Top 9:
Last chance for the Angels, and instead of a one run deficit, they now trail the Yankees by three runs. Kendrick, Rivera and Napoli are due up for the Halos in the ninth.
Kendrick grounds to Teixeira for a quick first out.
Rivera flies to Cabrera for out number two after a relatively lengthy at-bat.
Gary Matthews Jr. is pinch hitting for Mike Napoli.
And with six pitches, Rivera strikes out Matthews.
The Yankees are the American League Champions!
RECAP:
Yankees 5, Angels 2
W: Andy Pettitte
L: Joe Saunders
SV: Mariano Rivera
For the first time since 2003, the Yankees are World Series bound. In particular, the Angels did themselves in with careless baserunning, poor defense and a lack of clutch hitting. But the Yankees battled where they had to, coming back from a run down early to take a lead that they would not relinquish.
And now it comes down to the World Series. The Phillies, looking for repeat, will face the Yankees, looking for their first championship of the new millennium (That's right, there was no year zero).
Just a reminder to fans out there thinking that it's possible to keep down a team with playoff hopes. There are Yankee haters out there, but although I'm no fan of the team, make no mistake. The Yankees don't die; They wait. And they're back for another chance at a World Series title, their 40th attempt to be exact.
Game one will be C.C. Sabathia against Cliff Lee, so tune in here for the Daily Collegian's live blog on Wednesday at 8 p.m. This is Zack Feldman signing off for the last time (for me anyway) this postseason.
Thanks for reading and goodnight baseball fans!
***
Bottom 8:
Cano, leading off the inning, actually needs to triple to be considered in scoring position with Swisher due up next.
Cano walks to open the frame for the Yankees.
A pitching change sets up Swisher's at-bat. Kazmir is in for the Angels, and has given up nine earned runs in just 10 innings pitched during this postseason.
Up in the count 2-0, Swisher fails to get a sacrifice bunt down, making the count 2-1.
In another defensive moment brought to you by Little League baseball, Howie Kendrick drops a routine throw off the sacrifice bunt of Nick Swisher, instead leading to two men on with no outs for the Yankees offense, who will again likely bunt.
Scott Kazmir fields Cabrera's bunt cleanly and throws it to no one in particular (the grounds crew is my best guess). All the runners advance two bases. Cano scores and there are runners at second and third, all with no out.
Kazmir fields Jeter's ground ball and fires the ball 50 feet to first base at a cool 85 mph, only accurate this time, retiring Jeter for one out.
Kazmir is unable to find the plate, missing to Damon, reloading the bases.
On the 1-2 pitch, Teixeira launches a fly ball near the warning track, caught by Hunter. scoring pinch runner Brett Gardner.
In comes Jered Weaver to ... protect ... stop ... mop up? Anyway, in comes Jered Weaver.
Weaver picks up where Kazmir left off, walking Rodriguez to once again relod the bases with two men out.
Posada is up. And Posada still doesn't deserve the fifth spot in the Yankees order.
Quickly down 0-2, Posada strikes out looking.
Last chance for LAA
Yankees 5, Angels 2
***
Top 8:
Chone Figgins singles to left field. As originally scripted, Jeter was to make the catch, run 10 yards, and dive into the stands to emerge a hero.
Instead, there is one man on with no outs for Abreu.
Teixeira saves the Yankees quite a bit of trouble with a diving stop that retires Abreu. Needless to say, Giambi and his lucky golden thong would not have come up with that one. Figgins moves to second, and the Angels will no doubt be happy to plate at least one run this inning.
Though smart baserunning prevents Figgins from being tagged out, Cano throws out Hunter on a ground ball for out two. Figgins remains at second with Guerrero up.
Guerrero, in what has been a decent game otherwise for him, pretends to walk, throwing his bat toward his dugout after ball three is called. The results are even better when the at-bat actually comes to an end, with Guerrero singling through the right side, scoring Figgins and narrowing the deficit to one run.
Reggie Willits is in to pinch run for Guerrero. Willits has appeared in four games now this postseason without recording an at-bat (or any statistic for that matter).
Kendry Morales grounds out 4-3, but the Angels get back to within one run.
Three outs to go for the Angels offense.
