The 2005 Indians hold off the
1949 Red Sox to advance to the ALCS against either the White Sox or
Angels. Cleveland's pitching is the difference maker in the series, as
the Tribe wins two close games by holding off late
Red Sox rallies. Boston, a great hitting club, is hurt by poor clutch
hitting and the inability to hold off late Indian rallies, as the Tribe
comes back in two of the games. Boston also is saddled with a poor
postseason performance from the great Ted WIlliams,
who lost his batting eye in all but Game Two of the series.
Game One: CC Sabathia
pitches a five hitter in eight solid innings, while Bob Howry comes in
to nail down the save. The Indians set the tone with a first inning,
three run homer from Jhonny Peralta off Ellis Kinder
to hold a lead they wouldn't relinquish. An RBI single from Coco Crisp
in the fifth is decisive, as Boston come back to make it close on a late
Al Zarilla homer and Vern Stephens sac fly to narrow the Indians' lead
to 4-3.
But Howry comes in the shut the
door in the ninth. Kinder, taking the hard luck loss, pitches a complete
game and strikes out seven. Cleveland 4, Boston 3.
Cleveland leads 1-0.
Game Two: Boston roars
back against Cliff Lee, who was hit hard in another recent, 20-3 loss to
the Bosox. In this one, Cleveland's ostensible ace only lasts 1.2
innings and gives up nine earned runs. Boston sends
17 batters to the plate in the first two innings and break it open in
the second with a two run homer from Ted WIlliams and a bases clearing
double by Al Zarilla.
Cleveland does get its bats
going, knocking around Mickey McDermott and scoring eight runs. But as
they drew closer, the Indians' reliever David Riske fanned the flames by
allowing four runs in the eighth, two on a double
from Williams to seal the deal. Boston 13, Cleveland 8.
Series tied at 1 apiece.
Game Three: The series
moves to Fenway and looks good early for Boston, as Zarilla rockets a
411-foot, three run homer off Kevin Millwood to put the home team up 3-1 in the fourth. Boston strikes for two more in
the sixth off three walks and a bloop to take a nice, 5-1 lead.
But Mel Parnell, who was very
good for the Sox, has difficulty keeping the Tribe at bay late.
Cleveland plates three runs in the seventh, two on a two-out single from
Ronnie Belliard in a four hit inning off Parnell.
Boston takes a 5-4 lead into the ninth but Cleveland explodes for three
more in the top of the inning on four more hits. After Casey Blake ties
the game on a single, Belliard again is the hero, rocketing a base hit
that scores two and gives Cleveland a two
run lead.
Howry tries to close the door in
the bottom of the inning but puts two on base before Bob Wickman comes
in. With two one and two out, WIlliams is at the plate in a critical at
bat. Wickman strikes him out to end the game.
Cleveland 5, Boston 3.
Cleveland leads 2-1
Game Four: Cleveland
decides to send fourth starter Jake Westbrook to the hill but Boston
counters with ace Ellis Kinder. The Red Sox scratch out two runs in the
first two inning but the Indians take the one run
lead in the third on a sac fly from Belliard (Mr. Clutch in the series)
and a key single from Crisp.
Boston's hopes of a comeback die
in the seventh. Down 3-2, they witness a huge Indians uprising as the
Tribe scores five runs off Kinder. Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner
finally start hitting, Martinez driving in two
with a double and Hafner launching a two run homer. After Cleveland
scores two more in the eighth off ineffective reliever Tex Hughson, it
was all she wrote for the beaneaters. Cleveland 10, Boston 3.
Cleveland wins the series 3-1.
Congratulations on another great
KOD year for Pete Daly, who guided the Bosox to within three games of
the division leading Indians despite sometime shaky pitching but with
solid hitting and even better managing.
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