How They Got Here
They were destined to meet in this series. They had built up their teams and traded verbal potshots over the past several years possibility built up over several years, the two longtime rivals circling each other from a distance, waiting for their turn to battle.
The New York Yankees started the 2003 season 18-3. That was it as far as the division race was concerned, with their sixth straight AL East title a mere formality at that point.
The Boston Red Sox started the season 14-7. Not 18-3, sure, but good enough to serve notice that while the Yankees may have been the class of the American League, the Red Sox were a close second. They cruised to their sixth straight second-place finish, only this time that second place finish was good enough for the AL Wild Card berth, their first since 1999.
The series essentially started in Game 3, when the Yankees' Roger Clemens and Boston's Pedro Martinez - the two dominant pitchers of their generation - matched up in a highly anticipated duel. Clemens and the Yankees edged Martinez and the Red Sox to take a 2-1 series lead. But again, it didn't matter. This series was the end-all, the peak of the Curse of the Bambino. There was no reason to believe this series would end anytime before Game 7. And after Boston scored three runs in the seventh inning for a comeback win in Game 6, that's exactly where the series would end up. The pitching matchup for Game 7 - Clemens against Martinez.
The Game
In retrospect, it's kind of a ridiculous argument. Eight years after this game, Red Sox fans still get outraged when thinking about how manager Grady Little left Pedro Martinez in the game to pitch the bottom of the eighth of Game 7. How crazy is that? It was Pedro Martinez! The pitcher of the 90s! The man who completely dominated the steroid era despite being built like a telephone pole. I would think there wasn't anybody the Red Sox fans wanted on the mound more in a Game 7 than Pedro Martinez.
And yet he was out there, still pitching with the Red Sox holding a 5-2 lead. Boston had knocked Clemens out of the game in the fourth while taking a 4-0 lead, then added an insurance run in the eighth after the Yankees cut it to 4-2. Then came the bottom of the eighth, and what happened next depends on where you stand on curses and hexes and other such supernatural things.
For those who believe in a logical, scientific answer to things, what happened was a lack of communication. Pitching coach Dave Wallace went to the mound to talk to Martinez with two outs and two on in the seventh, imploring him to "just get this guy." Martinez then struck out Alfonso Soriano to end the inning, walked off the mound, pointed to the sky, and went into the dugout, thinking his night was done. Instead, he went out for the bottom of the eighth, possibly thinking that he would only pitch to Nick Johnson, maybe Derek Jeter, before coming out. He got Johnson, then gave up a hit to Jeter, and still he stayed in. Then Bernie Williams singled, then Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada hit back-to-back doubles. At that point, Little finally went to take Martinez out, and at that point, the game was tied and Yankee Stadium was rocking.
For those who believe in the supernatural, the bottom of the eighth was simply the latest, greatest, and final act of the Curse of the Bambino. After tormenting the Red Sox for a generation, the Curse woke up one more time to wreck havoc on Boston's season, making sure that they not only blew a lead, but blew it to the Yankees, with their best pitcher on the mound. That was the only possible explanation.
Whatever reason you prefer, the winner of this game seemed preordained. It took three innings to do, but the Yankees finally put Boston away when Aaron Boone hit a home run deep into the left field bleachers in the bottom of the 11th, the fifth time a postseason series had ended on a home run.
Aftermath
After the ALCS was over, the Curse went away. That's the only explanation. The best way to make this loss especially painful for the Red Sox would have been if the Yankees had won the World Series, but they did not, losing to the Marlins of all teams. It was as if the Curse had woken up for one final roar then, seeing its work was done, quietly left the stage. To further prove the point, the Red Sox and Yankees met in the 2004 ALCS, with Boston overcoming a 3 games to 0 deficit to beat the Yankees on their way to their first title since 1918.
What I'm doing.
