Posted on 10/17/2004 3:49:35 PM PDT by Neets
Yankees look for sweep; Astros try to pull even
October 17, 2004 BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - After a record-breaking rout against the Boston Red Sox in Game Three, the New York Yankees are on the verge of their 40th World Series appearance.
The Yankees - and the two teams combined - set a League Championship Series record for runs scored in a 19-8 rout of the Red Sox on Saturday, taking a three games to none lead. Of the 25 instances when a team has taken such a best-of-seven series lead previously, it has closed out the series in four games 20 times.
The chances of New York advancing to the World Series for the seventh time in nine years are very good considering no baseball team has ever come back from a three-game playoff series deficit. New York will give the ball to Orlando Hernandez, who jumped out to an 8-0 start this year before shoulder problems resulted in a finish of 0-2 with an 8.03 ERA. In his one start against Boston this season, "El Duque" pitched just three innings due to a rain delay.
Boston will pin its survival hopes on 14-game winner Derek Lowe, who was moved up from a potential Game Five start after the Red Sox used scheduled Game Four starter Tim Wakefield out of the bullpen Saturday. Lowe has a career 3.50 ERA in the postseason but was saddled with a 9.28 ERA against New York during the regular season.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
whew.... I remember jinxing them by watching when Tom Trash was in left field.
I'd heard Posada has 21 HR this year. Is that true?
30 the year before.
5 Ks for El Duque.
Yes, Posada does have 21 HR.
Also, here's a chart showing all the ALCS stats so far. The Yankees' batting averages are out of sight!
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/stats/mlb_interleague_and_events.jsp
Man, does he make it look easy. With that lob-pitch he saved his arm further.
His fastballs are up to 90mph tonight, so it appears that tired arm of his is tired no more. Last week in practice he could barely get it up to 80mph.
good move to bunt there.
On the pre-game, he said his biggest asset was "control."
Suzyn Waldman said El Duque had a big smile on his face yesterday when talking about today's game, and she predicted she'd pitch a great game. She was right.
Why do the Red Sox have Bill Maher pitching for them tonight?
And since when did Bill Maher become a baseball player?
Up yours. And up Kerry's. And up the Sox's.
I notice that it's 2 to Zip. That's probably enough.
Where was that last pitch?
As soon as I say Duque is pitching great, he throws six balls in a row. Sheesh.
50% chance Giambi would've thrown that ball into left field.
Boston must score here to have a chance.
Bullpen wake up. El Duque can't go 6.
he is keeping the ball up, all fastballs up.
WOTS will be up in the pen before long.
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