October 18th, 2004
American League Championship Series,
Game 5
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
Fenway Park, Boston
Everybody
always talks about the fourth game of the 2004 ALCS, when the New York Yankees
were three outs away from sweeping the Red Sox, then Boston staged a rally,
tied the game, then won it in the 12th on a two-run home run by
David Ortiz. But Game 5 was just as dramatic.
The
Yankees had won the A.L. East in 2004, leading the Sox by three games when the
regular season ended. Boston qualified as the wild card and swept the Angels in
the ALDS to advance to the ALCS to play the Yankees who had knocked off the
Twins in four games.
New
York won the first two games at home (10-7 and 3-1) before taking a
stranglehold on the series with a 19-8 win at Fenway Park in Game 3. After the
dramatics of Game 4, the Yankees were still in a strong position to advance to
the World Series. They would have Mike Mussina on the mound, while Boston would
go with fireballer Pedro Martinez.
The
Red Sox would score in the bottom of the first when the previous night’s hero,
Ortiz, singled in a run to make the score 1-0. Ortiz would later score on a
bases loaded walk to Jason Varitek and the lead was now 2-0.
The
Yankees quickly got one back in the second on a lead-off home run by Bernie
Williams. The score remained 2-1 until the top of the sixth when Yankee
shortstop Derek Jeter came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out. On
the third pitch of the at bat, Jeter doubled to right field, clearing the bases
and giving New York a 4-2 lead.
But
the Sox wouldn’t go quietly. Ortiz led of the bottom of the eighth with a home
run to make the score 4-3. Three batters later, Varitek would lift a sacrifice
fly to centre field that scored Dave Roberts and the score was tied at four.
The
game remained tied into extra innings as neither team threatened through the 12th.
In the top of the 13th, the Yankees got a runner as far as third
base thanks to some passed balls as a result of knuckleballs thrown from Tim
Wakefield. But the Yankees couldn’t plate the runner and after Boston went in
order, it was on to the 14th.
The
Yankees didn’t put a runner on base in their half of the inning, so now it was
Boston’s attempt to end the marathon. With one out, Yankee reliever Esteban Loaiza
walked Johnny Damon. Two batters later, with now two out, Manny Ramirez drew a
walk, moving Damon to second and bringing Ortiz to the plate.
For
the second night in a row, the man they all “Big Papi” came through with the
game-winning hit, this time a line drive single up the middle. Damon scored
easily and the Red Sox had stayed alive (again) with a dramatic walk-off
victory.
And
we all know how this ended. The Red Sox would win both Games 6 and 7 in Yankee
Stadium and become the first team in baseball history to come back after being
down three games to none. While some might say that the Yankees choked, I find
a comment like that disrespects the Red Sox and the comeback they accomplished
in the series. It was the never-quit attitude that kept Boston alive and
propelled them to upset the Yanks.
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