The list so far:
2. 2003 ALCS: New York 6, Boston 5
3. 1980 NLCS: Philadelphia 8, Houston 7
4. 2006 NLCS: St. Louis 3, New York 1
5. 1976 ALCS: New York 7, Kansas City 6
6. 1977 ALCS: New York 5, Kansas City 3
7. 1972 NLCS: Cincinnati 4, Pittsburgh 3
8. 1981 NLCS: Los Angeles 2, Montreal 1
9. 1982 ALCS: Milwaukee 4, California 3
10. 2008 ALCS: Tampa Bay 3, Boston 1
11. 1984 NLCS: San Diego 6, Chicago 3
12. 2003 NLCS: Florida 9, Chicago 6
13. 2004 NLCS: St. Louis 5, Houston 2
14. 1972 ALCS: Oakland 2, Detroit 1
15. 1973 ALCS: Oakland 3, Baltimore 0
16. 1985 ALCS: Kansas City 6, Toronto 2
17. 2007 ALCS: Boston 11, Cleveland 2
18. 1991 NLCS: Atlanta 4, Pittsburgh 0
19. 1973 NLCS: New York 7, Cincinnati 2
20. 1987 NLCS: St. Louis 6, San Francisco 0
21. 1988 NLCS: Los Angeles 6, New York 0
22. 2004 ALCS: Boston 10, New York 3
23. 1986 ALCS: Boston 8, California 1
24: 1996 NLCS: Atlanta 15, St. Louis 0
Still to come:
1992 NLCS: Atlanta vs. Pittsburgh
Showing posts with label Pedro Martinez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pedro Martinez. Show all posts
Friday, December 30, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
1999 ALDS: Pedro
Pregame
The Indians and Red Sox didn't have much difficulty getting to the playoffs in 1999. Cleveland eased to the Central Division crown by 21 games, ending up as the only team in the division with a winning record. Boston didn't have things quite so easy, what with the Yankees in their division and all, but with Nomar Garciaparra leading the offense and Pedro Martinez at the absolute height of his powers in the rotation, the wild card was practically a given for Boston.
When the two teams met in the ALDS that year, the question seemed to be whether Cleveland could win games 2, 3, and 4, since the belief was that they wouldn't be beating Martinez in games 1 or 5. That question became moot, though, when Martinez came out of Game 1 after five innings with an injury. Trailing 2-0 at that point, Cleveland quickly pounced on Boston's bullpen to tie the game, then won it in the bottom of the ninth.
With the biggest single advantage either team had now sidelined, the series turned into something of a farce. Cleveland won a laugher in Game 2, scoring 11 runs in the third and fourth innings to win 11-1 and put Boston on the brink. Back in friendly Fenway Park, though, Boston's offense came alive. They used a six-run seventh to win Game 3 9-3, then switched the game to football for a 23-7 win in Game 4.
As the series went back to Cleveland for Game 5, the series was a mess. The pitching staffs were decimated. The offensive players hit everything thrown at them. It had gotten to the point that regardless of who won this game, they wouldn't be beating the Yankees in the next round. Game 5 seemed pointless. But they had to determine a winner, so on they played.
And on and on went the offenses. If the bullpens were a wreck before this game, things were getting worse, as each team had knocked the others' starter out by the fourth inning. After four and a half innings, it was 8-8, and it was starting to look like the first team to 20 was going to win.
But then Boston's bullpen doors opened...
The Game
Pedro Martinez had many sublime performances during his career. As the dominant pitcher during the steroid era, he confounded batters year after year with his pinpoint control and four devastating pitches. He was at times unhittable, and when he started, Boston often had the game won before it even began.
But he was probably never better than he was during Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS. Nursing an injury that was supposed to keep him out of the game altogether, Martinez shut the door on Cleveland's vaunted offense. In six sensational innings of relief, Martinez didn't give up a hit, keeping Cleveland's offensive juggernaut completely silenced. After struggling to find himself in his first inning of work, Martinez got the breaking ball working, striking out eight in his final five innings.
But for all of Martinez's brilliance, it wouldn't mean anything if Boston couldn't get to Cleveland's vulnerable bullpen. Somewhat surprisingly, it took them three innings to break through, but Troy O'Leary's seventh-inning home run made it 11-8. With a three-run lead and vintage Pedro on the mound, the Red Sox could finally relax and concentrate on beating the Yankees.