Yankees 3, Angels 2
***
Bottom 7:
Ervin Santana replaces Darren Oliver, who really kept the Angels close in this game. Entering into a bad situation, Oliver pitched the Angels out of trouble, and really deserves mention for his work in the playoffs.
Rodriguez leads off for the Yankees, singling up the middle.
Santana is intelligently holding Rodriguez close, as the Yankees might try to move Rodriguez into scoring position with nobody out by stealing second base.
Posada, who has no right hitting in the Yankees' top five (even if it were five years ago), hits into a 3-6-3 double play. Morales made a tremendous catch and throw to make the play possible.
Matsui flies out off the end of his bat for the third out.
Six outs remaining for the Angels. Will we see Mariano Rivera enter for a six out save?
Yankees 3, Angels 1
***
Top 7:
Swisher makes the catch in right field to retire Howie Kendrick for out one.
Juan Rivera, already 1-for-2 on the evening, bloops a single over Cano's head to put himself on with one out.
Pettitte is done for the evening, having thrown 99 pitches through 6 1/3 innings, allowing only the one earned run (though he is still responsible for Rivera at first.)
Joba Chamberlain, unsuccessful thus far through the postseason, is in to pitch to Izturis.
Robinson Cano makes an inning-saving play, picking the ball up while touching the second base bag after the grounder bounced off Jeter's chest. The Yankees did not turn two, however.
With two out in the inning, Chamberlain retires Aybar to lead New York into the seventh inning stretch.
At the stretch,
Yankees 3, Angels 1
***
Bottom 6:
Melky Cabrera, 1-for-1 already, flies out to shortstop Erick Aybar, ranging deep into left field for a shortstop in order to make the catch.
Jeter, who walked in his last at bat, walks again on a pitch routinely called a strike during this game by none other than plate umpire Dale Scott.
With Jeter on first and one out, Damon bloops a hit to center field, creating a first and second situation, still with only one out.
If the Yankees can get to Darren Oliver, there are few other arms in the Angels bullpen that have proven they are capable of squandering a Yankees rally.
A 5-3 double play, featuring a tremendous scoop from first baseman Kendry Morales, caps the inning for the Yankees.
After six complete innings,
Yankees 3, Angels 1
***
Top 6:
I can't help feeling as though I'm jinxing baseball fans everywhere, but I've got to say it: This game is moving at an almost unheard of pace for a playoff game.
Figgins gets hit with his own batted ball outside of the batters box and is called out thanks to some careful umpiring by the New York Yankees. Had Figgins run in foul territory or simply avoided the ball, he likely would have been out anyway.
Abreu grounds out to second base to carefully avoid beginning a rally here in the sixth.
Torii Hunter starts the offense for the Angels in the sixth by hitting an infield single to Rodriguez.
Guerrero needs redemption. For himself and for the Angels.
Guerrero doubles on a bloop to right field off a pitch two inches from the dirt. The tying run is at second base now with two outs for Morales.
Quickly working the count to 3-0, Morales ends up grounding to Pettitte, eliminating the threat.
Pettitte through six innings has allowed but one run on six hits.
Yankees 3, Angels 1
***
Bottom 5:
Matsui grounds out for out number one of the fifth.
Cano watches ball two (or as Dale Scott calls it, strike three) for out number two.
Swisher is Darren Oliver's latest victim, striking out on a devastating breaking ball, ending the inning.
Yankees 3, Angels 1
***
Top 5
Rivera singles to center to begin the frame, but following a Mathis strikeout, Rivera is part of Aybar's 4-3 double play.
A quick inning, which is exactly what Pettitte needed to keep momentum on New York's side.
****
Bottom 4:
Saunders earns a strike out with his 2-2 pitch to Cano, not impressing Dale Scott enough to ring up Cano. Cano walks to bring up a man known to me as "the anti-clutch": Nick Swisher.
Fully aware of there being no runners in scoring position, Swisher singles to left field.
Two men on, none out.
A well-placed sacrifice bunt from Cabrera sets up a good situation for Jeter.
Jeter is hitting with two men in scoring position and one out. Scoscia is out to discuss strategy. Most likely topic of the conversation: the squeeze play. To tie up the game will take the metaphoric wind out of the Angels' sail.
A defensive swing from Jeter evens his count at 1-1, and a foul back to the screen makes it 2-2. A squeeze is much less likely now, but not out of the realm of possibility.
