10/10: Pitching and Timely Hitting Forces Game 5 in Anaheim
Posted by: Seamus
Shawn Chacon was great in his postseason debut and a few big hits by the usual clutch players helped the Yankees last night as the Bombers forced a do or die, winner take all game tonight at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Neither starter allowed a hit until the 4th inning, and John Lackey didn't allow one until the 5th. Chacon went 6 and 1/3, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and was perfect through the first 9 batters. The Yankees had only four hits, but they were all very timely as each one aside from Posada's in the 5th either drove in a run or came around to score.
The Angels struck first in the 6th with back-to-back doubles by Chone Figgins and Orlando Cabrera. Gary Sheffield answered back in the bottom of the inning with a base hit to left field that scored Alex Rodriguez. That prompted the Angels to pull Lackey, who although was great, was pitching on three days rest, and of course, you couldn't go wrong with that Angels bullpen, right? Well, wrong. In the 7th inning, Ruben Sierra came through again in the clutch as he pinch hit for Bubba Crosby and lined a single to right field, scoring Robinson Cano. On the next play, a ground ball by Derek Jeter scored Jorge Posada on a bad throw home by Chone Figgins (nice slide/dive/tumble/fall on his face by Posada after he crossed the plate). Last night it was the Yankee bullpen that was solid, as Al Leiter came entered the game in the 7th and forced an inning-ending double play by Darin Erstad, and Mariano Rivera pitched two perfect innings to close it out.
Down 2-0 with only four innings to go against one of the best bullpens in baseball, it was hard not to get a little nervous. But the big bats came through, and of course, Ruben Sierra came up big once again in a desperate situation. The guy just seems to have a knack for it. Every year he hits about .240 during the regular season, yet no matter how bad he's slumping he always seems to come up with that big hit in October. At least it's been that way since he rejoined the team in 2003.
There will be some tomorrow who are going to complain that whoever wins this series is at a disadvantage in the ALCS because they had to travel all the way from New York to California, and then all the way to Chicago again for Tuesday night. And to that I say, who cares right now? The Yankees face another elimination game tonight and will send Mike Mussina to the mound to face Cy Young candidate Bartolo Colon in Game 5. If the Moose pitches well, I think the Yankees should be able to take this.
The Angels struck first in the 6th with back-to-back doubles by Chone Figgins and Orlando Cabrera. Gary Sheffield answered back in the bottom of the inning with a base hit to left field that scored Alex Rodriguez. That prompted the Angels to pull Lackey, who although was great, was pitching on three days rest, and of course, you couldn't go wrong with that Angels bullpen, right? Well, wrong. In the 7th inning, Ruben Sierra came through again in the clutch as he pinch hit for Bubba Crosby and lined a single to right field, scoring Robinson Cano. On the next play, a ground ball by Derek Jeter scored Jorge Posada on a bad throw home by Chone Figgins (nice slide/dive/tumble/fall on his face by Posada after he crossed the plate). Last night it was the Yankee bullpen that was solid, as Al Leiter came entered the game in the 7th and forced an inning-ending double play by Darin Erstad, and Mariano Rivera pitched two perfect innings to close it out.
Down 2-0 with only four innings to go against one of the best bullpens in baseball, it was hard not to get a little nervous. But the big bats came through, and of course, Ruben Sierra came up big once again in a desperate situation. The guy just seems to have a knack for it. Every year he hits about .240 during the regular season, yet no matter how bad he's slumping he always seems to come up with that big hit in October. At least it's been that way since he rejoined the team in 2003.
There will be some tomorrow who are going to complain that whoever wins this series is at a disadvantage in the ALCS because they had to travel all the way from New York to California, and then all the way to Chicago again for Tuesday night. And to that I say, who cares right now? The Yankees face another elimination game tonight and will send Mike Mussina to the mound to face Cy Young candidate Bartolo Colon in Game 5. If the Moose pitches well, I think the Yankees should be able to take this.
Patrick wrote:
Great defense (A-Rod, Cano), other than the Matsui play. Big night for Posada. Huge, huge hit for Old Man October. Mo was amazing. Jeter got the job done. Great job by Leiter. Good choices by Torre. Just a good all around game - great to watch.
Tonight we'll have Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, Randy Johnson, Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera all ready to pitch.