Postgame
They didn't beat the Yankees, of course. Not with the state their bullpen was in entering the series. The only game the Red Sox won in the 1999 ALCS was Game 3, started by Martinez. Of course, the Red Sox picked that game to score 13 runs, about 11 more than necessary with Pedro on the mound. So the postseason didn't end well, but every Red Sox fan - and really, everybody who enjoys great pitching - got a gift with Pedro's Game 5 relief performance. It was the defining moment in a career of dominance.
The Rundown
11. Boston 12, Cleveland 8 (1999 ALDS)
12. Boston 5, Minnesota 3 (1967 American League)
13. Minnesota 5, Oakland 4 (2002 ALDS)
14. Boston 4, Oakland 3 (2003 ALDS)
15. Cleveland 4, N.Y. Yankees 3 (1997 ALDS)
16. L.A. Angels 5, N.Y. Yankees 3 (2005 ALDS)
17. Texas 5, Tampa Bay 1 (2010 ALDS)
18. San Francisco 3, Atlanta 1 (2002 NLDS)
19. N.Y. Yankees 5, Oakland 3 (2001 ALDS)
20. Seattle 3, Cleveland 1 (2001 ALDS)
21. Chicago 5, San Francisco 3 (1998 NL Wild Card tiebreaker)
22. N.Y. Yankees 7, Oakland 5 (2000 ALDS)
23. Los Angeles 4, Houston 0 (1981 NL West Division Series)
24. Montreal 3, Philadelphia 0 (1981 NL East Division Series)
25. N.Y. Yankees 7, Milwaukee 3 (1981 AL East Division Series)
26. Seattle 9, California 1 (1995 AL West tiebreaker)
27. Chicago 5, Atlanta 1 (2003 NLDS)
28. Houston 12, Atlanta 3 (2004 NLDS)
29. N.Y. Mets 5, Cincinnati 0 (1999 NL Wild Card tiebreaker)
30. Cleveland 8, Boston 3 (1948 AL tiebreaker)
31. Houston 7, Los Angeles 1 (1980 NL West tiebreaker)
The Indians and Red Sox didn't have much difficulty getting to the playoffs in 1999. Cleveland eased to the Central Division crown by 21 games, ending up as the only team in the division with a winning record. Boston didn't have things quite so easy, what with the Yankees in their division and all, but with Nomar Garciaparra leading the offense and Pedro Martinez at the absolute height of his powers in the rotation, the wild card was practically a given for Boston.
When the two teams met in the ALDS that year, the question seemed to be whether Cleveland could win games 2, 3, and 4, since the belief was that they wouldn't be beating Martinez in games 1 or 5. That question became moot, though, when Martinez came out of Game 1 after five innings with an injury. Trailing 2-0 at that point, Cleveland quickly pounced on Boston's bullpen to tie the game, then won it in the bottom of the ninth.
With the biggest single advantage either team had now sidelined, the series turned into something of a farce. Cleveland won a laugher in Game 2, scoring 11 runs in the third and fourth innings to win 11-1 and put Boston on the brink. Back in friendly Fenway Park, though, Boston's offense came alive. They used a six-run seventh to win Game 3 9-3, then switched the game to football for a 23-7 win in Game 4.
As the series went back to Cleveland for Game 5, the series was a mess. The pitching staffs were decimated. The offensive players hit everything thrown at them. It had gotten to the point that regardless of who won this game, they wouldn't be beating the Yankees in the next round. Game 5 seemed pointless. But they had to determine a winner, so on they played.
And on and on went the offenses. If the bullpens were a wreck before this game, things were getting worse, as each team had knocked the others' starter out by the fourth inning. After four and a half innings, it was 8-8, and it was starting to look like the first team to 20 was going to win.
But then Boston's bullpen doors opened...
The Game
Pedro Martinez had many sublime performances during his career. As the dominant pitcher during the steroid era, he confounded batters year after year with his pinpoint control and four devastating pitches. He was at times unhittable, and when he started, Boston often had the game won before it even began.
