Division Series Day 2: A’s, Mets Win; Detroit, Yankees Rained Out…
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The Oakland Athletics widened their lead to 2-0 in their Division series against the Minnesota Twins in Minnesota with a 5-2 win as neither starter; Esteban Loaiza for the A’s or Boof Bonser for the Twins was involved in the final decision.
The A’s scored 2 in the 5th inning, but the Twins tied the game in the 6th inning on back-to-back solo homers by rightfielder Michael Cuddyer and 1st baseman Justin Morneau to tie the game. The A’s put the game away in the 7th inning though as centerfielder Michael Kotsay clubbed a 2 run, inside-the-park homerun for a 4-2 lead. The A’s scored their 5th run in 9th inning on a wild pitch.
Reliever Kiko Calero who pitched a shutout 6th inning was awarded the win for the As. Reliever Pat Neshek who pitched 2/3 of the 7th innng and was charged with 1 of the 2 runs on Kotsay’s homer was charged with the loss.
The New York Mets took a 1-0 lead in their series with the L.A. Dodgers with a 6-5 win thanks in large part to a fluke Dodger baserunning catastrophe.
The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning, but that was only after what could become a paradigm of postseason blooper flicks. 2nd baseman Jeff Kent singled to center to open the inning. Then J.D. Drew singled advancing Kent to 2nd base. Catcher Russell Martin belted a long single to deep right field. Kent hesitated leaving 2nd and Drew, who took off from first nearly collided with him.
Yahoo sports recalls the play;
With two on and none out, rookie Russell Martin hit an opposite-field drive off the base of the right-field wall. But Jeff Kent hesitated at second base, apparently thinking the ball might be caught, and got an extremely late jump.
That left J.D. Drew, who was on first, practically running up Kent’s back as coach Rich Donnelly waved one — or both — around third. A quick, accurate relay from right fielder Shawn Green to second baseman Jose Valentin to Lo Duca nailed Kent, who attempted a headfirst dive into the plate.
“If I hold him, we’ve got two guys at third base,” Donnelly said. “I was hoping they’d throw the ball away. I didn’t really want to send Jeff. J.D. was right behind him, and I thought, one’s going to be out and one’s going to be safe.”
Drew was left in no-man’s land, trapped about halfway between third and home. Yet Lo Duca, who got spun around on the play at the plate, didn’t realize that at first as he struggled to his feet.
Martin went to 2nd on the catastrophic play and scored on leftfielder Marlon Anderson’s double to left.
In the 4th inning 1st baseman Carlos Delgado and leftfielder Cliff Floyd each solo homered for the Mets as the went up 2-1. Delgado went 4 for 5 for the game.
The Mets scored 2 more in the 6th inning on 3rd Baseman David Wright’s RBi double to right field. The Dodgers scored 3 runs in the 7th to tie the game at 4-4. But in the bottom of the 7th, Delgado singled driving in a run and Wright stroked an RBI double and the Mets went up 6-4. In the 9th inning, Rick Martin drove in a run with a 2 out double but the game ended as 1st baseman Nomar Garciaparra struck out.
Neither Dodgers starter Derek Lowe who gave up 4 runs on 6 hits in 5 1/3 innings nor Mets starter John Maine who gave up 1 run on 6 hits in 4 1/3 innings were involved in the decision. Mets reliever Giullermo Mota, who gave up 3 runs and blew a save opportunity, got credit for win and Brad Penny who gave up the 2 runs to the Mets in the 7th inning was tagged with the loss for the Dodgers.
One might consider what the possible complexion of the game could have been had Kent been more alert or had not hesitated. Shades of the Utley homer which wasn’t in the opener of the last Phillies/Washington Nationals series. Imagine the possible impact on the Wild Card result had that call not been botched.
The Yankees, who lead 1-0, were to have entertained the Detroit Tigers in game 2 as Justin Verlanger was to go against Mike Mussina. However, the game was postponed by the threat of rain and will be played on Thursday afternoon with the same starting pitchers, thus denying the 2 teams a day off.
For full recaps, box scores and play-by-plays of Wednesday’s Divisional Series games, click here.
The St. Louis Cardinals who lead San Diego 1-0 will start Jeff Weaver vs veteran lefthander David Wells for the host San Diego Padres.
The Mets who lead the L.A. Dodgers 1-0 start their veteran lefthander Tom Glavine against young lefty Hong-Chih Kuo for the Dodgers at Shea Stadium.
For full coverage of all of Thursday’s Divisional Series games in both leagues; previews, recaps, box scores and play-by-play coverage click here.
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