Mathis, possibly playing chicken with Cano, drops ball three, though the ball does not fly far enough away for Cano to risk being thrown out at the plate.
The 3-2 to Jeter is fouled to the right side, though Morales is unable to reach it, catch it, run a while, and dive into the stands, Jeter style.
Ball four to Jeter loads the bases for Damon, a hitter looking for redemption after missing his opportunity in his last at bat.
2-0 to Damon, a fastball is almost certainly coming.
Despite the near-certainty of a fastball, Damon chops it foul to make the count 2-1.
Damon singles to left center to bring home two runs. Though the hit is undoubtedly big for the Yankees, credit Torii Hunter for cutting the ball off. The score could easily be 3-1 Yankees had the ball gone to the wall.
Still one out and now runners are at first and second.
Mr. Leigh Teixeira hits an infield single, thanks to Damon's hustle in getting to second. The bases are now reloaded.
With the infield in to prevent further damage, Saunders is showing his decrease in self-confidence, unable to locate pitches one and two of the at bat.
With the count at 3-1, Saunders needs to go after Rodriguez with another fastball.
Dale Scott is showing his Yankee pride with his latest blown call, a perfect pitch called ball four to Rodriguez.
The hometown discount to Rodriguez results in a 3-1 Yankees lead.
It is increasingly evident that FOX hires an intern to plot points on a graph, labeling the results "Pitch Track".
Darren Oliver, an X-factor in the series against the Red Sox, is attempting to stop the bleeding here in the fourth inning.
A 4-6-3 double play keeps the Angels close.
After four innings,
Yankees 3, Angels 1
***
Top 4:
Guerrero strikes out on a Pettitte-favoring call from plate umpire Dale Scott (whose name you might be seeing a bit more on this blog: stay tuned).
Morales, missing his opportunity on a hanging breaking ball, grounds to short for the second out.
Pettitte rebounds nicely from the third inning, settling down enough to strike out two men, including Hunter (this one on a pitch in the strike zone).
Going to the home-half,
Angels 1, Yankees 0
***
Bottom 3:
An on-the-run throw from Erick Aybar retires leadoff man Teixeira, leading to Rodriguez with the bases empty and one out.
Rodriguez walks on five pitches, possibly opening up a Yankees rally with one out.
I am likely to bring this up each time it come to this: Why is Jorge Posada hitting fifth for the Yankees?
The frail, 38-year-old with no arm left can still hit for average, but is one of the less impressive Yankee hitters in the postseason.
Mr. Posada flies out to right fielder Abreu for the second out.
Matsui, trying to earn himself a nice contract this offseason, grounds out to first base.
After three innings,
Angels 1, Yankees 0
***
Top 3:
Mathis doubles to open the third inning against Andy Pettitte.
Mathis is now hitting .636 in this series.
Aybar, a victim of multiple umpire-related blunders in this postseason, didn't need an umpire's help to strike out this time, swining at a breaking ball well in the dirt for out number one.
Pettitte's breaking ball is effective this game, proving difficult for the Angels hitters to pick up against his fastball.
With one out and a runner in scoring position, Figgins grounds out to Cano, who made an impressive ranging play to retire Figgins. Figgins is now 2-for-21 in this series, although Mathis is now at third base with two men out.
A base hit through the right side from Bobby Abreu puts the Angels on the board early, 1-0. The fastball from Pettitte allowed the lefty Abreu to drive the ball through the gap, plating Mathis from third.
A picture-perfect pitch from Pettitte on the outer half of the plate retires Hunter for the third out of the inning. The team with its back against the wall begins the scoring tonight.
Going into the home half of the third,
Angels 1, Yankees 0
***
Bottom 2:
While I cannot predict a major umpire error in the eighth or ninth inning (officially), I can say it is likely this Saunders v. Pettitte matchup could unfold as a six or seven inning pitchers duel, pitch count depending.
A Robinson Cano single leads up to 3-for-39 Nick Swisher.
Nick Swisher plus a new mohawk haircut does not equal Nick Swisher with postseason success.
The new, more aerodynamic Swisher flies out to left field. To his credit, despite his performance, he might be in line to represent Axe hair products in the future.
With two outs in the inning, Saunders allows a base hit to Melky Cabrera, past the dive of Angels third baseman Chone Figgins.