But he was probably never better than he was during Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS. Nursing an injury that was supposed to keep him out of the game altogether, Martinez shut the door on Cleveland's vaunted offense. In six sensational innings of relief, Martinez didn't give up a hit, keeping Cleveland's offensive juggernaut completely silenced. After struggling to find himself in his first inning of work, Martinez got the breaking ball working, striking out eight in his final five innings.
But for all of Martinez's brilliance, it wouldn't mean anything if Boston couldn't get to Cleveland's vulnerable bullpen. Somewhat surprisingly, it took them three innings to break through, but Troy O'Leary's seventh-inning home run made it 11-8. With a three-run lead and vintage Pedro on the mound, the Red Sox could finally relax and concentrate on beating the Yankees.
Postgame
They didn't beat the Yankees, of course. Not with the state their bullpen was in entering the series. The only game the Red Sox won in the 1999 ALCS was Game 3, started by Martinez. Of course, the Red Sox picked that game to score 13 runs, about 11 more than necessary with Pedro on the mound. So the postseason didn't end well, but every Red Sox fan - and really, everybody who enjoys great pitching - got a gift with Pedro's Game 5 relief performance. It was the defining moment in a career of dominance.
The Rundown
11. Boston 12, Cleveland 8 (1999 ALDS)
12. Boston 5, Minnesota 3 (1967 American League)
13. Minnesota 5, Oakland 4 (2002 ALDS)
14. Boston 4, Oakland 3 (2003 ALDS)
15. Cleveland 4, N.Y. Yankees 3 (1997 ALDS)
16. L.A. Angels 5, N.Y. Yankees 3 (2005 ALDS)
17. Texas 5, Tampa Bay 1 (2010 ALDS)
18. San Francisco 3, Atlanta 1 (2002 NLDS)
19. N.Y. Yankees 5, Oakland 3 (2001 ALDS)
20. Seattle 3, Cleveland 1 (2001 ALDS)
21. Chicago 5, San Francisco 3 (1998 NL Wild Card tiebreaker)
22. N.Y. Yankees 7, Oakland 5 (2000 ALDS)
23. Los Angeles 4, Houston 0 (1981 NL West Division Series)
24. Montreal 3, Philadelphia 0 (1981 NL East Division Series)
25. N.Y. Yankees 7, Milwaukee 3 (1981 AL East Division Series)
26. Seattle 9, California 1 (1995 AL West tiebreaker)
27. Chicago 5, Atlanta 1 (2003 NLDS)
28. Houston 12, Atlanta 3 (2004 NLDS)
29. N.Y. Mets 5, Cincinnati 0 (1999 NL Wild Card tiebreaker)
30. Cleveland 8, Boston 3 (1948 AL tiebreaker)
31. Houston 7, Los Angeles 1 (1980 NL West tiebreaker)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
2003 ALDS: Variation on a theme
Pregame
It was the same old story for Oakland. Another playoff appearance, another first-round series that went five games. The previous three years, Oakland had lost that fifth and deciding game.
The only reason for hope this year was that the A's were up against Boston rather than New York. Boston's poor playoff history was well-documented, perhaps over-documented. If anybody could find a way to lose against the team that had made an art of losing, it would be Boston.
Like in past series, there was no reason the A's should have had to play in a Game 5. They won the first two games at home against Boston, scoring five runs each time, giving them three chances to close out the series. But the Red Sox won Game 3 in 11 innings, then scored two in the eighth of closer Keith Foulke to win Game 4, and it was the same old story again. Sure, the A's were at home for Game 5, but at this point, they had to believe they were cursed, right? Plus, in this Game 5, they were up against the great Pedro.
The Game
Game 4 starter Barry Zito got the dubious honor of starting for Oakland in Game 5, drawing the short straw to get the ball against Pedro Martinez. Already a proven postseason performer, Martinez was just finishing up the prime of his career in 2003. A slew of no decision left him with only 14 wins in 2003, but the 4 losses and the league-best 2.22 ERA were still plenty impressive. He was still feared around baseball, and though Zito was considered Oakland's ace, he didn't have anywhere near the reputation.
