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October 2, 2005 »

Bottom of the ninth

Bubba Crosby replaces Williams as New York's center fielder. Mariano Rivera replaces Gordon as New York's pitcher. Jason Varitek, batting for Mirabelli, singles off Cano's glove in short right field. Nixon lines to Sheffield. Graffanino pops to Rodriguez. Damon grounds out, Rivera to Martinez. Yankees 8, Red Sox 4

Posted by Art  at 4:19 PM | Permalink

To repeat . . .

-- The Yankees have clinched the A.L. East
-- The Red Sox have clinched a tie for the wild card
-- The Red Sox will take the wild card outright with a victory Sunday or a Cleveland loss Sunday
-- If the Red Sox lose and the Indians win Sunday, there will be a one-game playoff for the wild card Monday at Fenway Park
-- If the Red Sox make the playoffs, they will play Chicago
-- The Yankees will play the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Posted by Art  at 4:14 PM | Permalink

Bottom of the ninth in Cleveland

Bobby Jenks now pitching for the White Sox. Aaron Boone strikes out swinging. Casey Blake flies out to center fielder Aaron Rowand. Grady Sizemore pops out to shortstop Geoff Blum.

White Sox win, 4-3.

Posted by Art  at 4:08 PM | Permalink

Top of the ninth

Olerud remains in the game at first base. Chad Bradford replaces Gonzalez as Boston's pitcher. Flaherty fouls to Mirabelli. Jeter singles to right. Craig Hansen replaces Bradford as Boston's pitcher. Rodriguez singles to left, Jeter taking second. Giambi pops to Mueller. Sheffield grounds out, Mueller to Olerud. Yankees 8, Red Sox 4

Posted by Art  at 4:07 PM | Permalink

Cleveland update V

UPDATE OF THE UPDATE OF THE UPDATE OF THE UPDATE OF THE UPDATE: It wasn't Casey Blake at the plate, as we reported in our last update; it was Ben Broussard. Broussard flies out to center for the final out, and Cleveland wastes a bases-loaded, one-out threat. They go to the ninth with the White Sox leading 4-3.

Posted by Art  at 3:53 PM | Permalink

Bottom of the eighth

Ortiz grounds out, Martinez unassisted. Tom Gordon replaces Randy Johnson as New York's pitcher. Ramirez homers to center. John Olerud, batting for Millar, grounds out, Martinez to Gordon. Mueller strikes out swinging. Yankees 8, Red Sox 4

Posted by Art  at 3:50 PM | Permalink

Top of the eighth

Rodriguez doubles to left. Lenny DiNardo replaces Gonzalez as Boston's pitcher. Giambi strikes out swinging. Sheffield is intentionally walked. Matsui reaches on an infield single to shortstop, Rodriguez taking third, Sheffield taking second. Cano reaches on an fielder's choice to shortstop, scoring Rodriguez, Sheffield taking third, Matsui taking second. Martinez fouls to Mirabelli. Williams strikes out swinging. Yankees 8, Red Sox 3

Posted by Art  at 3:30 PM | Permalink

Cleveland update IV

UPDATE OF THE UPDATE: Damaso Marte strikes out Grady Sizemore with the tying run on second, ending the bottom of the seventh. White Sox still lead, 4-3.

Posted by Art  at 3:29 PM | Permalink

Bottom of the seventh

Nixon grounds out, Martinez unassisted. Graffanino homers to left. Damon called out on strikes. Renteria flies to Sheffield. Yankees 7, Red Sox 3

Posted by Art  at 3:27 PM | Permalink

Top of the seventh

Jeremi Gonzalez replaces Stanton as Boston's pitcher. Williams flies to Nixon, who makes a diving, sliding catch in right-center. Flaherty flies to Ramirez. Jeter called out on strikes. Yankees 7, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 3:18 PM | Permalink

If the Red Sox and Indians lose . . .

-- The Yankees clinch the A.L. East
-- The Red Sox clinch a tie for the wild card
-- The Red Sox can take the wild card outright with a victory Sunday or a Cleveland loss Sunday
-- If the Red Sox lose and the Indians win Sunday, there would be a one-game playoff for the wild card Monday at Fenway Park
-- If the Red Sox make the playoffs, they will play Chicago
-- The Yankees, no matter what, will play the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Posted by Art  at 3:14 PM | Permalink

Bottom of the sixth

Millar strikes out swinging. Mueller called out on strikes. Mirabelli called out on strikes. Yankees 7, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 3:10 PM | Permalink

Cleveland update III

UPDATE OF THE UPDATE OF THE UPDATE: Taguchi hits a three-run homer with two outs, giving the White Sox a 4-1 lead.

Posted by Art  at 3:03 PM | Permalink

Top of the sixth

Mike Stanton replaces Wakefield as Boston's pitcher. Matsui strikes out swinging. Cano beats out an infield single to second. Cano picked off, Stanton to Millar to Renteria. Martinez grounds out, Renteria to Millar. Yankees 7, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 3:00 PM | Permalink

Cleveland update II

After six innings, it's still 1-0 Indians.

Posted by Art  at 2:58 PM | Permalink

Bottom of the fifth

Renteria flies to Sheffield. Ortiz grounds out, Martinez unassisted. Ramirez grounds out, Rodriguez to Martinez. Yankees 7, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 2:53 PM | Permalink

Top of the fifth

Jeter grounds out, Mueller to Millar. Rodriguez homers to left. Giambi grounds out, Graffanino to Millar. Sheffield fouls to Mueller. Yankees 7, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 2:43 PM | Permalink

Cleveland update

The Indians have taken a 1-0 lead over the White Sox in the bottom of the fifth. If Boston loses and Cleveland wins today, the Red Sox could miss the playoffs entirely depending on what happens Sunday.

