Post by Bill Stoneman on Sept 27, 2004 2:42:13 GMT -5
The 2004 LDS will go down in the books as one of the most surprising in recent history, as both Wild Card teams move on, and the team with the best record in each league went down.
Chicago White Sox vs. New York Yankees
The White Sox lost their series to the Yankees 3-1. You knew it was gonna be trouble when Eric Gagne blew the save in game one to take the loss. The Sox scored 3 in the top of the 9th to take a 7-6 lead, but a game winning 2 Run HR by Shea Hillenbrand took the wind out of the White Sox wings, seemingly for the rest of the series.
They fought back to win game 2, but it was by no means a team effort, with rookie Jason Bay scoring 3 out of their 4 runs, and over 50% of their hits. They were blown away in the final 2 games 12-2 and 7-1, seemingly deflated from the tough game 1 loss, as their offense scored only 7 runs the final 3 games.
AL MVP frontrunner Jim Thome had a rough series, hitting only .235. He wasn't the only one to struggle, as others include Adrian Beltre (.063), Frank Catalanotto (.133), and Juan Uribe (.083).
Anaheim Angels vs. Boston Red Sox
Anaheim was the next to go down. Boston set the tone early, defeating Cy Young frontrunner Curt Schilling 8-0. Curt only gave up 3 of the runs, but their offense had no hope of getting started with Pedro on the mound. He threw 8 dominant innings before Sauerbeck finished it off.
Just like the White Sox, the Angels came back to win game 2, this time on a 7th inning 3 run HR by Vlad Guerrero to give them the win. Jason Schmidt was roughed up a little in the first, giving up a double to Johnny Damon followed by a 2 run HR by Miguel Tejada, but after that he settled down, throwing 5 straight 1-2-3 innings. Isringhausen finished it off with 1 hitless inning, striking out 2 on only 12 pitches.
That's all we'd hear from Anaheim though, as they struggled through the last 2 games. A very odd game 3 found the game scoreless after 5 before the Angels took a 3 run lead in their half of the 6th, only to relinquish the lead giving 5 in the bottom half. Boston piled it on from there, scoring 5 more in the 7th, and 2 in the 8th, before the Angels put 4 on the board in the 9th, before Alfredo Amezaga struck out looking, ending all hopes of a comeback. Angels pitching, which dominated all year, had everyone who threw give up a run, every pitcher compiling an ERA of 9 or more during the game.
In decisive game 4, the Angels bats could never get it going, compiling only 1 run on 5 hits, and leaving 7 on base. Schoenweis pitched a solid 7+, allowing only 2 ER, but still took the loss to a dominant Tom Glavine, allowing 1 Run, 0 Earned in 8 innings of work. Foulke got the save in his only inning of the series, with 2 K's in his scoreless inning.
The top offense in the AL was stifled the whole series, with not a single starter hitting over .286, and 4 players .200 or under, including MVP candidate Vlad Guerrero. Jason Varitek hit .063 for the series.
Miguel Tejada had a monster series, hitting .625 in the victory, helping to offset the struggles of AL MVP candidate Manny Ramirez, who hit only .133.
This sets up another Yankees/Red Sox ALCS.
Florida Marlins vs. Colorado Rockies
In the NL, the hot Florida Marlins took care of business in their matchup with the Rockies by starting with 2 big wins on the road. After falling behind 7-3 in game 1, they scored 7 in the 6th, adding 1 in the 7th to win 11-7. Jeff Kent, after a somewhat dissapointing season hit .526 for the series, starting it off with a big Grand Slam in that 6th inning. The Rockies couldn't muster up any offense after the Marlins' big inning, taking the game 1 loss.
The Marlins kept their momentum right into game 2, scoreing 8 runs before Colorado could get 1 up in their 10-2 win. Beckett dominated at Coors, striking out 13 in 7 innings for the win. Kent continued his hot hitting, going 3/5, with a 2 run single in the first and a RBI triple in the 9th.