Given Oakland's recent postseason history, it was a bit of a surprise when Jose Guillen drove home the game's first run in the bottom of the fourth, letting Oakland draw first blood. But it was only a matter of time before A's would become postseason choke artists again.
It started in the top of the sixth. Zito had only given up two hits to that point, but Jason Varitek led off the inning with a game-tying home run. From there, the A's must have felt the pressure, felt their season slipping away once again. Johnny Damon walked after a nine-pitch at bat. Nomar Garciaparra gave Zito and the A's a break by fouling out to first, but then Zito hit Todd Walker with a pitch, putting two runners on base for Manny Ramirez.
It's probably pretty easy by now to figure out what Ramirez did in the next at bat.
And so that's that. Boston is leading 4-1, and they're moving on. Oakland would cement their legacy as the postseason choke artists of the 2000s. That run in the bottom of the sixth didn't matter. The run in the bottom of the eighth mattered only in that it knocked Martinez out of the game, making way for Boston's suspect bullpen.
But then came the bottom of the ninth, where the first two Oakland batters walked. See, this was getting interesting. Oakland had a poor recent history of playoff chokes, but Boston had a long, lengthy history of them. Suddenly, Oakland seemed like they had a chance.
And Boston was getting desperate. After their closer walked the first two batters of the game, Derek Lowe, who hadn't pitched in relief all season, came in to get the save. Oakland gave them the first out with a sacrifice that put runners on second and third with one out. That bunt might have been the textbook play to make, but this A's team wasn't known for hitting for a high average. They couldn't afford to be giving up outs with so few of them left in the season.
On cue, pinch-hitter Adam Melhuse struck out looking. Oakland looked dead. But then Chris Singleton drew a walk, Oakland's third of the inning. Now Boston looked dead. Oakland was a single away from winning the series, and they were a walk, or a wild pitch, or - considering this was Boston pitching - an error away from tying the game.
It only took four pitches to decide things. With the bases loaded, two outs in the ninth, trailing by one, pinch-hitter Terrance Long did something that will probably haunt him for years: he struck out looking. As Boston celebrated, Oakland hung their heads. Just like last year. And the year before that, and the year before that...
Postgame
Boston's win over Oakland set up an ALCS against the Yankees, giving national media outlets multiple chances to wax poetic about the great rivalry while the two teams played seven grueling games. Boston's famous curse was played up over and over again in the series, especially in the eighth inning of Game 7, when a fatigued Pedro Martinez was left in the game to give up the game-tying run. When Aaron Boone ended things with a home run in the bottom of the 11th, the nation's baseball fans were obligated to wonder if Boston would ever break their curse.
(Hint. They did. The very next year).
Oakland, meanwhile, stayed competitive the next few years, but free-agency cost them many of the great stars that had led them to four straight playoff appearances. They missed out on the playoffs two straight years before returning to the postseason in 2006. This time, though, they got some revenge, sweeping the Twins in the first round before getting swept in the ALCS. That run in 2006 was the last gasp for that Oakland dynasty, as they haven't had a winning record since.
The Rundown
14. Boston 4, Oakland 3 (2003 ALDS)
15. Cleveland 4, N.Y. Yankees 3 (1997 ALDS)
16. L.A. Angels 5, N.Y. Yankees 3 (2005 ALDS)
17. Texas 5, Tampa Bay 1 (2010 ALDS)
18. San Francisco 3, Atlanta 1 (2002 NLDS)
19. N.Y. Yankees 5, Oakland 3 (2001 ALDS)
20. Seattle 3, Cleveland 1 (2001 ALDS)
21. Chicago 5, San Francisco 3 (1998 NL Wild Card tiebreaker)
22. N.Y. Yankees 7, Oakland 5 (2000 ALDS)
23. Los Angeles 4, Houston 0 (1981 NL West Division Series)
24. Montreal 3, Philadelphia 0 (1981 NL East Division Series)
25. N.Y. Yankees 7, Milwaukee 3 (1981 AL East Division Series)
26. Seattle 9, California 1 (1995 AL West tiebreaker)
27. Chicago 5, Atlanta 1 (2003 NLDS)
28. Houston 12, Atlanta 3 (2004 NLDS)
29. N.Y. Mets 5, Cincinnati 0 (1999 NL Wild Card tiebreaker)
30. Cleveland 8, Boston 3 (1948 AL tiebreaker)
31. Houston 7, Los Angeles 1 (1980 NL West tiebreaker)
It was the same old story for Oakland. Another playoff appearance, another first-round series that went five games. The previous three years, Oakland had lost that fifth and deciding game.