Two men on, two outs for the Captain, number two, Derek Jeter.
A 3-0 count to Jeter is followed with a foot-and-a-half-off-the-plate courtesy strike, courtesy of home plate umpire Dale Scott.
The generosity of umpire Scott goes unfulfilled, as Jeter walks on the next pitch.
Bases loaded, two out.
Johnny Damon is looking to refine his postseason repitoire, unchanged since his team-altering performance against his current team in 2004.
Damon, known better to his critics for his outfield arm anyway, grounds out to first base for the third out.
No score through two complete innings.
***
Top 2:
Derek Jeter is only a stronger arm away from a SportsCenter worthy highlight, instead yielding an infield single to Guerrero.
The Angels make a mistake that would make any junior-varsity coach cry himself to sleep. Vladimir Guerrero has made a baserunning mistake that turns an ordinary flyout by Kendry Morales into a 9-3 double play, as Vlad the Impaler has now become Vlad the Scapegoat for the Angels' hopes here in the second inning.
Howie Kendrick walks to jumpstart an all-but-burned-out Angels rally.
The initial spark did not turn into a flame this time as Rivera flies to Swisher, ending an embarrassing inning for L triple A (the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, for those of you confused by the last sentence).
No score through 1 1/2.
***
Bottom 1:
Not one to out perform his fellow leadoff hitter, Derek Jeter grounds out to the shortstop Aybar.
Damon grounds out in similar fashion for the second out.
Teixeira and Rodriguez set up a two-out two-on situation with back-to-back hits through the left side.
One man stands between the Yankees and runs. Not Saunders, but Jorge Posada, a man that has stood the test of time long enough. Now, however, he is older and incapable of hitting in the fifth spot.
I feel as though I've cheated on a test, having written that last paragraph after watching Posada lift a miserable flyball to right fielder Abreu to kill the rally.
No score after one complete inning.
*****
Top 1:
Pettitte has seen the playoffs, the World Series, and he has seen the Angels. Pettite is unfazed by tough situations and has shown it postseason after postseason.
After locating his first two pitches against Figgins, Pettitte induces a ground ball to Rodriguez for out number one, and strikes out Abreu for out two.
A Torii Hunter line-out gives Andy Pettitte his first 1-2-3 inning of the night. Worth noting, this playoff series has come down to the bullpen several times, including the last time Pettitte threw.
The team that puts runs on the board early gives themself an edge. Beyond the obvious reason of "having more runs than your opponent is good," the edge a starting pitcher feels with a sizable lead is one any starting pitcher other than Satchel Paige will attest to.
After 1/2 an inning,
No score
***
This is Zack Feldman of Framingham, Mass., bringing you Game 6 of the American League Championship Series.
And whether Angels or Yankees fans, few expected the Angels to pull off a second victory against the Yankees, the clear-cut best team in the American League during the regular season.
C.C. Sabathia showed up this postseason, 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA in two starts this ALCS. More impressively, Alex Rodriguez continues to state his case as greatest hitter since the 1950s, all but removing the tag of "postseason bust" that has continued to plague him since his 2005 postseason with New York.
A big come-from-behind win against the Yankees gave the Angels much needed confidence going into this Game 6, with Mike Scoscia and Torii Hunter appearing relaxed and ready to go during interviews. Furthermore, last night's rainout opens the door for John Lackey to go in Game 7, if neccesary.
Tonight's lineups include no surprises. They are as followed:
Los Angeles Angels
C. Figgins 3B
B. Abreu RF
T. Hunter CF
V. Guerrero DH
K. Morales 1B
H. Kendrick 2B
J. Rivera LF
J. Mathis C
E. Aybar SS
New York Yankees
D. Jeter SS
J. Damon LF
M. Teixeira 1B
A. Rodriguez 3B
J. Posada C
H. Matsui DH
R. Cano 2B
N. Swisher RF
M. Cabrera CF
Andy Pettitte, who allowed three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings during Game 3, is 6-1 career in the ALCS. The 37-year-old will get the start for the Yankees.
Joe Saunders has allowed two earned runs in seven playoff innings this postseason, and will start for the Angels.
The Yankees are playing for their 40th World Series berth. The Angels are playing for tomorrow.
First pitch is at 8:20 EST.
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