Seems like old times
CLEVELAND — Kenny Lofton spent the past few days offering his young teammates advice about how to approach their first trip to the playoffs.
Relax, he told them.
Seize the moment, he told them.
Treat them like any other games.
Lofton then followed his own advice.
The 40-year-old, who still speeds around the bases as if he's 25, haunted one of his many former teams with four RBI as the Cleveland Indians made a spectacular return to the postseason after a six-year hiatus by crushing the New York Yankees 12-3 in the opener of their AL playoff series on Thursday night.
C.C. Sabathia overcame a shaky start — and a narrow strike zone — as the Indians, who lost all six of their games against the Yankees during the regular season, came out swinging like they did in Octobers past.
Just as Lofton told them to.
Cleveland's kids came through with a dazzling performance against the Yankees, who find themselves in another playoff hole.
It was a stunning turnaround for the Indians, who were outscored 49-17 by New York during the regular season.
"The playoffs are a whole different atmosphere," Lofton said. "You start from scratch."
On an unusually warm night that felt more Indian summer than fall, the AL Central champions looked as though they just might be the team to beat as they chase their first World Series title in 59 years.
"They just were hitting everything," Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez said. "Even their outs were hard."
A-Rod will have to wait at least another day to repair his tarnished postseason image. Sabathia and three Cleveland relievers silenced his powerful bat. New York's third baseman went 0-for-2, walked twice — once intentionally — and was a nonfactor as baseball's most-feared lineup managed five hits.
Today, the Yankees turn to Andy Pettitte, who is 14-9 in postseason play but 0-3 in three outings against the Indians. Fausto Carmona, Cleveland's other 19-game winner, will oppose him.
The Yankees are now 3-11 since their collapse in the 2004 against Boston, and unless they get their offense going, October will be a short month again.
"We've been in this position before," Derek Jeter said.
PHILADELPHIA — The message scrawled on the white board in the clubhouse was clear. It read: Not Done!The Colorado Rockies aren't satisfied after getting this far. They're going home to seal the deal.Kaz Matsui hit his first career grand slam and drove in five runs, leading the Rockies over the Philadelphia Phillies 10-5 Thursday for a 2-0 lead in their NL playoff series.With their 16th win in 17 games and eighth straight victory on the road, Colorado is on the verge of going to its first NL championship series in just the second postseason appearance in the franchise's 15-year history."They are very excited about being here, but by no means is that it," manager Clint Hurdle said. "They want to keep playing."A day after taking a pitchers' duel, Colorado outslugged the Phils and got a big effort from its bullpen.Matsui connected off Kyle Lohse, who was rushed in to relieve struggling rookie Kyle Kendrick in the fourth inning.Lohse was the Phillies' scheduled Game 4 starter. At this rate, the best-of-five series may not get that far.Rookie Ubaldo Jimenez will try to pitch Colorado to a sweep Saturday night at Coors Field against veteran Jamie Moyer."No one is panicking, no one is down," said Jimmy Rollins, who homered and drove in four runs for the Phillies.Matsui fell a single short of the cycle, and Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holliday homered on consecutive pitches in the first inning off Kendrick, who got a quick hook from manager Charlie Manuel.The Phillies had a chance to make it interesting in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs. But closer Manny Corpas came in and retired Carlos Ruiz. Corpas worked around a pair of two-out singles in a scoreless ninth for his second save in two days.Ryan Howard also went deep for Philadelphia, which ended a 14-year playoff drought by capturing the NL East
PHOENIX — The chant began in the ninth inning: "Sweep the Cubs!"The youthful Arizona Diamondbacks are one game away from making it happen.Rookie Chris Young hit a three-run homer and Stephen Drew tripled in two more in an 8-4 victory Thursday night that put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-0 in the best-of-five NL division series."Being able to take the first two here is huge for us," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "Obviously, we know at the very least it's coming back here, so that's a good feeling."The Cubs and their adoring followers, many of whom flocked to Chase Field, have a very different feeling.Unless they turn it around at Wrigley Field, the Cubs will make it 99 years and counting without a World Series title. The Billy Goat Curse would still reign.The frustration is showing, too. After giving up the go-ahead homer to Young in the second inning, Chicago starter Ted Lilly wound up and slammed his glove on the pitcher's mound."I've never seen a pitcher throw the glove like that on the mound," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said with a bemused smile. "He threw a high fastball and the kid put a good swing on it."Three years removed from a 111-loss season, the young Diamondbacks are one victory from the NL championship series. They can complete a sweep Saturday in Chicago, where Arizona will send Livan Hernandez to the mound against Rich Hill.Eric Byrnes had an RBI triple for the Diamondbacks, the first team since the 1906 White Sox to have a league's best record and worst batting average.They won yet again with timely hitting, solid starting pitching, sound defense and a strong bullpen."Everything is going our way right now and hopefully we'll keep it that way," Drew said.