The only reason for hope this year was that the A's were up against Boston rather than New York. Boston's poor playoff history was well-documented, perhaps over-documented. If anybody could find a way to lose against the team that had made an art of losing, it would be Boston.
Like in past series, there was no reason the A's should have had to play in a Game 5. They won the first two games at home against Boston, scoring five runs each time, giving them three chances to close out the series. But the Red Sox won Game 3 in 11 innings, then scored two in the eighth of closer Keith Foulke to win Game 4, and it was the same old story again. Sure, the A's were at home for Game 5, but at this point, they had to believe they were cursed, right? Plus, in this Game 5, they were up against the great Pedro.
The Game
Game 4 starter Barry Zito got the dubious honor of starting for Oakland in Game 5, drawing the short straw to get the ball against Pedro Martinez. Already a proven postseason performer, Martinez was just finishing up the prime of his career in 2003. A slew of no decision left him with only 14 wins in 2003, but the 4 losses and the league-best 2.22 ERA were still plenty impressive. He was still feared around baseball, and though Zito was considered Oakland's ace, he didn't have anywhere near the reputation.
Given Oakland's recent postseason history, it was a bit of a surprise when Jose Guillen drove home the game's first run in the bottom of the fourth, letting Oakland draw first blood. But it was only a matter of time before A's would become postseason choke artists again.
It started in the top of the sixth. Zito had only given up two hits to that point, but Jason Varitek led off the inning with a game-tying home run. From there, the A's must have felt the pressure, felt their season slipping away once again. Johnny Damon walked after a nine-pitch at bat. Nomar Garciaparra gave Zito and the A's a break by fouling out to first, but then Zito hit Todd Walker with a pitch, putting two runners on base for Manny Ramirez.
It's probably pretty easy by now to figure out what Ramirez did in the next at bat.
And so that's that. Boston is leading 4-1, and they're moving on. Oakland would cement their legacy as the postseason choke artists of the 2000s. That run in the bottom of the sixth didn't matter. The run in the bottom of the eighth mattered only in that it knocked Martinez out of the game, making way for Boston's suspect bullpen.
But then came the bottom of the ninth, where the first two Oakland batters walked. See, this was getting interesting. Oakland had a poor recent history of playoff chokes, but Boston had a long, lengthy history of them. Suddenly, Oakland seemed like they had a chance.
And Boston was getting desperate. After their closer walked the first two batters of the game, Derek Lowe, who hadn't pitched in relief all season, came in to get the save. Oakland gave them the first out with a sacrifice that put runners on second and third with one out. That bunt might have been the textbook play to make, but this A's team wasn't known for hitting for a high average. They couldn't afford to be giving up outs with so few of them left in the season.
On cue, pinch-hitter Adam Melhuse struck out looking. Oakland looked dead. But then Chris Singleton drew a walk, Oakland's third of the inning. Now Boston looked dead. Oakland was a single away from winning the series, and they were a walk, or a wild pitch, or - considering this was Boston pitching - an error away from tying the game.
It only took four pitches to decide things. With the bases loaded, two outs in the ninth, trailing by one, pinch-hitter Terrance Long did something that will probably haunt him for years: he struck out looking. As Boston celebrated, Oakland hung their heads. Just like last year. And the year before that, and the year before that...
Postgame
Boston's win over Oakland set up an ALCS against the Yankees, giving national media outlets multiple chances to wax poetic about the great rivalry while the two teams played seven grueling games. Boston's famous curse was played up over and over again in the series, especially in the eighth inning of Game 7, when a fatigued Pedro Martinez was left in the game to give up the game-tying run. When Aaron Boone ended things with a home run in the bottom of the 11th, the nation's baseball fans were obligated to wonder if Boston would ever break their curse.
