Yanks, Angels reach ALCS
MINNEAPOLIS — Andy Pettitte dominating for the Yankees in the postseason is as familiar to New Yorkers as cheese cake and floppy slices of pizza.
But Alex Rodriguez suddenly finding his October swing? That's a new addition to the Bronx Bombers' menu for playoff success.
Rodriguez and Jorge Posada hit seventh-inning home runs and Pettitte was brilliant for 6 1-3 innings to help the Yankees advance to their first ALCS in five years with a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins in their division series on Sunday night.
A-Rod's long ball tied the game 1-1 in the seventh, the second time in as many games he's hit a huge home run. His two-run shot off Twins closer Joe Nathan in the ninth inning of Game 2 tied the game New York eventually won in 11 innings.
"Without Alex, we are not in this situation right now," said manager Joe Girardi, whose Yankees will host the Los Angeles Angels in Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday.
It was a statement series for one of the most talented players — and one of the biggest targets for criticism — in the game. Baseball's highest-paid player carried a .136 postseason average into this series and has been criticized in the Big Apple for his big-game failures and admission to using steroids when he was with the Texas Rangers.
But he was 5 for 11 (.455) with two homers and six RBIs in the three-game sweep of the Twins.
"For A-Rod to have the series he had was absolutely tremendous," outfielder Nick Swisher said. "To put everyone else, just a nice little zipper over their lips for the way he's played in the postseason thus far. It's a great feeling, a great thing to see."
These new, looser Yankees have rallied around Rodriguez, and he has been visibly more relaxed since returning from hip surgery that caused him to miss the first month of the season.
"I knew that I couldn't change all the 0-for-4s, 0-for-5s and all the guys I left on base," Rodriguez said. "I'm content right now, both on and off the field."
Rodriguez's homer in the seventh helped make up for the lone blemish on a sterling start from Pettitte, who gave up one run on three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. He carried a perfect game through four innings, but was nearly matched pitch for pitch by former Yankee Carl Pavano.
Joe Mauer's RBI-single in the sixth inning broke a scoreless tie and got the Metrodome rocking, but Rodriguez and Posada quickly responded to put the Yankees back in control.
"It seems like the whole postseason so far, we are kind of sputtering along a little bit and maybe when we give up the lead, our guys fire right back and score some runs," said Pettitte, who tied John Smoltz atop the career list with his 15th postseason win.
BOSTON — John Lackey had come to Boston for the playoffs three times before. Each time he went back to California disappointed."It's nice to be going home and playing again, instead of going home and it's over," he said after the Angels swept the Red Sox and eliminated them from the playoffs for the first time in five tries. "This is the most fun for me, and I've got a ring. That says a lot."The Angels and Vladimir Guerrero shrugged off their postseason failures and beat Boston 7-6 on Sunday, scoring three runs off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning to advance to the AL championship series. It was the first postseason sweep in Angels franchise history, and they did it against the team that has knocked them out of the playoffs three times in the previous five years."We're finally here," said Angels owner Arte Moreno, who bought the team in 2003, a year after they won their only World Series. "I think that the fourth time's a charm. It's great for us, because we've been knocking on the door for a while."Papelbon was one strike away from extending the series with three different batters, but Erick Aybar singled on a two-strike pitch, Chone Figgins walked after fouling off a full-count offering and Bobby Abreu fouled off three straight pitches before doubling in one run.Torii Hunter was walked intentionally before Guerrero singled the first pitch to center and Figgins and Abreu raced home. Major league saves leader Brian Fuentes pitched the ninth, and when Aybar caught Dustin Pedroia's popup to end the game, pumping his right arm.
DENVER — Between frosty breaths on the mound, Brad Lidge warmed to the challenge and erased a season of frustration.Philadelphia's beleaguered closer stranded runners at first and second on a bitterly cold Sunday night when he retired Troy Tulowitzki on a flyball for the final out, preserving the Phillies' 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies in Game 3 of their NL playoff series."When the postseason starts, it's a completely clean slate," said Lidge, who is from Denver. "It's definitely a treat to be able to play here right now, get a chance to pitch in front of family and friends."Huston Street allowed Ryan Howard's sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth that scored Jimmy Rollins with the tiebreaking run.In a game that started with temperatures near freezing and ended past midnight, the defending World Series champs took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. They can wrap it up Monday when they send Game 1 winner Cliff Lee against Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez.