In game 3, Colorado appeared poised for a hot streak, winning 9-6 at Pro Player, and scoring runs in all but 3 innings in a tough hitters park. Jason Giambi had a big game, going 3-4 with 4 RBI, including a 3 run HR in the first. Al Leiter pitched 6 strong innings vs a very RH stacked lineup, and Ryan Speier's struggles (1 1/3 IP, 3 ER) weren't enough to derail this one. Marlins starter Joel Pineiro got roughed up for 4 runs in 3 innings, and reliever Darren Oliver couldn't record an out in the 7th, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits. Raul Ibanez hit a 3 run HR in the 8th to spark what looked like a comeback, but the Marlins were retired in order from then on for the loss.
Game 4 was an incredible battle, with the Rockies fighting for their playoff lives. Florida scored 4 in the first for a quick lead, helped by Jeff Kent's 3 run blast, and had 7 runs on the board before the Rockies scored their first run in the 5th. Colorado battled right back though, with a big 5 run inning, put together a way you wouldn't expect them to. They scored runs on a single, a balk, a walk, and a double. Down 7-5 in the 8th, Charles Johnson, who had an incredible year, tied it up with a 2 run homer. It was a battle of the bullpens from then on, as there wasn't another hit until the top of the 11th, when Jeff Davanon singled. Between the Johnson HR and the 14th inning, there were only 2 hits, both by the Rockies. Then, after 2 quick outs in the bottom of the 14th, struggling Mike Lowell stepped to the plate. Here's the call by ESPN Radio's Chris Berman.
"3 and 2 the count to Lowell. The payoff pitch...swung on and a long drive to left by Lowell...back-back-back-back-back....GONE! Mike Lowell wins it for the Marlins with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 14th, and the Marlins are going back to the NLCS for the 2nd straight year!"
MVP Candidate Bret Boone hit a measly .118 in the series, a disappointing end to an amazing season. Jeff DaVanon (.222) and Jacque Jones (.167) met similar fates, on the way to a dissapointing first round exit by the upstart Rockies.
San Fransisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs
The final series to end was the Giants/Cubs. Most thought the Cubs would have an easy time in this series, with their amazing rotation of Wood-Prior-Santana-Halladay, and after game one they appeared to be correct. Kerry Wood pitched a solid 7 innings in a dominant 13-4 win in game 1, with Mike Hampton getting crushed for 5 runs and 7 hits in only 1 2/3 innings. The Cubs piled on 15 hits, with every starter except Wood getting one, and every starter except Wood scoring a run.
The Giants battled in game 2, jumping out to a 3 run lead in the first backed by a Bonds double. After Chicago scored 2 to get back in it in the 2nd, Bonds hit a monster 3 run HR to extend the lead. The Cubs chipped away at the lead from then on, but the damage was already done. The Giants, backed by Barry Bonds, neutralized the Cubs' main advantage, scoring 6 runs in only 3 innings vs Mark Prior. The Cubs fought all the way back to within one, as Ken Griffey Jr. hit a double with 2 outs in the 9th to get within one, but Derrek Lee then struckout with Junior in scoring position to end it.
Game 3 was a pitchers duel, with both Johan Santana and Chuck Finley pitching solid games. Finley left in the 8th with a 2-1 lead, which appeared safe until Carlos Guillen came up big in the 9th with a game tying HR. Their hopes were crushed in the bottom of the 9th though, when Barry Bonds came up to lead off the inning.
"Bonds ahead in the count 3-1, will they just walk him? The pitch from Glover, swung on and belted, it is HIGH, it is DEEP, it is GONE into McCovey Cove!! The Giants win it on a walk off HR by Barry Bonds!"
Game 4 was no contest, with the Giants jumping out to an early lead and never letting up. They scored 4 in the first, 4 in the 4th, and 1 in the 6th in the 9-3 win. Barry continued his amazing series, going 2/3, walking twice, homering, and finishing the series with a .636 Batting Average, along with 6 walks and 3 Home Runs. He won player of the game honors in all 3 Giant wins, on their way to a big upset. He helped to offset the bad performances by 2-3 hitters Matt Lawton (.176 AVG) and Pudge Rodriguez (.133 AVG). He is still trying to win his first world title, even if he has to do it himself.
2004 LCS Matchups
Boston Red Sox (WC) vs. New York Yankees
Florida Marlins vs. San Francisco Giants (WC)
Sim will be live, on Wednesday at 9:30 CT.
