Yankees-Indians: ALDS Game 2

October 5, 2007
New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians
Jacobs Field, Cleveland, Ohio
Indians lead series, 1-0

Starting Lineups/Batting Orders
New York Yankees
Johnny Damon (LF): 0-5, 1 SO (.111)
a-Bronson Sardinha (LF)
Derek Jeter (SS): 1-4, 2 SO (.125)
Bobby Abreu (RF): 1-4, 1 SB (.333)
Alex Rodriguez (3B): 0-4, 3 SO (.000)
Hideki Matsui (DH): 0-3, 1 BB (.000)
Jorge Posada (C): 0-3, 1 BB (.000)
Robinson Cano (2B): 0-4 (.143)
Melky Cabrera (CF): 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI (.125)
Doug Mientkiewicz (1B): 0-3 (.000)
b-Shelley Duncan (PH-1B): 0-1 (.333)
Cleveland Indians
Grady Sizemore (CF): 2-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 2 BB, 1 SO (.375)
Asrubal Cabrera (2B): 0-4, 1 SO (.125)
Travis Hafner (DH): 2-6, 1 RBI, 2 SO (.300)
Victor Martinez (C): 0-3, 1 BB, 1 SO (.375)
Ryan Garko (1B): 0-3, 1 BB (.429)
Jhonny Peralta (SS): 1-4, 1 2B, 1 SB, 1 BB, 3 SO
Kenny Lofton (LF): 2-3, 1 R, 2 BB (.714)
Jason Michaels (RF): 1-1, 1 2B (1.000)
a-Franklin Gutierrez (RF): 1-3, 2 SO (.200)
Casey Blake (3B): 0-4 (.125)

Pitchers
New York Yankees
Andy Pettite: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 0.00 ERA
Joba Chamberlain: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 5.40 ERA
Mariano Rivera: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
Luis Vizcaino (L, 0-1): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13.50 ERA
Cleveland Indians
Fausto Carmona: 9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR, 1.00 ERA
Rafael Perez (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA

Cleveland Indians 2, New York Yankees 1 (11 innings)
WP: Rafael Perez (1-0)
LP: Luis Vizcaino (0-1)
Cleveland leads series, 2-0

Notable Stats
New York Yankees
Johnny Damon: 0-5, 1 SO
Alex Rodriguez: 0-4, 3 SO
Hideki Matsui: 0-3, 1 BB
Jorge Posada: 0-3, 1 BB
Robinson Cano: 0-4
Melky Cabrera: 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
Cleveland Indians
Grady Sizemore: 2-4, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SO
Kenny Lofton: 2-3, 1 R, 2 BB
Travis Hafner: 2-6, 1 RBI, 2 SO

Summary
Well, another game, another Yankees loss. Bug swarms aside, this is another good game I couldn't watch (I don't get TBS). Carmona was lights out in his first career postseason start, which is hopefully a sign of things to come for this young man. Nine innings, three hits, and one run. The mark on his near-perfect pitching line was a solo home run by Melky Cabrera in the third inning. Another unfortunance for Carmona is that Andy Pettite was lights out too, giving up no runs in six-and-one-third innings pitched. Pettite left in the seventh for Joba Chamberlain, and I guess you could say the rest is history. Overcome with bug swarms, Chamberlain allowed Grady Sizemore to score the tying run in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch to make it a 1-1 game.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the eleventh when, with Luis Vizcaino pitching, Kenny Lofton earned a lead-off walk. Franklin Gutierrez followed with a single to center that moved Lofton to second, before a Casey Blake sacrifice bunt moved both Gutierrez and Lofton up a base. Grady Sizemore was intentionally walked giving Asdrubal Cabrera the chance to be the hero. Cabrera popped out, passing the buck to Travis Hafner. Pronk stepped in and worked the count full. Hafner then immortalized himself in Indians history with a single to right field, scoring Kenny Lofton for the 2-1 victory.

The Indians pitching shut down the Yankees bats again, as Carmona and Perez combined on a two-hitter. Pettite pitched well, along with Chamberlain (until the attack of the bugs). Overall, the Indians have been dominating this series, holding the Yankees to four runs on eight hits in twenty innings. Can the Yankees complete a historic comeback?

Game 3
6:30 PN ET, Sunday, October 7, 2007
Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium, New York, New York
Jake Westbrook (0-0) vs. Roger Clemens (0-0)

Could this be the Rocket's last game?