last year Rodriguez has become an offensive juggernaut.
Last year’s shortcomings could be attributed, in part, to Rodriguez moving from shortstop to third base. Playing in the biggest pressure cooker in baseball, while learning a new position, is bound to throw anyone off their game.
This year Rodriguez came out of the gate slowly, but quickly turned on the afterburners. Rodriguez has gaudy numbers of his own. Currently A-Rod is batting .320 with 47 home runs and 129 RBI. He has a hefty .610 SLG% and an OBP of .421. Unlike Ortiz Alex Rodriguez plays the hot corner full-time. He is having a gold glove caliber year, along with being an offensive monster. But, is Alex Rodriguez the most valuable player on the Yankees. Many would argue he is not. Closer Mariano Rivera is having the finest overall season of his storied career. With 43 saves and an ERA of 1.40 Rivera is battling the Angels’ Bartolo Colon for the Cy Young Award. Where would the Yankees be without Rivera? It’s an iron clad guarantee they wouldn’t be battling Boston for the division crown.
These are all interesting arguments and the baseball writers who vote in the matter will have to weigh them out before they cast those ballots. One thing that can sway the voting is how each player influences the outcome of the upcoming series. Which player will put his team on his back for the last push of the season and carry it to the finish line? The player who does that will not only win the MVP for himself, but the division title for his ball club. Good luck and may the best team and player win.
PLAY BALL!
© 2005 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com
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SHOWDOWN IN BEANTOWNYanks, Sox headed for winner-take-all 3-game set at FenwayBy: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
September 28, 2005Somewhere up there the baseball gods must be smiling and very pleased with themselves. They knew all along how the race for the East Division crown was going to be played out. It is the only way it can be played out. Once again, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will cross swords in a three-game, heavyweight fight scheduled for this weekend at Fenway Park. When the dust and smoke clears Sunday night one of these teams will be king of the mountain. The other will, in all likelihood, be going home for the winter.
Nearly six months ago on a cool spring day at Yankee Stadium these two teams opened the season against each other. The Yankees won that game and the next to lead the East Division. The next time the Yankees would see the lead would be on July 18th when they took a one day, meager one-half game lead over the Red Sox. In between the Yankees and Red Sox have had their share of ups and downs. One day these clubs could look like invincible world beaters and the next day they looked like they couldn’t beat their single-A teams.
For the Yankees their Achilles heel has been the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In 2004 the Yankees beat the Rays 15 out of 19 games, and figured they would do it again this year. However, the Devil Rays didn’t want to play along. Lou Pinella and his boys turned things around on the Bombers beating the New Yorkers 11 out of 19 games this year. The only saving of face was when the Yankees swept the Rays in their park in the last series of the year between the two clubs. If the Yankees finish out of the money this year, after George Steinbrenner spent over $200 million to assemble this club, you can point to the head-to-head meetings between New York and Tampa Bay as one of the main reasons for failure.
With the Boston Red Sox, they’ve had their fair share of drama too. First of all, they started the season without their 2004 playoff inspirational leader Curt Schilling. Schilling who came over to the Red Sox last year etched his name forever in the annals of Red Sox lore when he pitched in the ALCS and the World Series while nursing a bum right ankle. That ankle had a tendon come off the bone, and it had to be sutured or reattached before every start so Schilling could be available to pitch. Who can ever forget all those close up shots of the bloody sock? If you missed it you can see that same sock on your next visit to Cooperstown. However, Schilling’s heroics had a price as Curt spent about a third of the season on the disabled list. When he came back he wasn’t exactly the Curt Schilling of old. He has been very beatable.
Additionally, Boston has had thorns in their sides too. The Toronto Blue Jays, whom the Sox are currently battling at home, have a 10-6 season advantage on the defending champs. They split a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday, which prevented the Sox from taking a one-game lead over the Yankees. If they lose out they can point to Toronto as a turning point.
Injuries have also plagued both teams throughout the year. The Yankees starting rotation on opening day was Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Jaret Wright, Carl Pavano and Kevin Brown. Only Randy Johnson hasn’t spent time on the disabled list. Pavano is still there and Kevin Brown’s tenure with the Yankees is finished. He is sitting home on the 60-day list, effectively ending his season and career with New York. Jaret Wright, who spent months on the DL with right shoulder problems recently came back, but has been ineffective. So much so he is being passed over for his final regular season start and replaced by mid-season pick up Aaron Small (last pitched for Florida). Small is 9-0 as a starter. He, along with Shawn Chacon (picked up from Colorado) has been a huge surprise for the Yankees.
The Boston Red Sox have had an overhaul too. On opening day their pitching staff consisted of Schilling, David Wells, Bronson Arroyo, Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement, Wade Miller, Mike Timlin, Alan Embree, John Halama, Blaine Neal, Keith Foulke, Matt Mantei and Mike Myers. Gone are Neal, Mantei, Embree, Miller and Foulke. Needless to say the overall pitching for both clubs has left a lot to be desired. The Yankees staff has a team ERA of 4.51 and the Sox sport a 4.74. Not exactly a stat to make opposing batters shake in their cleats.
Neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox have been dominant this year. Because of their inconsistent play the Red Sox allowed the Yankees to climb back into the playoff picture. A month ago it looked like the Yankees would have to settle for playing for the wildcard berth. Now they’re neck-and-neck with the Sox vying for the division championship. Needless to say, the Yankees and their fans would like nothing better than to take some of the bad taste out of their mouths stemming from last years ALCS collapse by not only beating the Sox out of the division championship, but sending them home period. What better way to do it than at Fenway Park in front of the entire Red Sox nation?
The Red Sox, on the other hand, would like nothing better than to beat their arch-rivals to show the Yankees last year wasn’t a fluke. They don’t want to be known as a team that’s one-and-done. They’d like to successfully defend their first championship in 86 years by winning another one. But, in order to do that, they know they have to go through the Yankees first. Both teams have the motivation to beat the other. If they don’t have the arms, then they have the bats. It’s going to be a wild weekend in Beantown. It’s the Yankees versus the Red Sox. It’s the only way it could be played out.
PLAY BALL!
© 2005 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com
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