Almost the same as last year's real life LCS, except the Giants instead of Cubs...kinda odd.
Chicago White Sox vs. New York Yankees
The White Sox lost their series to the Yankees 3-1. You knew it was gonna be trouble when Eric Gagne blew the save in game one to take the loss. The Sox scored 3 in the top of the 9th to take a 7-6 lead, but a game winning 2 Run HR by Shea Hillenbrand took the wind out of the White Sox wings, seemingly for the rest of the series.
They fought back to win game 2, but it was by no means a team effort, with rookie Jason Bay scoring 3 out of their 4 runs, and over 50% of their hits. They were blown away in the final 2 games 12-2 and 7-1, seemingly deflated from the tough game 1 loss, as their offense scored only 7 runs the final 3 games.
AL MVP frontrunner Jim Thome had a rough series, hitting only .235. He wasn't the only one to struggle, as others include Adrian Beltre (.063), Frank Catalanotto (.133), and Juan Uribe (.083).
Anaheim Angels vs. Boston Red Sox
Anaheim was the next to go down. Boston set the tone early, defeating Cy Young frontrunner Curt Schilling 8-0. Curt only gave up 3 of the runs, but their offense had no hope of getting started with Pedro on the mound. He threw 8 dominant innings before Sauerbeck finished it off.
Just like the White Sox, the Angels came back to win game 2, this time on a 7th inning 3 run HR by Vlad Guerrero to give them the win. Jason Schmidt was roughed up a little in the first, giving up a double to Johnny Damon followed by a 2 run HR by Miguel Tejada, but after that he settled down, throwing 5 straight 1-2-3 innings. Isringhausen finished it off with 1 hitless inning, striking out 2 on only 12 pitches.
That's all we'd hear from Anaheim though, as they struggled through the last 2 games. A very odd game 3 found the game scoreless after 5 before the Angels took a 3 run lead in their half of the 6th, only to relinquish the lead giving 5 in the bottom half. Boston piled it on from there, scoring 5 more in the 7th, and 2 in the 8th, before the Angels put 4 on the board in the 9th, before Alfredo Amezaga struck out looking, ending all hopes of a comeback. Angels pitching, which dominated all year, had everyone who threw give up a run, every pitcher compiling an ERA of 9 or more during the game.
In decisive game 4, the Angels bats could never get it going, compiling only 1 run on 5 hits, and leaving 7 on base. Schoenweis pitched a solid 7+, allowing only 2 ER, but still took the loss to a dominant Tom Glavine, allowing 1 Run, 0 Earned in 8 innings of work. Foulke got the save in his only inning of the series, with 2 K's in his scoreless inning.
The top offense in the AL was stifled the whole series, with not a single starter hitting over .286, and 4 players .200 or under, including MVP candidate Vlad Guerrero. Jason Varitek hit .063 for the series.
Miguel Tejada had a monster series, hitting .625 in the victory, helping to offset the struggles of AL MVP candidate Manny Ramirez, who hit only .133.
This sets up another Yankees/Red Sox ALCS.
Florida Marlins vs. Colorado Rockies
In the NL, the hot Florida Marlins took care of business in their matchup with the Rockies by starting with 2 big wins on the road. After falling behind 7-3 in game 1, they scored 7 in the 6th, adding 1 in the 7th to win 11-7. Jeff Kent, after a somewhat dissapointing season hit .526 for the series, starting it off with a big Grand Slam in that 6th inning. The Rockies couldn't muster up any offense after the Marlins' big inning, taking the game 1 loss.
The Marlins kept their momentum right into game 2, scoreing 8 runs before Colorado could get 1 up in their 10-2 win. Beckett dominated at Coors, striking out 13 in 7 innings for the win. Kent continued his hot hitting, going 3/5, with a 2 run single in the first and a RBI triple in the 9th.