Posted by Art  at 2:39 PM | Permalink

Bottom of the fourth

Mirabelli flies to Matsui. Nixon flies to Sheffield, who makes a diving catch near the foul line. Graffanino singles to left. Graffanino steals second. Damon grounds out, Cano to Martinez. Yankees 6, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 2:33 PM | Permalink

Top of the fourth

Posada strikes out swinging. Williams grounds out, Graffanino to Millar. Flaherty pops to Millar. Yankees 6, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 2:28 PM | Permalink

Bottom of the third

Ortiz doubles to left-center. Ramirez grounds out, Rodriguez to Martinez. Millar flies to Sheffield. Mueller pops to Cano. Yankees 6, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 2:19 PM | Permalink

Top of the third

Giambi pops to Renteria. Sheffield grounds out, Renteria to Millar. Matsui homers to center. Cano grounds out, Millar to Tim Wakefield. Yankees 6, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 2:12 PM | Permalink

Bottom of the second

Bill Mueller walks. Doug Mirabelli strikes out swinging. Nixon strikes out swinging. Graffanino singles to left, Mueller taking second. Damon walks, Mueller taking third, Graffanino taking second. Renteria strikes out swinging. Yankees 5, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 1:59 PM | Permalink

Top of the second

Tino Martinez singles to center. Bernie Williams doubles to right, Martinez taking third. John Flaherty hits a sacrifice fly to Damon, scoring Martinez, Williams taking third. Jeter hits a sacrifice fly to Trot Nixon, scoring Williams. Rodriguez flies to Ramirez. Yankees 5, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 1:50 PM | Permalink

Bottom of the first

Johnny Damon walks. Damon steals second. Renteria flies to Sheffield, Damon taking third. David Ortiz strikes out swinging. Ramirez homers to left, scoring Damon. Millar flies to Sheffield. Yankees 3, Red Sox 2

Posted by Art  at 1:38 PM | Permalink

Top of the first

Derek Jeter singles to left. Alex Rodriguez singles to center, Jeter taking third. Jason Giambi reaches on a fielder's choice, Rodriguez out at second, Tony Graffanino to Edgar Renteria, Jeter scoring. Gary Sheffield homers to left-center, scoring Giambi. Hideki Matsui grounds out, Kevin Millar unassisted. Robinson Cano flies to Manny Ramirez. Yankees 3, Red Sox 0

Posted by Art  at 1:33 PM | Permalink

Pregame notes

-- Terry Francona said Curt Schilling will pitch Sunday regardless of what happens today. There had been speculation that if the Sox clinch a playoff spot today -- which could happen if Boston wins and Cleveland loses -- he would be held back to start a playoff opener on Tuesday.

-- If there is a playoff game Monday in New York, the starting pitcher will be Matt Clement on three days' rest.

-- If there is a subsequent playoff game Tuesday in Boston against the Indians (which could only happen if a) the season ends with the Red Sox, Yankees and Indians in a three-way tie and b) the Sox then lose the playoff game Monday in New York), the starting pitcher will be David Wells on three days' rest.

-- The playoff scenario is complex and many people (and media outlets) have been confused by the various permutations. But one falsehood seems to have taken root, and that's that a Red Sox-Indians playoff game would be at Jacobs Field. (I've seen it reported in several places, and heard it on TV.) That's not true. If the Red Sox and Indians have a playoff game, it will be at Fenway Park. The Red Sox won that coin flip to host the game.

-- One more clarification: If the Red Sox and Yankees finish tied for first in the A.L. East but with a better record than the Indians -- in other words, if one is guaranteed the division title and the other the wild card -- there will be NO playoff for the division championship. Baseball doesn't have a playoff game for seeding purposes, which is basically what that would be; it only has playoffs for cases in which the loser wouldn't qualify for postseason play. If the Sox and Yanks tie and the Indians are out, they go to a tie-breaker: Head-to-head record. And the Yankees will win the division in that case, since the only way Boston and New York could finish tied is if they split the next two games, in which case the Yankees will have a 10-9 edge in the season series.

Posted by Art  at 12:08 PM | Permalink

The lineups

Saturday's lineups:

RED SOX
-------
Johnny Damon cf
Edgar Renteria ss
David Ortiz dh
Manny Ramirez lf
Kevin Millar 1b
Bill Mueller 3b
Doug Mirabelli c
Trot Nixon rf
Tony Graffanino 2b

Tim Wakefield p

YANKEES
-------
Derek Jeter ss
Alex Rodriguez 3b
Jason Giambi dh
Gary Sheffield rf
Hideki Matsui lf
Robinson Cano 2b
Tino Martinez 1b
Bernie Williams cf
John Flaherty c

Randy Johnson p

Posted by Art  at 12:06 PM | Permalink

Picture getting clearer

The White Sox knocked off the Indians in 13, which means the only way the Red Sox won't be playing past Sunday -- in, at the very least, a Monday playoff game for either the A.L. East title or the wild card -- is if they lose the last two games to the Yankees and Cleveland wins its last two games against Chicago.

Posted by Art  at 1:10 AM | Permalink