(Hint. They did. The very next year).
Oakland, meanwhile, stayed competitive the next few years, but free-agency cost them many of the great stars that had led them to four straight playoff appearances. They missed out on the playoffs two straight years before returning to the postseason in 2006. This time, though, they got some revenge, sweeping the Twins in the first round before getting swept in the ALCS. That run in 2006 was the last gasp for that Oakland dynasty, as they haven't had a winning record since.
The Rundown
14. Boston 4, Oakland 3 (2003 ALDS)
15. Cleveland 4, N.Y. Yankees 3 (1997 ALDS)
16. L.A. Angels 5, N.Y. Yankees 3 (2005 ALDS)
17. Texas 5, Tampa Bay 1 (2010 ALDS)
18. San Francisco 3, Atlanta 1 (2002 NLDS)
19. N.Y. Yankees 5, Oakland 3 (2001 ALDS)
20. Seattle 3, Cleveland 1 (2001 ALDS)
21. Chicago 5, San Francisco 3 (1998 NL Wild Card tiebreaker)
22. N.Y. Yankees 7, Oakland 5 (2000 ALDS)
23. Los Angeles 4, Houston 0 (1981 NL West Division Series)
24. Montreal 3, Philadelphia 0 (1981 NL East Division Series)
25. N.Y. Yankees 7, Milwaukee 3 (1981 AL East Division Series)
26. Seattle 9, California 1 (1995 AL West tiebreaker)
27. Chicago 5, Atlanta 1 (2003 NLDS)
28. Houston 12, Atlanta 3 (2004 NLDS)
29. N.Y. Mets 5, Cincinnati 0 (1999 NL Wild Card tiebreaker)
30. Cleveland 8, Boston 3 (1948 AL tiebreaker)
31. Houston 7, Los Angeles 1 (1980 NL West tiebreaker)
Monday, October 11, 2010
October 11, 1999: Pedro from the 'pen
CLEVELAND - It was desperation time in Cleveland. Game 5 of the ALDS was tied 8-8, and it was only the fourth inning. The previous three games had been slugfests, with both teams pitching staffs getting pounded around mercilessly. With six innings (at least) left in the deciding game of the series and both starters long gone, the teams were faced with needing exhausted pitching staffs to get them through to the next round.
But the Red Sox had the ultimate ace in the hole, and they took the ultimate gamble to try to win the series. Boston manager Jimy Williams made the call before the bottom of the fourth. The bullpen doors opened, and Pedro Martinez jogged toward the mound.
Martinez was the best pitcher alive in 1999. Pitching in the height of the steroids era, he had gone 23-4 with a 2.04 ERA that year. Considering the offensive explosion going on all around him, his season ranks among the best any pitcher had ever had. He was the rare pitcher dominating in a hitters' era.
But Martinez was hurt. He came out of game 1 after only four innings with an injury and wasn't expected to pitch the rest of the series. Boston's ultimate advantage, the one area where they were definitively better than Cleveland, was suddenly taken away from them. And game 5 should have been his to pitch, taking a lot of the stress away from the series. The game sure wouldn't have been tied 8-8 in the fourth inning if Pedro had been on the mound.
But there he was now. Still hurt, he came out to pitch anyway, the idea being that he could hold off Cleveland's offensive attack for long enough for Boston to take the lead, then give way for the final two innings. The Red Sox were hoping to get just two or three quality innings from their star.
What they got was vintage Pedro.
The first four batters Martinez faced were out, but with no strike outs. Maybe he didn't have his best stuff, so he'd have to beat them with finesse instead of power. But when Manny Ramirez walked, Pedro beared down, striking out the next two hitters to end the inning. It was on now.
There were two more strikeouts in the sixth, as Pedro had clearly found his groove. Then, in the top of the seventh, Boston seemingly snapped out of their admiration for their pitcher and realized they'd have to score if his performance were to mean anything. Troy O'Leary's three-run home run took care of that problem nicely. Suddenly, after opening the game scoring eight runs in the first three innings, the Indians were faced with the daunting task of coming back from three runs down against Pedro Martinez and only having three innings to do it.
