Damn Yankees Do It Again, Comeback To Boot Twins From ALDS

[Jake]

Three-run eighth leads to 11-inning victory

NYY 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 1 6 11 0
MIN 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 12 1
WP: M. Rivera (1-0) LP: K. Lohse (0-1) S:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A big home run by Ruben Sierra, a clutch 11th-inning hit by Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees are headed right back where most people figured -- playing the Boston Red Sox for the AL pennant.

Sierra's three-run homer in the eighth inning tied it, then Rodriguez doubled, alertly stole third base and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Kyle Lohse to lift the Yankees over the Minnesota Twins 6-5 Saturday.

With the 3-1 win in the first-round playoff series, New York returned to Yankee Stadium, where the AL championship series opens Tuesday. Curt Schilling is likely to start for the Red Sox against Mike Mussina, both on ample rest.

The Twins led 5-1 behind ace Johan Santana before another New York rally. The Yankees came from behind for all three wins in this series after setting a major league record with 61 comeback victories during the regular season.

For the second straight year, New York handed the Minnesota a first-round playoff elimination in four games and advanced to the ALCS. Game 1 is Tuesday night in the Bronx.

Mariano Rivera, who blew a rare postseason save chance in the eighth inning of Game 2, retired all six batters he faced to finish a stifling performance by the Yankees bullpen. After Javier Vazquez allowed five runs in five innings, Esteban Loaiza and Tom Gordon each threw two scoreless innings.

Kyle Lohse pitched a perfect 10th and started the 11th by handing Derek Jeter his fourth strikeout of the afternoon, but Rodriguez laced a double down the left-field line and stole third base on unsuspecting catcher Pat Borders -- who didn't throw.

Then Lohse bounced a pitch to Gary Sheffield that skipped past Borders, allowing Rodriguez to race home with the winning run.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=241009109

[welch]

Wow!

I expected the series to go to another game, since Santana is so good and the Yankees pitching staff is so weak aside from Mariano Rivera. But that field lineup!

Still, "good pitching beats good hitting", as they say. The Red Sox should be favored, but, who knows?

Maybe this will be Boston's year to make the World Series; they do that about once a decade ('67, '75, '86) and they are overdue for the '90s. Then again, maybe my brother-in-law added to "The Curse" in '86, when he called to chortle with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the 9th, game six, Calvin Schiraldi pitching. Maybe Pedro M. added to "The Curse" when he insulted the memory of Babe Ruth, the greatest pitcher the Red Sox have ever had.

Oh, well. It should be fun to watch.

[tcwest10]

Those topless dancers chased the Great Curt Schilling out after three innings, baby !
Mystique and Aura, come on down !!!

[TheMagicThree]

I thought it was silly to tear down Babe Ruth's house. Man, just get over this d*** curse and play baseball. Learn from other's mistakes.

[tcwest10]

The curse lives, baby.
Go to eBay, and checkout what they're getting for the now-banned "Hey Pedro ! Who's Your Daddy ?" Tees.
$75. a pop, man. That's worth cursing, imho.

[Jake]

The curse lives, baby.
Go to eBay, and checkout what they're getting for the now-banned "Hey Pedro ! Who's Your Daddy ?" Tees.
$75. a pop, man. That's worth cursing, imho.

I hate the Yankees as much as anyone but Pedro had that coming. I thought it was hilarious.