World Series: Did You Know?

2007 was a sweep for the Boston Red Sox. But the team swept the Colorado Rockies. It was all a group effort. Four different pitchers with a win, four or more RBIs. Actually, three of them had exactly four, and the other had five.

The Red Sox, seeking their second Fall Classic triumph in three years, made i a laugher in the opener at home. Boston won it, 13-1. Josh Beckett won it, with some help from Mike Timlin and Eric Gagne. But the Sox had plenty of run support, of course. Dustin Pedroia drove in two, as did David Ortiz. Jason Varitek also drove in two. Sadly, Mike Lowell was at the low end of the totem pole, and didn't collect an RBI.



In game two, the Red Sox again again. This time though, it was close. Boston won, 2-1, behind the pitching of Curt Schilling. Curt left after 5 1/3 innings. The bullpen helped out even more in this game, as they shut down Colorado for the last 3 2/3 innings. The offence seemed to die, as Lowell got his first RBI and Varitek, his third. But that was all.



In Colorado for game three, it was a little easier. Boston scored ten, but Colorado came alive with some offence of their own. They scored five, alas, it was not enough to make a game of this. And now, this Fall Classic was a rout. Daisuke Matsuzaka was the winning pitcher, but like Schilling in the game before, he lasted only 5 1/3 innings. The bullpen faltered, this time. Colorado scored twice off Matsuzaka, and then three more times in only 3 2/3 innings of the Red Sox 'pen. Not helping matters was the eight hits surrendered in that span by the relief corps. On the plus side, it was Pedroia with a pair of RBIs to give him four in three games. Ortiz had one himself, as he drove home the first run of the game on a double. Lowell had his second-straight two RBI game, giving him three for the Series. Varitek had only one, but that upped his total to four. All this offence, and Boston did not hit a home run, which is odd. Colorado got one from Matt Holliday. But it was the Sox who were just a game away.



Game four followed game two, a one-run Red Sox win. That made it a sweep for Boston, but at least two of the games' were close. Boston build up a 3-0 lead before Colorado came alive. John Lester started and got one more batter out than Schilling and Matsuzaka got in their outings. He gave up no runs and only three hits. The three walks doomed him. The bullpen did falter, although Timlin and Jonathan Papelbon held the Rockies scoreless. Pedroia failed to get a hit or an RBI. So he finished with four. Ortiz got one, but just one, to give him four as well. Varitek drove in Boston's second run with a single in the top of the fifth. Lowell's had, you guessed it, only one. But it was a dandy. A home run in the top of the seventh to make it 3-0. Varitek had one more than Ortiz, Lowell and Pedroia.



The World Series is always a "National League Team vs. American League Team." And just that, team! There's an MVP (In this case, Lowell got it.), and there's got to be a winning pitcher in anywhere from four to seven games. Someone has to step up to the plate for your team and get the runner's home. Or shut them down on the mound. The Red Sox had many players ready to do that in the 2007 Fall Classic!


References


Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 06 Apr. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org>.

World Series: Did You Know?

The Florida Marlins were again the Wild Card in the Fall Classic in 2003. And as, they did in the 1997 World Series, they won it all! The twist, this time was a double twist, actually. The beat the New York Yankees, who'd won three straight from 1998 to 2000. And then their was the matter of home-field advantage. Actually, it proved to be home-field disadvantage for Florida!

Ariving for the National League Division Series against San Francisco, they'd have to take down Barry Bonds and his teammates. Right there in San Francisco. However, after losing 2-0 in the opener at Pac Bell Park, Florida won the next game for the split. Coming home, they won two games by one run each.

Then came the National League Championship Series against Chicago. And the Cubs lost the opener at home. However, seeking their first Fall Classic appearance in 58 years, Chicago won the next three games. Florida sent it back to The Windy City with a 4-0 win the fifth game. And then, the fan touched the ball, right?

Indeed. The Cubs seemed destined to win that series, and were up 3-0 going into the top of the eighth. But fate interviened on the Marlins behalf. 8 runs later, they were on their way to game seven. There, they dug deep to hand Chicago a heart-breaking defeat!

But, waiting for them in the Fall Classic was the New York Yankees. This thing was starting in the Bronx, of course. Didn't the Marlins have enough adversary already? But this was a team that was just going to find a way to win. Somehow or some way!

The Marlins went to Yankee Stadium and won a tight one, 3-2, in the opener. This game was a great pitcher's duel between David Wells of New York and Brad Penny of Florida. Game two, alas, was all New York. Andy Pettitte pitched a gem of a game. New York crossed the plate three times in the bottom of the first, and that was more then enough in a game that ended 6-1, New York. It was all tied heading down to the heat down south. But Florida was feeling head of a different kind in game three.

Different location, same result. Same score, too. That put the Yankees up two games to one in this thing. The Marlins needed to get at least one in New York after game five. If they made it that far.

The Marlins managed to win game four. But like game one, it was close. They needed twelve innings to do it. Florida was leading 3-1 going into the top of the ninth, when New York scored twice to tie it.

Game five was a slugfest, and Florida pulled it out. But they almost blew it, again. They put across three in the bottom of the second to erased a 1-0 New York lead. By the bottom of the fifth, it was 6-1, Marlins. Another 6-1 game, only this time in Florida's favour. It was not to be.

Derek Jeter singled home a run in the top of the seventh. It was still 6-2, Florida. But then New York really started to make some noise in the top of the ninth. Right when they always do. Or so it seems in the Fall Classic.

Pinch hitter Jason Giambi hit a one-out solo home run to cut the lead to 6-3. New York was not finished. Jeter, clutch as always followed that with a double. Then, Erique Wilson hit a double of his own. Jeter scored and it was a 6-4 game with the tying run at the dish and only one out.

Ugueth Urbina, the Marlins' closer, was probably looking forward to a night off, or maybe getting ready for an appearance in game six (And seven, if necessary). But Urbina was needed now.

He got Bernie Williams on a fly to right. It was deep enough to move Wilson to third, but that run didn't mean a thing. The man at the dish did. Now, the Marlins needed to get just one more out to go up three games to two.

Hidecki Matsui was that batter. Swinging at the first pitch, he sent one to first that Derek Lee fielded and made the final putout himself. Florida had the win and the series lead. But, having the home-field disadvantage meant they had to win either game six or game seven on the road.

Josh Beckett made that task a little easier for Florida. He pitched the finest game of this Fall Classic. He and Pettitte put zeros on the board through four. In the top of the fifth, Beckett got what he needed, one run. The next inning, Florida put across another runner to make it 2-0. That would prove to be the final score. That performance helped earn Beck the MVP.

Florida had won it all in enemy territory. It had been a common theme in the postseason for them. Of the two World Series they won, this was actually tougher, as they were facing the mighty Yankees with their history, tradition and all. Plus, they had to be a little road-weary, eh?

References

http://www.baseball-reference.com/