Red Sox score series sweep
ANAHEIM, Calif. — When Red Sox ace Josh Beckett blew away the Los Angeles Angels in Game 1 of their AL playoff series, Curt Schilling considered it a challenge.
And when his turn came around, he met it.
Schilling pitched seven shutout innings on Sunday, and David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit back-to-back homers to lead Boston to a 9-1 victory, completing a three-game sweep of the Angels. The Red Sox will play in the AL championship series against either the Yankees or the Cleveland Indians, who lead New York 2-1 in their best-of-five series.
"Pitching is everything, and our guys were pitching," Ramirez said. "Schilling's the man. He's got a lot of spirit, he knows what he's doing out there and he came through for us."
Making his first postseason start since his bloody sock victory in the 2004 World Series — and his first start of any kind in 12 days — Schilling scattered six hits while walking one, striking out four and throwing 76 of his 100 pitches for strikes.
Even at 40 and lacking the fastball he once lived by, Schilling still thrives under pressure. In 16 playoff starts, he is 9-2 with a 1.93 ERA.
"His style has changed, but the results in the postseason remain the same. That's a real tribute to him," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said.
The Red Sox have won nine consecutive playoff games against the Angels, going back to the 1986 playoffs, when Boston rallied from a 3-1 deficit to reach the World Series. This year, Los Angeles hit .192 as a team in the series and scored a mere four runs in three games.
Yankees 8, Indians 4
NEW YORK — Only when they reach the ledge do these New York Yankees respond. Only when they are on the verge of wrecking, do their abilities come through.
"That's the way this team has decided to do things for some reason or another," Alex Rodriguez said.
On Sunday night, they almost went spinning off.
With George Steinbrenner threatening to terminate Joe Torre's run as manager after 12 championship-filled years, Roger Clemens was chased in the third inning and Cleveland took a three-run lead.
Then Johnny Damon lofted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth, rookies Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain rescued the Rocket and the Yankees rallied past Cleveland 8-4 to close within 2-1 in their first-round AL playoff series.
"We all love Joe Torre, and we would love for him to win another championship," Damon said. "I think Joe Torre is a guy who commands a lot of respect. He's meant so much to the Yankee organization. And, you know, we get to play for him at least another day."
Steinbrenner blustered Saturday that Torre's hot seat was close to a boiling point. "I don't think we'd take him back if we don't win this series," the owner told The Record of New Jersey.
Torre was his usual stoic self before the game, and one sign in the stands read: "DO IT FOR JOE."
Clemens, hobbled by his hamstring, got just seven outs and the Indians built a 3-0 lead as Trot Nixon homered, and Ryan Garko and Jhonny Peralta drove in runs.