In game 3, Colorado appeared poised for a hot streak, winning 9-6 at Pro Player, and scoring runs in all but 3 innings in a tough hitters park. Jason Giambi had a big game, going 3-4 with 4 RBI, including a 3 run HR in the first. Al Leiter pitched 6 strong innings vs a very RH stacked lineup, and Ryan Speier's struggles (1 1/3 IP, 3 ER) weren't enough to derail this one. Marlins starter Joel Pineiro got roughed up for 4 runs in 3 innings, and reliever Darren Oliver couldn't record an out in the 7th, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits. Raul Ibanez hit a 3 run HR in the 8th to spark what looked like a comeback, but the Marlins were retired in order from then on for the loss.
Game 4 was an incredible battle, with the Rockies fighting for their playoff lives. Florida scored 4 in the first for a quick lead, helped by Jeff Kent's 3 run blast, and had 7 runs on the board before the Rockies scored their first run in the 5th. Colorado battled right back though, with a big 5 run inning, put together a way you wouldn't expect them to. They scored runs on a single, a balk, a walk, and a double. Down 7-5 in the 8th, Charles Johnson, who had an incredible year, tied it up with a 2 run homer. It was a battle of the bullpens from then on, as there wasn't another hit until the top of the 11th, when Jeff Davanon singled. Between the Johnson HR and the 14th inning, there were only 2 hits, both by the Rockies. Then, after 2 quick outs in the bottom of the 14th, struggling Mike Lowell stepped to the plate. Here's the call by ESPN Radio's Chris Berman.
"3 and 2 the count to Lowell. The payoff pitch...swung on and a long drive to left by Lowell...back-back-back-back-back....GONE! Mike Lowell wins it for the Marlins with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 14th, and the Marlins are going back to the NLCS for the 2nd straight year!"
MVP Candidate Bret Boone hit a measly .118 in the series, a disappointing end to an amazing season. Jeff DaVanon (.222) and Jacque Jones (.167) met similar fates, on the way to a dissapointing first round exit by the upstart Rockies.
San Fransisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs
The final series to end was the Giants/Cubs. Most thought the Cubs would have an easy time in this series, with their amazing rotation of Wood-Prior-Santana-Halladay, and after game one they appeared to be correct. Kerry Wood pitched a solid 7 innings in a dominant 13-4 win in game 1, with Mike Hampton getting crushed for 5 runs and 7 hits in only 1 2/3 innings. The Cubs piled on 15 hits, with every starter except Wood getting one, and every starter except Wood scoring a run.
The Giants battled in game 2, jumping out to a 3 run lead in the first backed by a Bonds double. After Chicago scored 2 to get back in it in the 2nd, Bonds hit a monster 3 run HR to extend the lead. The Cubs chipped away at the lead from then on, but the damage was already done. The Giants, backed by Barry Bonds, neutralized the Cubs' main advantage, scoring 6 runs in only 3 innings vs Mark Prior. The Cubs fought all the way back to within one, as Ken Griffey Jr. hit a double with 2 outs in the 9th to get within one, but Derrek Lee then struckout with Junior in scoring position to end it.
Game 3 was a pitchers duel, with both Johan Santana and Chuck Finley pitching solid games. Finley left in the 8th with a 2-1 lead, which appeared safe until Carlos Guillen came up big in the 9th with a game tying HR. Their hopes were crushed in the bottom of the 9th though, when Barry Bonds came up to lead off the inning.
"Bonds ahead in the count 3-1, will they just walk him? The pitch from Glover, swung on and belted, it is HIGH, it is DEEP, it is GONE into McCovey Cove!! The Giants win it on a walk off HR by Barry Bonds!"
Game 4 was no contest, with the Giants jumping out to an early lead and never letting up. They scored 4 in the first, 4 in the 4th, and 1 in the 6th in the 9-3 win. Barry continued his amazing series, going 2/3, walking twice, homering, and finishing the series with a .636 Batting Average, along with 6 walks and 3 Home Runs. He won player of the game honors in all 3 Giant wins, on their way to a big upset. He helped to offset the bad performances by 2-3 hitters Matt Lawton (.176 AVG) and Pudge Rodriguez (.133 AVG). He is still trying to win his first world title, even if he has to do it himself.
2004 LCS Matchups
Boston Red Sox (WC) vs. New York Yankees
Florida Marlins vs. San Francisco Giants (WC)
Sim will be live, on Wednesday at 9:30 CT.
Almost the same as last year's real life LCS, except the Giants instead of Cubs...kinda odd.