Pedro wasn't having it. What was supposed to be a caretaking relief appearance, lasting just long enough to help the Red Sox take the lead, turned into a masterpiece. He breezed through the seventh and eighth innings while allowing only one baserunner, and after the Red Sox added one in the ninth, Martinez went out for the ninth to finish the job. It didn't take long. When he struck out Omar Vizquel for the final out, everybody was able to realize exactly what he had done: in a game in which he wasn't supposed to pitch at all because of an injury, Martinez had thrown six shutout innings in relief without giving up a hit. He struck out eight and walked three, completely dominating the American League's best offense.
The Red Sox lost the ALCS to the Yankees, with their only win in the series coming in game 3 with Martinez on the mound. He pitched brilliantly, striking out 12 and giving up only two hits in seven innings. It was a fitting cap to a brilliant season.
Pedro Martinez's 31 starts during the 1999 season were something to behold, truly pitching at its finest. But he may have never been better than those six innings in Cleveland, when he stepped out of the bullpen door and saved Boston's season.
But the Red Sox had the ultimate ace in the hole, and they took the ultimate gamble to try to win the series. Boston manager Jimy Williams made the call before the bottom of the fourth. The bullpen doors opened, and Pedro Martinez jogged toward the mound.
Martinez was the best pitcher alive in 1999. Pitching in the height of the steroids era, he had gone 23-4 with a 2.04 ERA that year. Considering the offensive explosion going on all around him, his season ranks among the best any pitcher had ever had. He was the rare pitcher dominating in a hitters' era.
But Martinez was hurt. He came out of game 1 after only four innings with an injury and wasn't expected to pitch the rest of the series. Boston's ultimate advantage, the one area where they were definitively better than Cleveland, was suddenly taken away from them. And game 5 should have been his to pitch, taking a lot of the stress away from the series. The game sure wouldn't have been tied 8-8 in the fourth inning if Pedro had been on the mound.
But there he was now. Still hurt, he came out to pitch anyway, the idea being that he could hold off Cleveland's offensive attack for long enough for Boston to take the lead, then give way for the final two innings. The Red Sox were hoping to get just two or three quality innings from their star.
What they got was vintage Pedro.
The first four batters Martinez faced were out, but with no strike outs. Maybe he didn't have his best stuff, so he'd have to beat them with finesse instead of power. But when Manny Ramirez walked, Pedro beared down, striking out the next two hitters to end the inning. It was on now.
There were two more strikeouts in the sixth, as Pedro had clearly found his groove. Then, in the top of the seventh, Boston seemingly snapped out of their admiration for their pitcher and realized they'd have to score if his performance were to mean anything. Troy O'Leary's three-run home run took care of that problem nicely. Suddenly, after opening the game scoring eight runs in the first three innings, the Indians were faced with the daunting task of coming back from three runs down against Pedro Martinez and only having three innings to do it.
Pedro wasn't having it. What was supposed to be a caretaking relief appearance, lasting just long enough to help the Red Sox take the lead, turned into a masterpiece. He breezed through the seventh and eighth innings while allowing only one baserunner, and after the Red Sox added one in the ninth, Martinez went out for the ninth to finish the job. It didn't take long. When he struck out Omar Vizquel for the final out, everybody was able to realize exactly what he had done: in a game in which he wasn't supposed to pitch at all because of an injury, Martinez had thrown six shutout innings in relief without giving up a hit. He struck out eight and walked three, completely dominating the American League's best offense.
The Red Sox lost the ALCS to the Yankees, with their only win in the series coming in game 3 with Martinez on the mound. He pitched brilliantly, striking out 12 and giving up only two hits in seven innings. It was a fitting cap to a brilliant season.
Pedro Martinez's 31 starts during the 1999 season were something to behold, truly pitching at its finest. But he may have never been better than those six innings in Cleveland, when he stepped out of the bullpen door and saved Boston's season.
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