Indians 12 Yankees 3
Who saw this one coming? I don't think anybody did, not even the Indians themselves. A team that ranked 23rd in the majors since the break in runs scored had an offensive outburst in game one vs the 19 game winning Ace of the Yankees Staff Chien Ming Wang.
CC Sabathia who had nothing close to his best stuff is credited with the win. He went 5 innings, allowed 4 hits and 3 runs but walked 6. None of the players that walked scored a run. The Yankees had opportunity after opportunity, especially in the first inning and fifth innings but except for a double from Bobby Abreu, could not muster a hit with runners in scoring position. Although CC wasn't himself, this was a gutsy performance that peaked in the 5th inning. It was a 4-2 game, 1st and 2nd 0 outs, Jeter at the dish. Torre, in a questionable move decided to not bunt and Jeter his a lazy fly to right field. Abreu then doubled to score a run and it was 4-3 2nd and 3rd 1 out and after an IBB to A Rod, the bases were loaded with only 1 out and a 1 run lead. This is where CC showed why he should be the AL Cy Young Winner. He fell behind 3-0 to Posada only to battle back and strike him out. Then he fell behind 2-0 to Matsui only to force him to pop out in the infield. Sabathia pitched his best at the most important part of the game.
The Indians offense was led by Kenny Lofton. The only player on the Indians roster with post season experience had 4 RBI all with 2 outs. The Indians 2, 3, 4 and 5 hitters all homered. Asdrubal Cabrera, arguably the most valuable offensive player for the Indians down the stretch showed that he wasn't afriad of the spotlight.
What can you say about the Indians pen? Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt, the two most underrated releivers in the game, paired up with Jensen Lewis to pitch 4 innings and only allowed 1 run. I know the game was out of reach by this point, but the Yankee hitters are still the Yankee hitters and that is some job by them.
The team with no post season experience on the field (besides Lofton) and at Manager (Torre-122 games of playoff experience, Wedge-0) takes game one convincingly. What does this mean for game 2? Absolutely nothing.
Tomorrow's matchup is the Playoff Veteran Andy Pettite vs the young and arguably best pitcher in baseball Fausto Carmona who was 2nd in the AL with a 3.06 ERA. Tomorrow could provide the pitchers duel that today was supposed to provide.
Quick hits from the game
- The dude who kept screaming no, no, no, no right near the camera was the most annoying human being on earth.
- Frank Thomas should not be broadcasting baseball.
- Travis Hafner and Robinson Cano hit homeruns that left the yard faster than any I have seen except maybe Big Mac's 62nd.
- Tony Gwynn is a good color commentator. He makes Tim McCarver look bad.
- Lebron James should be traded. What an asshole. I don't care who you are or where you came from if you are the most loved athlete in a city you root for that cities team. Let me know if you see Brady show up at Fenway with a Yankees hat, or even worse, if you see Lynch show up at HSBC with a Alfreddson jersey. It just shouldn't happen. F Lebron I hate him. He went from my favorite basketball player to least favorite instantanously.
- CC is a large man.
- A rod hitless in another October game. Is he due to bust out...probably but God I hope not.
- The Indians are up 1-0 and I still have no confidence. I guess that is what happens when no team you are a fan of has ever won anything ever in your life.
- Tomorrow's game is enormous. Going back to New York 1-1 with Westbrook and possibly Byrd pitching would be catastrophic.
- Kenny Lofton what a signing by Shapiro.
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